Atonement Persuasive Speech

Atonement
What happens when one does not atone for what they have done? To atone something means to make amends or reparations; to fix what has been broken or ruined. For example, if a mistake is made and the consequences are severe, was there a point where it could have been avoided? What if the truth had been told, would the consequences be less severe? Guilt is such a universal emotion felt by almost everyone and one of the only ways to rid oneself of guilt is to atone for what they have done. Situations involving atonement are present throughout everyday life in various forms of news stories, entertainment, and history. Life, for some people, can become increasingly harder to live when individuals do not atone for their mistakes due to

Bill Cosby, a renowned and loved comedian, lost his credibility, had titles with acclaimed colleges revoked, and worst of all: Cosby damaged his public image beyond repair. These allegations of rape, sexual abuse, drugging women, and all-around sexual misconduct continue to haunt him as he keeps silent on the case that surrounds him. What if Cosby spoke at length about the allegations instead of simply telling the public "I don't talk about it" (Rhodan, “Bill Cosby on Rape Allegations”, time.com)? This goes to show that atonement is an important element of life. The myriad of women who bravely came forth to tell the truth would have an easier life, with the chance to have to closure. Cosby refuses to speak truthfully about his actions or cooperate with the public and the women, leaving many to conjecture about his guilt. As of April 2016, Bill Cosby will go forward in a preliminary hearing on May 24, 2016 where he is charged with drugging and sexually assaulting women. There is no set date for the trail yet, but it would be in the latter portion of 2016 or early 2017. As a

For Shaka Senghor, his life was changed by atonement. When Senghor killed an innocent teenager, he knew that it would permanently affect his life; but who would it be up to when it came to how Senghor lived his life after the murder? Would he live a life full of anger or work to become a better person? It was ultimately Senghor’s decision of how he would live his life. Senghor knew “that wasn't the end of [his] story … it was beginning … and is a story of acknowledgment, apology and atonement.” (Why Your Worst Deeds Don’t Define You). Senghor’s idea of atonement is through reading and redemption. Senghor believes that everyone is redeemable, despite how ghastly or simple their crime is. By working hard to educate and better himself, Senghor is now a college lecturer and is a substantial vocalizer for prison reform. This is a perfect example of how important atonement is in life. Being in prison is one of the toughest things someone can do. For Shaka Senghor to make a realization that he needed to do something about his life is such an important milestone in life. Senghor made a conscious decision to rethink his life when he realized he did not want to be seen as a murderer, but instead a man who made mistakes he needed to fix. If more people followed by example, there would be more ideas for reformation and redemption - people would have so many more opportunities if they realized how many