Essay Prewriting

My topic will be misconceptions about Jamaica. The assumption that I will counter is that it is legal to smoke marijuana in Jamaica. To prove that people have this assumption I will discuss the fact that many people have commented on it and also that people get these assumptions from Jamaican musical artists such as Bob Marley, Sean Paul,etc. Basically almost everybody who either is not from Jamaica or never has been to Jamaica have that assumption; especially tourists. My audience is everybody who doesn't know Jamaican law....so almost anyone. I think that I will have to explain to the audience that marijuana plants are naturally abundant in Jamaica, but it's not actually legal to smoke marijuana in Jamaica. I think I could also throw some other laws in there to show that there are a lot of other things we don't tolerate. For example the law that prohibits profanity in public...u get fined and sometimes sent to jail. My evidence that this assumption is wrong is that the government of jamaica has a law that prohibits marijuana use. Also police pull cars over to check and make sure the people don't have any marijuana in their possession. To make it engaging I think I might start off talking about all the good things on Jamaica, reasons why the country gets so many tourists, the sunshine, the palm trees, the white sand on the beautiful beaches and the water. Then take it to the point that a lot of tourists come to Jamaica and try to buy marijuana. Then I think I will let the audience know that THEY CAN END UP IN JAIL , BUDDY!!! Also I could actually look up what the consequences are like how long they have to stay in jail, how much in fines do they have to pay,etc. For this reason i think i might hold the thesis for closer to the end.

(Can I use this quote as part of my introduction?):"From each glorious morning sunrise to the setting of the sun, Jamaica presents a kaleidoscope of beauty that has made the island the most precious jewel in the caribbean. It is a land of unique experiences, inspiring scenery, and a warm, welcoming people." The country gets most of its revenue from tourism every year, and many of those tourists not only bring their luggage, but their misconceptions as well. :)