Life After PowerPoint!

One of the best ways to master the art of speaking and speechwriting is to read and analyze great speeches.

I just came upon such a speech, posted by Vital Speeches of the Day.  It’s by Rosalie Silberman Abella, Justice, Supreme Court of Canada. It’s titled, “The World Is Not Unfolding As It Should: International Justice in Crisis.” Read it here.

I find it both intellectually challenging and emotionally gripping. She’s not afraid to engage her audience’s intellect. She doesn’t dumb things down or overly simplify complex matters. And, at the same time, she doesn’t treat her subject as if it’s a purely academic concern, divorced from our real world, devoid of human pathos.

She’s grieved by what she sees happening in the world, and she thinks we should be too.

Her words have power, not just because of the thoughts and emotions they express, but because of the way she strings them together. Here are a few quotes I like:

Democratic values, while no guarantee, are still the best aspirational goals in my view, because without democracy there are no rights, without rights there is no tolerance, without tolerance there is no justice, and without justice, there is no hope.

The world was supposed to have learned three indelible lessons from the concentration camps of Europe:
1. Indifference is injustice’s incubator;
2. It’s not just what you stand for, it’s what you stand up for; and
3. We must never forget how the world looks to those who are vulnerable.

When we talk about democracy, we’re not just talking about elections. To say democracy is only about elections is like saying you don’t need the whole building if you have the door. Elections tell democracy it’s welcome to come in, but elections are only the entrance. Without a home, democracy can’t settle down. It needs an edifice of rules and rights and respect to grow up healthy and secure.

Give it a read. And let me know what you think.

Dale Fetherling, the coauthor of my book, died last month. He was one of the good guys, with broad shoulders, a deep voice, and a love of words. I knew him mostly on the professional level, but I liked and respected him and I’m saddened by his death.

His memorial service was quite touching. And I was especially moved by the reflections shared by three of his colleagues.

A eulogy, according to the ancient Greeks and Romans, is supposed to “praise the dead, and inspire or instruct the living.” I think its purpose is to evoke memories of the dead in a way that consoles the living.

The eulogies at Dale’s service did just that. Here’s what I think they got right.

First, because all three eulogists were themselves veteran journalists, they wrote their scripts and read them. They chose their words carefully, making each phrase and each sentence count.

Second, they told stories. Funny stories. “I’ll bet you didn’t know this about Dale” stories. And, since they were talking to people who shared similar experiences of him, “do you remember how he used to do this” stories. Each story brought Dale to life in our imaginations and brought out our affection for him and brought us together.

Finally, they let their affection show. They clearly admired and loved Dale. They grieved his loss. And they let it show. Each one had to pause somewhere in what they were saying — usually in the middle of a story — and choke back a sob before carrying on.

The purpose of a eulogy is the same as the purpose of a funeral. (Speeches are supposed to serve the event in which they are situated.) And these eulogies served that purpose. I left the service feeling that my grief was shared, honored, and eased.

May he rest in peace.