Beyond Vietnam A Time To Break Silence Analysis

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Martin Luther King Jr. was a social activist that led the Civil Rights Movement, and other movements until his assassination in 1968. On April 4, 1967 Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a speech named, “Beyond Vietnam- A Time to Break Silence” addressing the Vietnam War. The United States got involved in the Vietnam War because they wanted to stop the spread of communism. Due to the Vietnam War is that plenty of individuals, both Americans and Vietnamese were killed. Martin Luther King Jr. disagreed with the way the war was being handled, and thought nonviolent demonstrations would be more efficient. In his speech, “Beyond Vietnam- A Time to Break Silence” Martin Luther King Jr., uses appeals to emotion, appeals to credibility, and powerful diction to strengthen his argument and persuade his audience that the Vietnam War is unjust.

First, Martin Luther King Jr. uses emotional appeals to persuade his audience that the Vietnam War is unjust because it is unfairly killing the poor and its destroying the country. King uses emotional words and descriptions to capture the audience’s attention and convey the injustices caused by the Vietnam War. For example, in paragraph 7, King discusses the harsh reality of the war. He states, “ … repeatedly …show more content…

His leadership demonstrated that he was brave enough to stand up for his beliefs. The speech “Beyond Vietnam- A Time to Break Silence” is a clear example that King took the initiative to speak his mind. The fact that he stood up and spoke for many individuals demonstrates that he was a man of honor, and integrity. Martin Luther King made his speech persuasive by appealing to the audience’s emotions, credibility, and including powerful diction. King’s use of those techniques allowed him to express that the Vietnam War was harming both the United States and Vietnam. Through his speech, Martin Luther King released his thoughts that violence is not the