I Am Convinced (A Speech about our Present-Day Environmental Issue) Several years ago, the pain is still fresh in my heart

and mind, when that devastating typhoon has left our memories with sorrow and mourning. I lived nearby the river bank and I witnessed how the flood has ruined many houses, taken lives of people, animals and even cockroaches; I heard the many cries of my fellow Pavianhons. Its as if all my senses heightened to their full capacity because of the mixed emotions and thoughts coming to and fro as I experienced FRANK. Just a week ago, we have been into a seemingly unending rain. I fear that what happened in the adjacent past would possibly happen again and like those places in the news, which has experienced floods and landslides, the same tragedy will likely to reoccur. My friends, my brothers and sisters in one common Mother called Earth: there is no wonder and it is clear and plain that these events happened because we failed, as humanity, to do our share of protecting, caring and developing our beloved Mother. We have abused and over used her with our practices of clear-cutting, deforestation and illegal logging. But if we are not directly accountable for these, still in a way, we have been negligent in protecting her. We cannot remain blaming those illegal loggers. We cannot remain pointing our fingers on those officials appointed for the task. We cannot remain staying in our homes and schools feeling comfortable and acting like I dont care. We cannot remain passive anymore. Thus, I started to address this message to you, my fellow young people, to call upon your conscience, your intellects and emotions, to start a great conviction conviction that I have duty to protect, to care and to develop our beloved Mother. Truly, we cannot stop the illegal loggers from trimming our forests but with our conviction, we could feel a certain pain because of their misdeeds. Truly, we cannot halt our officials from tolerating such mediocrity and from ignoring their responsibility, but with our conviction, we could feel a certain ache because they are not doing their part well. Truly, as students, we can just be here at school, still studying, but with our conviction, we begin to live a different life and a renewed perspective towards Mother Earth. With our conviction, that we have a duty to protect, care and develop Mother Earth, we are reborn to a new person who is a Nature-Lover. Its never too late. We are never far from the realization of a society who truly looks after our beloved Mother Earth. We shall fuel ourselves, first with the conviction and belief that we have the duty to protect, care and develop our Mother Earth. With me starting the roll, then you my classmates, as a class, as a school and soon enough, as a society and more further, as humanity. Then, on that day, there will be no devastating floods and landslides; there will be no ruined houses, dead persons, animals and even cockroaches; there will be no cries; there will be no another tragedy like Frank or Gener. Because of the pain, aches and deep concern coming from our conviction and belief, we shall become genuine children of Mother Earth and thus, fell the intensity and weight of our duty to protect, care and develop her.

Ironic how a tree can make a thousand matchsticks and how a matchstick can burn a thousand trees. But if these hundred words and thousand efforts from my speech could cross over to your heart and mind, making you convinced by the message I convey, how many trees can we save from burning, cutting?
-calix04

I Am Convinced (A Speech about our Present-Day Environmental Issue: Short Form)

FRANK has been a terror teacher and he is checking our homework as these seemingly unending rainy days washed us. Now, I fear that history shall never tire to reoccur unless we learn our lesson from the past and if we remain stubborn from this firm teacher, then we shall learn our lesson the hard way. My friends, brothers and sisters from a common Mother named Earth: there is no wonder why in so many places around the world especially in our country; countless are still suffering from the malady caused by the destruction of our dearest Mother. In our search to remedy our difficulties in life, we have made a poison for ourselves, instead, with the practices of Clear Cutting, Deforestation and Illegal Logging which destroys our forests. Now, what am I here for? Of course, I cannot stop these malpractices alone by vandalizing their big tractors and torn their heavy duty saw machine. What I am here for is to address to you, my fellow young people that we cannot remain blaming those illegal loggers and appointed officials for the task or remain staying in our homes and schools acting like we dont care. We cannot remain passive on these issues anymore. It doesnt mean that when we are not directly doing the destruction of Mother Earth, we are not accountable; the truth is when we do nothing to save the destruction, we become negligent or in a way, responsible for the situation. Thus, I propose that we start with a simple act of believing and being convinced that I have, that we have the duty to protect and take care of Mother Earth. The simple act of believing and being convinced about our duty do not stop the Clear Cutting, nor the Deforestation or Illegal Logging, but it creates in us feelings of pain and loss towards Mother Earth. And this could fuel our desire to protect and take care of her. Its not too late for us to start this belief and conviction. We shall begin anew, as a class, a school, a society and someday, as humanity. Let this be our lesson learned from our terror teacher FRANK.
- calix04