Persuasive  and Controversial Speech Ideas

• Do magazines marketed for teenagers send the wrong message? Using at least three specific magazines for support, argue for or against the moral and ethical messages that dominate magazines directed for the teen demographic.
• Is it freedom of the press or harassment? Argue whether the paparazzi helps or hinders the purpose of the free press.
• Are grades important? Discuss whether grades are necessary in order to keep students on track with learning.
• Is homework necessary?
• Hazing is a problem on university campuses
• America could start using year round school
• People should have green burial
• Non-essential plastic surgery should be illegal for children under 18
• Parents should be informed if their child is given birth control
• It has been said that America's biggest export is pop culture. Is Hollywood a good ambassador for America?
• Should public schools provide more classes and internship programs for students who choose not to go to college?
• Are college entrance exams like the SAT or ACT good indicators of university success?
• Would a voucher system that allowed for more school choice be a positive change for the American education system?
• Should parents be allowed to sumbit their teens to drug testing?
• Would single-sex public schools be more effective than co-ed?
• Doctor-assisted suicide should (or should not) be legal.
Every automobile driver should (or should not) be allowed to send their junk mail.
• Every automobile driver should (or should not) be required to take a new driver’s test every three years.
• Electroshock treatment is (or is not) a humane for of therapy.
• Every student should (or should not) be required to learn a foreign language.
• Solar power is (or is not) a viable alternate energy source.
• Drug addicts should (or should not) be put in hospitals for medical treatment instead of in prison for punishment.
• American workers should (or should not) be guaranteed a three-day weekend by law.
• All health professionals should (or should not) be tested annually for HIV infections and AIDS.
• Self-proclaimed "militia" should (or should not) be closely monitored by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
• Assault weapons should (or should not) be out-lawed.
• All owners of firearms should (or should not) be required to register their weapons with the police.
• A two-week waiting period should (or should not) be required for anyone attempting to purchase a firearm.
• The death penalty for murderers should (or should not) be abolished.
• The death penalty should (or should not) be imposed on juveniles.
• Drug dealers convinced of distributing large quantities of drugs should (or should not receive the death penalty.
• The U.S. military should (or should not) be used to curb drug smuggling in the U.S.
• The U.S. should (or should not) cut off all foreign aid to dictatorships.
• Smoking should (or should not) be banned in public areas such as restaurants and airport terminals.
• State and local governments should (or should not) operate lotteries and gambling casinos.
• The U.S. should (or should not) remain in the United Nations.
• Immigrations into the U.S. should (or should not) be restricted.
• Churches should (or should not) be required to pay taxes.
• Federal funding for the arts should (or should not) be provided.
• The present-day tax system is (or is not) unfair to middle-class and lower-income Americans.
• College athletes should (or should not) be required to meet the academic requirements of their schools.
• Sex education should (or should not) be required course in all schools as early as sixth grade.
•  Everyone should (or should not) be required to pass a competency exam before being allowed to graduate from high schools.
•  Chronic mental patients should (or should not) be housed in "halfway houses" or residences in the community, rather than in remote mental hospitals.
•  The President should (or should not) be limited to a single six-year term.
•  Billboards should (or should not) be outlawed on interstate highways.
•  Business should (or should not) be permitted to make unsolicited telephone calls to citizens.
•  IQ tests are (or are not) valid measures of human intelligence.
•  Psychologists and psychiatrists should (or should not) testify in court on behalf of the not-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity plea.
•  Regardless of income, all Americans should (or should not) be guaranteed basic medical care under a national health insurance program.
•  Heredity is (or is not) a more powerful influence on personality development than environment.
•  ESP is (or is not) a demonstrable scientific fact.
•  Scientific experimentation on animals should (or should not) be outlawed.
•  Heroin should (or should not) be legal as a pain reliever for terminally ill patients.
•  Acupuncture is (or is not a valid medical technique.
• Beauty pageants do (or do not) debase women.
• The minimum wage should (or should not) be waived for adolescent and young adult workers.
• Despite their legal tax deductions and loopholes, all millionaires should (or should not) be required to pay federal income tax.
• Police should (or should not) be allowed to set up roadblocks to isolate and arrest impaired drivers.
•  Athletes should (or should not) be allowed to use steroids.
•  Students need to be more vigilant and observant to avoid becoming victims of campus crime.
•  Citizens should resist efforts being made to shut down zoos and aquariums.
•  Steps must be taken to reduce contaminants in the nation’s water supplies.
•  Children and teenagers need to be educated on the dangers of huffing (sniffing solvents and aerosols).
•  Lawmakers need to pass tougher legislation to discourage the growing number of stalkers.
•  Every person should stipulate that in the event of death, he or she is willing to donate organs.
•  People of all races and ethnic groups should be aware that overexposure to the sun can cause skin cancer, regardless of a person’s skin color.
• Dog and cat owners should have their pets spayed and neutered.
• Citizens with cellular phones can help thwart crimes and assist in the capture of criminals.
• People wanting cosmetic surgery should investigate the risks before submitting to surgery.
•  Riders of bicycles and motorcycles should always wear helmets.
•  Every person who dines at a restaurant need to know when and how much to tip.
•  Hotels and motels should beef up security to counteract the rising number of crimes against guests.
• Taxpayers should subsidize therapy sessions for victims of violent crimes.
•  Sellers of used automobiles should be required by law to tell prospective buyers if a car is a rebuilt vehicle that had been wrecked.
•  Childcare authorities should carefully screen prospective foster parents to prevent child molesters from becoming foster parents.
•  Everyone should take classes in CPR and first aid techniques.
•  Consumers who routinely run up credit card bells that they can’t pay should seek guidance from credit counselors.
• Good remedies for bad colds
•  Doctor-assisted suicide should (or should not) be legal.
•  Spammers-people who bombard Internet users with unsolicited e-mail—should (or should not)be allowed to send their junk mail
•  Every automobile driver should (or should not) be required to take a new driver’s test every three years
•  Electroshock treatment is (or is not) a humane form of therapy
•  Every student should (or should not) be required to learn a foreign language
•  Solar power is (or is not) a viable alternate energy source
•  Drug addicts should (or should not) be put in hospitals for medical treatment instead of in prisons for punishment
•  American workers should (or should not) be guaranteed a three-day weekend by law
•  All health professionals should (or should not) by tested annually for HIV infection and AIDS
•  Self-proclaimed "militias" should (or should not) be closely monitored by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
•  Assault weapons should (or should not)be outlawed
•  All owners of firearms should (or should not) be required to register their weapons with the police
•  A two-week waiting period should (or should not) be required for anyone attempting to purchase a firearm
•  The death penalty for murderers should (or should not) be abolished
•  The death penalty should (or should not) be imposed on juveniles
•  Drug dealers convicted of distributing large quantities of drugs should (or should not) receive the death penalty
•  The U. S. military should (or should not) be used to curb drug smuggling into the U.S.
•  The U.S. should (or should not) cut off all foreign aid to dictatorships
•  Smoking should (or should not) be banned in public areas such as restaurants and airport terminals
•  State and local governments should (or should not) operate lotteries and gambling casinos
•  The U.S. should (or should not)remain in the United Nations
•  Immigration into the U.S. should (or should not) be restricted
• Federal funding for the arts should (or should not) be provided
• The present day tax system is (or is not) unfair to middle-class and lower income Americans
•  College athletes should (or should not) be required to meet the academic requirements of their schools
•  Sex education should (or should not) be a required course in all schools as early as sixth grade
•  Everyone should (or should not) be required to pass a competency exam before being allowed to graduate from high school
•  Chronic mental patients should (or should not) be housed in "halfway houses" or residences in the community, rather than in remote mental hospitals
• All firearms should be registered

   

  The US military should be used to curb drug smuggling in the US

  Women should be drafted along with men

  Residency requirement for Government assistance?

  Plea bargaining eliminated?

  Stop sharing nuclear secrets

  Stop selling weapons to countries

  Cap on sports salaries

  America is not world's police force

  Pay for illegal alien's health care?

  Juveniles sentenced as adults?

  Miss America pageant sexist?

  Presidents should be elected by popular vote

  Woman president

  We are taxed twice on same item

  Constitution is out dated

  Candidate's private life-

   

Topics have been gathered from various sources to include:

http://www.best-speech-topics.com/good-persuasive-speech-topics.html

• global warming is real/not real
• single parent adoption (yes/no)
• human cloning (moral?)
• video games do/do not promote violence
• religion does/does not belong in public education
• juveniles should/should not be tried as adults
• adoptees should/should not have the right to know who their birth parents are
• exams give no real indication of ability
• embryonic research (yes/no)
• the case for/against genetically modified food
• situation)
• zoos are/are not a good for the conservation of a species
• sweatshops (are we responsible for their creation?)
• couples should/should not be banned from adopting internationally
• gay couples should/should not have the same rights to adopt as heterosexual couples
• parents should/should not be allowed to choose the gender of their children
• force should/should not be used to protect human rights
• marriage is/is not an outdated institution
• religious slaughter of animals should/should not be banned
• vaccinations should/should not be compulsory
• virginity pledges do more harm than good/more good than harm
• age of consent laws should be more/less liberal
• assisted suicide should/should not be legalized
• boarding school is/is not beneficial to children
• cameras should/should not be placed in courtrooms to televise criminal proceedings
• cultural treasures should/should not be returned to their countries of origin
• democracy is/is not the best form of government
• developed countries should/should not cancel the debt of the poorest countries
• school students should/should not be subjected to random, mandatory drug testing
• exams should/should not be replaced with other forms of assessment
• flag burning as a form of protest should/should not be prohibited
• hollywood has a positive/negative impact on society
• sale of human organs should be legal/illegal
• governments should/should not censor material on the internet
• the government should/should not impose a mandatory retirement age
• the olympic dream is/is not dead
• parents should/should not be held legally responsible for their children's actions
• schools should/should not require students to wear uniforms
• the so-called "three strikes" law should/should not be repealed
• unemployed people should/should not be made to work for their moneyt
• animals should/should not be used in medical research
• all farmers should/should not go organic
• needle exchange programs should/should not be encouraged

Marriage—Gay, polygamy, age of consent
Race should not be considered for college entrance
Affirmative action is outdated
American needs more than 2 political parties
Immunizations are harmful
Drug advertisements promote overuse of prescriptions
Those without medical insurance shouldn’t have to pay more to go to the doctor
Its not the governments job to care for the poor

Businesses should be made to offer health insurance

Temporary companies exploit workers

Companies should not be able to hire a bunch of part-timers but should be made to make some of them full-time—they do this to prevent paying benefits

Alternative fuels-possible? Impossible? Who prevents them moving forward?

There should be a waiting period to receive a tattoo

Parental consent required for a tattoo

Video games cause violence

Feminism good or bad

Right/Left

O’Reilly-Daley

News is not partial

Americans really free?

Immigration

Medicine socialized

Fraternities should be held accountable for under aged drinking

Canadian drugs good or bad

Poverty gap is enhanced by welfare

Spanking good or bad

Public humiliation of children

Public schools are a form of socialism

Made to say pledge? Violation of freedom

Prayer in schools, See you at the Pole

Illegal search

Wire tapping—Ok, Illegal

Global warming-fact or face

Was Man really on the moon?

Cops should tazer only and not shoot

Ban automatic weapons

Have to be natural born American citizen to be president

Require everyone to own a gun-like other countries

More bike trails and fewer roads

Fayetteville free rail system

Drill in Alaska

Electoral College overrides the vote of the people

Fraternities and sororities promote elitism

Eat dead babies to feed the poor

No real overpopulation

Silly to require general education classes

Professors should not be guaranteed a job for life—tenure

Professors who are bad

 teachers must go and not be kept because they are good researchers

Walton College of Business gets too much money and leaves other departments poor

Should fund the arts more—more art education

More PE needed-kids are getting fat

Should have kids BMI reported to the parents

Who should be considered?

What do we lack information about?

What do we believe incorrectly

Where should we go?

What do we misunderstand?

Why should it be done differently?