Motivational Speech Reflection

When I first presented my speech in favor of a severance tax on Marcellus Shale gas production in class, it was a seven-minute policy speech about the multifaceted need and benefit of a severance tax.  This however, was not the assignment, and did not motivate my audience to take action.  My need and my visualization steps were too broad and too fragmented to motivate my audience to a strong call to action.  In my revision I narrow my focus and speak about what motivated me to speak on the topic; the people in my hometown that natural gas drilling would harm and the harm it would bring to my community.  I focus on the stories of Pennsylvania citizens, and their encounters with the natural gas companies. In my visualization step I conduct a cross-state analysis and relate it back to the small communities of Pennsylvania and its citizens who are the consistent focus of my speech. In the final part of my visualization step, just before my conclusion, I directly connect the problem with my audience of Penn State students stating that the state funding that our University is threatened to lose is about the same amount we could have gained in state revenue if we had a severance tax since 2009.  In this edit of my motivational speech I take the position of a citizen concerned for her family and the future of her community, and my call for action arises out of my love for my community and knowledge of the harm natural gas drilling can bring to citizens. My second version of my speech has a stronger call to action, because I am in a stronger position as a fellow citizen to make that call. Instead of being an objective policymaker, I identify myself as a concerned citizen. This position builds a stronger ethos between my audience and me and effectively creates a stronger appeal to action.