Journal #3

The one speech that has always meant the most to me is Lou Gehrig's speech when he announced his retirement from baseball. I've watched the speech countless numbers of times because it is so inspiring to me the way Lou Gehrig conducted himself even with his disease, and I respect the fact that he had to give up his livelihood and was very humble in doing so. If I had to choose one person who I believe is good at the craft of public speaking it would have to be my father, the Reverend Brent Thalacker. I say this because I cannot tell you how many times I've listened in on his sermons before he presents them on Sundays, and I always find myself taking something away from each one. He is big on metaphorical examples that really pertain to situations going on in everyones daily lives, and his messages are powerful because he says them with such conviction. I always say that he could sway a whole entire jury with his public speaking abilities, and that's why I believe there is no one better.
Three speeches that I found interesting were "I Have A Dream" by Martin Luther King Jr., "Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation" by Franklin D. Roosevelt, and "Farewell to Baseball Address" by Lou Gehrig. "I Have A Dream" by MLK is undoubtedly one of the most profound speeches of all time. MLK was calling for equality and his words rang across the whole nation, inspiring the whole African American race that change is possible. "Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation" by FDR is very commendable because he had the extremely tough task of responding to attacks on American soil and informing the entire nation, and I believe in his speech FDR dealt with the situation in a proper manner, which is very commendable. "Farewell to Baseball" by Lou Gehrig really hits home with me because I know what it's like to give up something you dedicate your life to because of some unfortunate cause. Gehrig's speech was so inspiring and it showed that even in the saddest times its important to be supportive and acknowledge the man's character and achievements.