Page 191 - Between One and Many The Art and Science of Public Speaking

158 Part 2 Between Audience and Speaker

see online. This is especially true should you also fi nd what you think is infor-
mation about specifi c audience members through Google or Wikipedia.
Needless to say, the Web can be a tremendous source of information about
potential audience members, whether or not they are in your class. Most organi-
zations, including service groups such as Lions, Soroptimists, AAUW, and Ro-
tary have Web pages. Many of these Web pages also have links that will enable
you to learn information about their individual members. Yet, as we’ll discuss in
the next chapter dealing with research, Web sites can be corrupted by the un-
scrupulous. Thus, you will want to exercise every caution when using informa-
tion from a Web site to analyze audiences.

Confronting Constraints

We all face certain constraints on action. A constraint is a limitation on your
constraint choices. Among the common constraints you may face in giving your speech are
A limitation on choices in the facts pertaining to the situation, legal constraints, ethical constraints, nature
a rhetorical situation. of the occasion, traditions, time, and resources. Let’s examine each of these.

Facts Pertaining to the Situation

President John Adams observed that “facts are stubborn things.” Although
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some people seem oblivious to the facts governing their situation, sooner or later
they must face reality. A speaker who hasn’t done research is likely to be em-
barrassed by the lack of knowledge. As we noted earlier, part of preparing for
a speech is to fi nd out what it is that your audience knows, and make sure you
know more. Furthermore, it is important to cite the sources from which you
have learned your facts. Your audience will perceive you as a more knowledge-
able speaker if they know you have solid sources for your facts.

Legal Constraints

We all must abide by certain legal constraints in our speaking. Libel and slander
laws, for example, forbid certain types of speech. Other laws cover when and
where groups may peaceably assemble. Some anti-abortion activists have been
successfully prosecuted, for example, for blocking the entrances to abortion clin-
ics. Although the First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech and assembly,
these rights are not license to do what you please.
Some speakers, however, have effectively challenged and even broken laws
for a purpose. Nelson Mandela was willing to spend much of his life in jail to
bring about the end of apartheid in South Africa. Ultimately, this self-sacrifi ce
helped to sway world opinion against the White minority government of South
Africa and led to Mandela’s election as South Africa’s president.
In your case, it is highly unlikely that you will choose to purposefully break
the law to further the cause advanced in one of your speeches. Yet unless you
check on the legal constraints relevant to your situation, you may accidentally
break a law of which you are unaware. In our own experience, we’ve had stu-
dents show up to class with everything from exotic beers to poisonous pets, both