Research

Going forward with my power of speech theme, I decided to research speech and powerful speakers. Speech, especially in the political realm, is one of the most powerful tools. Politicians use speech to empower and unite the people. Adolf Hitler knew the supposed power of speech. The written word was too impersonal and impassionate. Spoken word, on the other hand, is full of emotion and raw power, especially in the hands of a powerful speaker. However, speech can be used for good as well as evil. Hitler inspired people to hate, discriminate and propagate. Someone like Barak Obama uses speech to inspire hope. Historically, the numbers of people who attended Barak Obama’s inaugural speech is higher than any other inaugural address. Speech is just a tool, and in the right hands it can cause a lot of good things, while in the wrong hands can become a tool for hate and warmongering.

http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/machtrede.htm (A. E. Frauenfeld, "Die Macht der Rede" Unser Wille und Weg, August 1937, pp. 16-21.)
http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/media_entertainment/nearly-378-million-watch-president-obamas-oath-and-speech/
http://www.cyberessays.com/History/130.htm (Jarman, T.L. The Rise and Fall of Nazi Germany. New York: New York UP, 1956)