it is very very long, i am in year 10 and my speech is about racism and discrimination.
please read it and give me your feedback.
i am presenting it tomorrow.
Prejudice and racial stereotyping are two of this country's greatest problems today.
Good morning year 10 English, today I am going to talk to you about racism, why it is wrong and what ways we can improve on it.
The idea of racism being bad has been drummed into us from early ages, but where does this fundamental belief come from? Anti discrimination laws have made racial discrimination illegal, but is that why it’s bad? Today I’m here in front of you to prove that’s not the case, in today’s society I believe it is not the legal context of racism that makes it bad, but the fact that it is immoral.
The federal government has been ineffective in eliminating racist acts that pervade our society. State governments and institutions have attempted to establish their own laws condemning such acts but attempts have also been fruitless.
Think about it, banning the current racial slurs will only create new ones. And an outright ban on racist speech and ideas could likely lead to a higher level of violence in our society.
A number of other supreme court rulings have come out in favor of protecting all speech, including racist speech, such as:
A 1941 ruling on the case of Sullens v State, stating that the "Freedom of speech includes freedom to speak unwisdom or even heresy."
According to the supreme court in the case of the National Labor Relations Board v Montgomery Ward in 1946, the "First Amendment is concerned with freedom of thought and expression of the speaker or writer, not with conditions under which the auditor receives the message…
The First Amendment does not require that an audience shall have volunteered to listen." This ruling essentially invalidates the argument, and forces the listener into a position where he must decide what to listen to and what to ignore, which is what we all do anyway.
However despite the expensive court cases involving several well paid lawyers does anyone honestly believe that it is the governments or even the laws task to influence and model society? Should it not be common sense and basic morals to not commit racist acts or spread racial slur?
Unfortunately not, we can’t all be model citizens and I’m sure none of you wonderful people have ever participated in racist acts, am I right?
But I have another question for you; do you think Australia is a race? I’m sure you’re all eager to answer but just put your hand up. Hand up for yes? (If anyone raises hand look at teacher and say “hmmm, this looks pretty bad on you doesn’t it?”)
Well the answer is no. Australia is not a race.
Australia is made up of different cultures and races that is what makes us Australians. So what gives us the rite to be discriminatory against other nationalities, when we ourselves are a blend?
Please put your hand up if you were not born in Australia. Now have any of you doubted or questioned these peoples rite to be Australian citizens? No.
On the 1st of June 2010 New South Wales assistant coach Andrew Johns, made a racial slur against Queensland’s superstar Greg Ingles.
After the publicity became too much for Andrew, he released a statement to the media regarding what he said.
“I should have thought more what I was
saying about a player whom I have always
admired and respected and I hope to speak
with Greg soon to explain what happened.”
Racism is destructive, it disempowers by devaluating their identity, it destroys community cohesion and creates divisions in society, and it is the opposite of the democratic principle of equality and the rite of all people to be treated fairly.
There are a number of methods that the government could employ to attempt to eliminate racism from our country. Campaigns promoting more multi cultural events and celebrating the different that of everyone in our country may be effective in changing people perspective of other races.
The most effective immediate solution, I believe, would be to encourage every business in the country to adopt zero-tolerance policies regarding racism, and perhaps even have the general policies outlined by the Federal Government. By passing a law which would establish general guidelines for racism, and by making acceptance and employment of these guidelines in the workplace criteria for qualifying for certain business tax breaks, the government would second-handily affect the use of racist slurs and expression of views.
The Freedom to speak one's mind is one of this country's citizens' most venerably held rights, and any discussion which deals with government imposed limitations on this right should not be taken lightly. Completely banning speech that is deemed by some to be racist only serves to bury the problem of racism itself, and is not an acceptable solution.
please read it and give me your feedback.
i am presenting it tomorrow.
Prejudice and racial stereotyping are two of this country's greatest problems today.
Good morning year 10 English, today I am going to talk to you about racism, why it is wrong and what ways we can improve on it.
The idea of racism being bad has been drummed into us from early ages, but where does this fundamental belief come from? Anti discrimination laws have made racial discrimination illegal, but is that why it’s bad? Today I’m here in front of you to prove that’s not the case, in today’s society I believe it is not the legal context of racism that makes it bad, but the fact that it is immoral.
The federal government has been ineffective in eliminating racist acts that pervade our society. State governments and institutions have attempted to establish their own laws condemning such acts but attempts have also been fruitless.
Think about it, banning the current racial slurs will only create new ones. And an outright ban on racist speech and ideas could likely lead to a higher level of violence in our society.
A number of other supreme court rulings have come out in favor of protecting all speech, including racist speech, such as:
A 1941 ruling on the case of Sullens v State, stating that the "Freedom of speech includes freedom to speak unwisdom or even heresy."
According to the supreme court in the case of the National Labor Relations Board v Montgomery Ward in 1946, the "First Amendment is concerned with freedom of thought and expression of the speaker or writer, not with conditions under which the auditor receives the message…
The First Amendment does not require that an audience shall have volunteered to listen." This ruling essentially invalidates the argument, and forces the listener into a position where he must decide what to listen to and what to ignore, which is what we all do anyway.
However despite the expensive court cases involving several well paid lawyers does anyone honestly believe that it is the governments or even the laws task to influence and model society? Should it not be common sense and basic morals to not commit racist acts or spread racial slur?
Unfortunately not, we can’t all be model citizens and I’m sure none of you wonderful people have ever participated in racist acts, am I right?
But I have another question for you; do you think Australia is a race? I’m sure you’re all eager to answer but just put your hand up. Hand up for yes? (If anyone raises hand look at teacher and say “hmmm, this looks pretty bad on you doesn’t it?”)
Well the answer is no. Australia is not a race.
Australia is made up of different cultures and races that is what makes us Australians. So what gives us the rite to be discriminatory against other nationalities, when we ourselves are a blend?
Please put your hand up if you were not born in Australia. Now have any of you doubted or questioned these peoples rite to be Australian citizens? No.
On the 1st of June 2010 New South Wales assistant coach Andrew Johns, made a racial slur against Queensland’s superstar Greg Ingles.
After the publicity became too much for Andrew, he released a statement to the media regarding what he said.
“I should have thought more what I was
saying about a player whom I have always
admired and respected and I hope to speak
with Greg soon to explain what happened.”
Racism is destructive, it disempowers by devaluating their identity, it destroys community cohesion and creates divisions in society, and it is the opposite of the democratic principle of equality and the rite of all people to be treated fairly.
There are a number of methods that the government could employ to attempt to eliminate racism from our country. Campaigns promoting more multi cultural events and celebrating the different that of everyone in our country may be effective in changing people perspective of other races.
The most effective immediate solution, I believe, would be to encourage every business in the country to adopt zero-tolerance policies regarding racism, and perhaps even have the general policies outlined by the Federal Government. By passing a law which would establish general guidelines for racism, and by making acceptance and employment of these guidelines in the workplace criteria for qualifying for certain business tax breaks, the government would second-handily affect the use of racist slurs and expression of views.
The Freedom to speak one's mind is one of this country's citizens' most venerably held rights, and any discussion which deals with government imposed limitations on this right should not be taken lightly. Completely banning speech that is deemed by some to be racist only serves to bury the problem of racism itself, and is not an acceptable solution.