Analysis · Floor speech · beta

Marc A. Veasey

Democrat on Honoring Diana Flores 2026-09-02

244 words · 12 sentences · 17 clauses

Statement grade

B+

Average 82 / 100

A score under 50 is red. Choose a measurement to see where it lost points and why; choose it again to clear.

Greeting 5%Claims 66%Positioning 16%Procedure 5%Thanks 8%

This view breaks the statement into its steps and names what each one does.

Mr. Speaker, Greeting · 12 wordsI rise today to honor my dear friend and neighbor, Vernell Sturns.Greeting Claims · 53 wordsThis is a legend right here, Mr. Speaker, someone who rose from Mount Enterprise, Texas, down in the Piney Woods of east Texas, on to KU, part of that tremendous KU background that helped shape the city of Fort Worth. Vernell Sturns passed away on August 23, 2026, at the age of 86.¹ Positioning · 17 wordsMr. Sturns’ life was dedicated to making Fort Worth and north Texas a better place for all.Positioning Claims · 95 wordsHe was the city’s first Black assistant city manager and later was acting city manager and chief administrative officer.² He was also the CEO of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, one of our country’s busiest and most successful airports, in 1991.³ He served in various leadership roles throughout north Texas, including as a trustee of TCU and later on the board of trustees at Jarvis Christian College near east Texas, ⁴where he was from. Mr. Sturns was also a force of the Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce in Fort Worth and so many other organizations. Positioning · 9 wordsVernell’s life touched so many people throughout Fort Worth, PositioningProcedure · 12 wordsand I would not have time to list all of them here.Procedure Thanks · 19 wordsTo his wife, Debra; his children, Michael, Robert, Paula, and Chris; and his grandchildren, I send my sincerest condolences.Thanks Positioning · 14 wordsTheir dad and their grandfather was an amazing man whose legacy will live forever.Positioning Claims · 13 wordsIn Recognition of the Life and Legacy of Fort Worth Civil Rights and

At a glance

Lost points for

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 63

9 of 9 deductions are Signal

Signal checks whether every part makes a point, gives a reason, or asks for action. A low score means the speaker filled time with fluff, pleasantries, or attacks.

Greetings and pleasantries.What the tags mean “I rise today to honor my dear friend and neighbor, Vernell Sturns.”A greeting: no claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Mr. Sturns’ life was dedicated to making Fort Worth and north Texas a better place for all.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Vernell’s life touched so many people throughout Fort Worth,”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “and I would not have time to list all of them here.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Thanks and tributes.What the tags mean “To his wife, Debra;”Thanks: no claim, reason or ask.
Thanks and tributes.What the tags mean “his children, Michael, Robert, Paula,”Thanks: no claim, reason or ask.
Thanks and tributes.What the tags mean “and Chris;”Thanks: no claim, reason or ask.
Thanks and tributes.What the tags mean “and his grandchildren, I send my sincerest condolences.”Thanks: no claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Their dad and their grandfather was an amazing man whose legacy will live forever.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · no score

Not applicable: nothing to answer. Excluded from the average.

Relevance checks whether the speaker stays on topic and answers the question asked. A low score means the speaker dodged the issue.

Respect · no score

Not checked: graded before this measurement existed. Excluded from the average.

Respect checks whether the speaker argued with people’s positions and records rather than attacking the people: insults, mockery, or bad motives assigned to them. Criticism of what someone did, however strong, is not marked.

Clarity · 100

0 of 9 deductions are Clarity

Clarity checks for plain speaking, clear ownership of actions, and honest limits on certainty. A low score means vague promises or evasive language.

Nothing lost points.

Claims · 4

This list shows the factual statements you can check for yourself: the words as said, and the claim restated to stand on its own.

1“Vernell Sturns passed away on August 23, 2026, at the age of 86”search
2“the city’s first Black assistant city manager and later was acting city manager and chief administrative officer”search
3“He was also the CEO of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, one of our country’s busiest and most successful airports, in 1991.”search
4“as a trustee of TCU and later on the board of trustees at Jarvis Christian College”search

Analyzed on 2026-09-14