102 CHAPTER^8 Choosing Supporting Materials
- Are the numbers accurate? Both proponents and opponents of legalization of
marijuana cite a widely circulated statistic saying that 60 percent of profits in the
drug war with Mexico come from marijuana. However, the figure, released in 2006
by the federal drug czar’s office, is based on “dated” models. Rand Corporation
researchers say the figure is closer to 15 to 26 percent.^18 - What is the source of the numbers? Does the source have an interest such as a
possibility of financial gain that would make high or low numbers more desirable?
For example, one study says that obesity kills 400,000 Americans a year; another
says 65 percent of Americans are overweight or obese. However, both researchers
were heavily funded by industries that promote weight-loss remedies.^19 How might
that matter? - Are the numbers up-to-date? Using a count or a percentage that is old is generally
not applicable to current conditions. The previously mentioned study enumerat-
ing obesity deaths used data from the 1940s and ignored fifty years of improved
medical treatments.^20 - Before you use startling rates of increase, look at the baseline figures of the percentages.
Note any other relevant factors that might affect this rate. For example, one source
said the rate of US children and teens killed by gunfire is 120 percent higher
than in the other twenty-five industrialized countries combined.^21 Any deaths are
lamentable, but what if the other countries only have 10 such deaths? What if they
have 20,000? - Be careful of combined statistics. The same source said that males experience violent
crime at rates 28 percent greater than females; however, females are raped and
sexually assaulted at 7.5 times the rate of males. Why might the authors report
the figure relating to males as a percentage but the figure relating to females as a
multiple? How could you state “7.5 times the rate” as a percentage?
Use Examples
If you’re typical, your interest probably increases when a speaker uses an example that
illustrates how the topic affects real people. Examples attract and maintain attention,
and we listen for them because they make abstract concepts and ideas more concrete
and relevant.^22 Illustrations also help audiences identify emotionally with the subject,
and they add to your credibility because listeners can see that you understand real-world
experiences and the practical implications of your theories and ideas. Examples can be
short or long, real or hypothetical.Use Real Examples
Because real examples actually happened, they provide concrete, true-life illustrations
of your concepts. Consequently, as you gather materials, look for actual events or expe-
riences of real people to illustrate your ideas, and provide names, dates, and places to
make your examples more vivid. For instance, to illustrate her speech about obsessive-
compulsive disorder (OCD), Noemi gave the following details:^23
When my friend was 11, he had to make sure his hands were clean before he could
sleep. He’d wash them with soap and water several times before going to bed. Even
then, he’d get up every 10–15 minutes because he remembered something he’d done
to “dirty” his hands. Once, it took him over two hours of compulsions before he could
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