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Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that bicycle helmets should be worn when riding a bicycle. Central Idea: Helmets should be worn when riding a bicycle to reduce head injuries and fatalities. Introduction I. “It is my fifteenth birthday, and my party starts in less than an hour. I was across the street at a friend’s house when I got a phone call that my 12 year old brother got hit by a car. I ran outside to see what had happened, but the ambulance had already taken my brother away. I asked my little brother what had happened. He said tearfully, “It doesn’t look good. There was so much blood pouring out of his head and his nose, and he began vomiting. Then he fell unconscious, and we all thought that he was dead.” I couldn’t believe what I had just heard. Upon arriving at the hospital, the doctors told us that he had severe brain damage, and was in a coma. He remained in a coma for 23 hours, and underwent two emergency brain surgeries. During the second brain surgery his heart stopped, and there was nothing anyone could do.” II. None of us would like to explain this tragedy to our children or see it ourselves. This head injury could have been prevented if my brother were wearing a helmet. III. People need to protect themselves and their loved ones. Wearing a helmet when cycling and purchasing a properly fitted helmet can accomplish this. We must enforce helmet usage with ourselves and our loved ones to reduce fatalities and head injuries. Body I. It is common to see people involved in sports wearing head protection. For example, football players, rock climbers, river rafters, and hockey players all wear helmets. And for good reason--each sport presents a risk of head injury. Bicycling presents a similar hazard and requires similar precautions.
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