Karla+A’s+Final+AmEx+2014+Speech

=Title of Speech= The Power of Words

=Text of Speech=

Words are more powerful than we realize. Words can inspire, bring comfort, and happiness; words can bring pain, sorrow, and conflicts.

Earlier this week, I encountered a man who expressed his thoughts on the power of words. “Words are just words,” he said, “You just say them and forget about them.” “People are just too sensitive,” he concluded. And maybe he’s right, and we are too sensitive, but you know what: we have the right to be. We shouldn’t have to tolerate immature, insensitive people with zero regards for the well-being of others, ignorant people, unaware of the power of their words because contrary to popular belief: words do hurt, a lot. The phrase “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me” is a complete and utter lie.

I have always had a never-ending struggle with my weight; it has been my biggest insecurity for as long as I can remember. All throughout elementary and middle school, this insecurity only grew larger. People constantly commented on my appearance. The words fat and overweight seemed to define me as an entirety. The thing about words is if you hear them often enough you start to believe it. You let them consume and define you. Years have passed and those words still resonate with me. No matter how much my appearance changes: I’m not comfortable, and I don’t think I ever will be. Words can affect a person for a lifetime. I’m sure all those people went home after school everyday, forgot about the harsh words they uttered, and went on with their lives, completely unaware of the long impact their words would have.

In Georgia, words led 14-year-old Nadia Ilse, to undergo facial plastic surgery. She was told by her peers, she obtained the largest ears they had ever come across, and Dumbo became her distinguished nickname. School rapidly became her most horrid nightmare. She became convinced that plastic surgery was the only way to put an end to her peer’s unsympathetic words. On her first day of ninth grade Nadia, was all smiles as she proudly showed off her ears, after spending years trying to hide them. The power of words is increasingly becoming less evident. The number of kids 18 and under having plastic surgery rose from just 60,000 in 1997 to almost 225,000 in 2003. Young adults seem to have become unaware of the feelings their words can perpetrate.

Bullying seems to have become an epidemic. Many of us have either experienced bullying first-hand, or witnessed it through others. Although bullying can physical, it is most often verbal. People utter nasty words to others, pointing out their flaws, or poking at their insecurities. The words become so powerful, so consuming and painful that many use suicide as means to escape. Suicide has become the third leading cause of death among young people and at least half of those suicides are bullying related. According to the CDC, over 14 percent of high school students have considered suicide and almost 7 percent have attempted it. Studies by Yale University show victims of bullying are between 2 to 9 times more likely to consider suicides than non-victims.

Every time we open our mouth we have a choice. We can use our words to either cut or heal. A heart can be mended or broken; a life can be built up or broken down by our words. You and I have the power to make others feel awful, or fantastic, and with that power comes responsibility. We are responsible for using that power in the way that best benefits our peers. Let us follow in Martin Luther King Jr.’s footsteps and use our words to change the world. While others advocated freedom by “any means necessary”, including violence, Martin Luther King Jr. used the power of his words to achieve what appeared to be impossible goals.

In the America I want to grow old in, I want to see more people aware of the power of their words. I want people to see the long lasting effects their words can have, and I want more people to use this power thoughtfully and positively to prevent more pain and suffering. Thank you.

=Cite Your Sources=

[|__http://abcnews.go.com/Health/bullied-teen-facial-plastic-surgery-ready-forgive-tormentors/story?id=17002192__] [|__http://teens.webmd.com/features/is-plastic-surgery-teen-thing__]

[|__http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/bullying-and-suicide.html__]