Topic: The devolution of the immigration debate
Purpose: To call attention to the fact that the platforms and rhetoric have changed on both sides, and that the consequences of this will be both authoritarian and violent if there is not a course correction.
Thesis: The entrenched powers of our society have striven to divide the people against each other for political and financial gain. The consequences of this polarization and dehumanization will be mass violence if partisans cannot return to some kind of common ground and civility.
Intro Strategy: I will open with a short list of recent examples of political violence, including pictures to capitalize on emotional response and provide visual evidence. I will then transition into a discussion of the polarization causing this.
Main Idea 1: America is more polarized than at any point since the Civil War.
Support 1: stats showing the partisan divide
Main Idea 2: America is polarized as a result of a powerful assault against free speech and reason in the interest of political gain and corporate profit.
Support 1: media corruption, Project Veritas exposure of CNN and MSNBC
Main Idea 3: America will destroy itself if it does not turn back from this dangerous path.
Support 1: Antifa versus the Right
Support 2: extremist talk within online echo chambers
Conclusion: It is imperative that we tackle the looming threat of violence by attacking the root of the polarization and returning to civility in political discourse.
Concluding Sentence: If Americans cannot unify around the core principles of the Constitution and condemn radicals within their own camps, then the country will rip itself apart and sound a victory bell for authoritarianism.
This TED talk sounds interesting, and I think the organization structure you have now is setting it up to be a concise, effective presentation. I feel visual aids can be a great asset to your talk if used effectively, and I would not be afraid to include easy to read graphs or charts. I would make sure to incorporate all the aspects of ethos, logos, and pathos into your speech as well, making sure the logic is present as well as the emotions. I know you hold logic in high regard so it shouldn’t be an issue.