Yr 11 speech
Discrimination is an unnecessary part of nearly every body’s lives. The question I ask you is why? Discrimination robs, ruins and wrecks lives. Although to some it proves strength and power all it does in fact is identify a coward.
Who here wants to be seen by most of the school as a coward? Because that is what you are if you discriminate against the differently abled members of your school. There are those I suppose who are so blinded by their ‘heroes’ that they find them even more ‘adorable’ and ‘witty’ for speaking against someone who is different through no fault of their own. I ask you now to look down over yourselves, I expect most of you are not displeased with what you see, but imagine if you had a crippled leg and were not right now sat in a chair but in a wheelchair, imagine not being able to communicate well and seeing everybody around you chatting but not being able to join in because you know that people will smirk behind hands and talk about you later because you stammer and slur words. Just imagine that. The terror you would feel as the bully of the class swaggers over and asks how you are doing just so he can imitate you at break. It’s not a nice thought, would you want that to be your life?
Now close your eyes and imagine, you feel a stranger, you feel small and alone in this hall, you see people look at you, some point and smirk, some turn away as if you are a piece of rubbish that makes you , and suddenly from this mist of hatred, hatred for no reason what so ever, a girl walks over she’s called Sasha, she has a genuine smile on her face and she asks you how you are! WOW! To most of use that doesn’t seem a lot, you get it all the while but to some it’s like the sun after an eclipse.
However, there is something even better about this. You can be that person. You can become somebody’s sunshine, you can be Sasha. Take control of your life! Don’t let the foolish drag you down into this mire of discrimination. Put yourself in their shoes and never let go the dream. The dream of a world where the colour of your skin or your deformed limbs and face, the slur in your voice or the loss of sight or hearing does not define you for what you are but what’s within. This world can come about, it can be so. So I ask you why not start the change in your school? Let’s be free from discrimination and replace discrimination with kindness and fairness to all.
Thank you, I wish you all well in the future, and I look forward to the change that I know you will bring about in this school. Make today the day that you change and become somebody’s sunshine, become the light to their life.
