Speech and Debate

    Hi. It's been a while. Sorry about that, I was in a Speech and Debate tournament.

    Speech and Debate, you ask? Yes. And even if you don't ask, that's what this post is all about. So, skip it if you don't care.

    I'm a nobody. A nobody in a big world where a lot of somebodies do nothing. A nobody doing something while the somebodies do nothing. It's a paradox.

    Not quite. There are somebodies doing something, and nobodies doing nothing. But I'm a nobody. And I'm in Speech and Debate.

    Specifically, National Christian Forensics and Communications Association. It's a long name, but it's basically just Speech and Debate. But to me, it's a lot more.

    To most, it would seem like this is the most boring thing you could possibly do. A bunch of homeschoolers, yelling at each other and talking politics. A bunch of kids giving speeches that they wrote. Ooh, what an excitement. Sign me up.

    At least, that's what it would seem.

    To the people in it, it's a life experience. To us, it's a place where you not only grow in knowledge, but also, in Christ. To us, it's a big, intelligent social gathering. To us, it's a fantastic competition. To us, it's an opportunity to laugh, to learn, to be inspired, to think. To us, it's our life.

    To me, it's my life. It's my school, it's my education. (At least, most of it.)

    So, how did it change my life? It started with an idea. An idea for Speech and Debate. I had no care for speech, but debate sounded interesting. I started it, and learned so much. Here is this year's resolution, or what I'm always debating: National Security ought to be valued above Freedom of the Press. That's what I've been learning about.

    Not to mention Pride, why you should drink water more often, my identity in Christ, Federal Election law, Shakespeare, Power and the fact that it corrupts, poverty, and many other topics. During those three days I was at the tournament, I learned about just about everything.

    Of course, I wasted a lot of time. I should have watched more speeches. But I didn't. I regret that, but I will have many more opportunities to do so.

    But did I only learn about things in speeches? Nope. I wish. My pride got hurt. A lot. And I learned a little too much about selflessness, patience, grace, happiness and self-sacrifice. In just one qualifying tournament. It will happen many, many times.

    Why should you care? This is why you should care: our current school system is failing. It is producing more and more people who have lost the ability to think. To use their brains. To properly evaluate, to use logic. Our nation is quickly going downhill. It's obvious. The youth of America is our only hope, and if they can't think, then we're sunk. Our public school system works for some, but not all. There needs to be an alternative. Homeschooling is hard. It really is. But NCFCA helps, and it helps a LOT. Speech and Debate is the best way to become more mature, to become intelligent, to become wise. It is our last hope (it's really not, but I wanted to sound dramatic).

     I can't stress the point enough that something needs to change, and in a good way. We need Christ. And NCFCA helps spread the gospel, and intelligence, and wisdom, and character.

    Thank you for your time.