"The only thing necessary for the triumph of
evil is for good men to do nothing."
--Edmund Burke, 1729-1797Shots echoed through the marble halls of the
U.S. Capitol on a bright Friday afternoon in July. Stunned tourists raced for
cover. Armed guards stood their ground, drew their weapons, and fired at the
gunman. At the end of the melee, two guards were dead. A tourist and the
determined gunman were gravely wounded.
Distinguished Toastmaster Gerard Counihan gave the first tour of the Capitol
the next morning. One of the officers killed was Counihan's close friend. He
credits Toastmasters for his ability to carry on in difficult circumstances.
Who would have imagined that his training giving countless speeches would be
put to such a test? How many good people go about doing their jobs every day
under extraordinary circumstances? They help us to become better people.
Millions of tourists from over the world visit the United States Capitol
building every year. Counihan, a member of the U.S. Senate Toastmasters Club,
takes great pride in his job as a guide. The morning after the shooting, getting
things back to normal was a top priority. Counihan was on the front line,
putting fears to rest.
Distinguished Toastmaster Maimunah Natasha of Indonesia also was caught in a
historical moment. Jakarta's Grey Thursday in May 1998 was indelibly imprinted
on her memory as a day of evil. Thousands of people were killed or wounded
during rioting, looting and burning in the streets as the economy collapsed.
But no one spoke out against the atrocities until Maimunah Natasha wrote about
the incident in the District 51 newsletter. Before her Toastmasters training,
Natasha, a mother of four grown children, said she would not have had the
courage to be so outspoken in her protest.
Suddenly the media wanted to hear from Maimunah Natasha. She was interviewed
on television and later received several threatening phone calls. Undaunted, she
contacted Indonesia's Minister of Justice, Human Rights Commission, and Minister
of Women's Affairs. "Why has no action been taken?" she asked. She challenged
the authorities to restore order and provide security for the citizens. Natasha
served as the voice of the people during a time of conflict and fear.
She challenged Toastmasters in her district. "To deliver speeches is not for
the sake of the speeches themselves, but to be a better person," she said. "To
be a Competent Toastmaster is not the end goal but a process to reach our goal
in life."
Everyday we have opportunities to speak against injustices, to speak for
good. Our Toastmaster experience provides us with the tools to persuasively
speak up for a cause. As Toastmasters, we are trained to think logically, to
evaluate situations constructively, to formulate and convey our thoughts
effectively. Like Gerard Counihan and Maimunah Natasha, we can use our talents
and training to further the good of humanity. What a powerful force we can be!
The Toastmaster, October 1998
Copyright ©1998 Jo Condrill.
Click here for request permission to
reprint this article.
For a
presentation or a personally autographed copy of Jo's books, call GoalMinds
at 1-800-697-5680, E-mail us
or send a fax 1-310-860-5600.
If you
want to turn your speaking skills, into highly paid educational
seminars and keynote speeches, we recommend that you
click here to visit a great professional level speaking site
owned by Tom Antion, a man who has trained thousands of professional
speakers. He reveals all his advanced tips, tricks and techniques
that earn you high fees as a paid professional speaker. It is a
great resource.
Click here.
|
