John F Kennedy Rhetorical Devices

John F. Kennedy was one of the first presidents to use broadcast television to address the nation. He is historically commended for his use of the newly developed technology and he utilized the resource in a methodical and strategic advantage. On June 11th, 1963, JFK delivered his speech, A Moral Dilemma, to the nation over broadcast television and threw his full support behind the civil rights movement and desegregation. This was a turning point--not only in the Civil Rights movement--but in American History. Through his use of rhetorical devices and analysis, Kennedy conveys the importance of desegregation and racial equality while exposing the hypocrisy within American foreign policy and domestic policy and creating a call to action--specifically geared towards white Americans. The context of the speech surrounds the desegregation of the University of Alabama--as the first

He repeatedly circles back to the idea that, “All men are created equal.” This has a purposeful rhetorical effect because Kennedy’s audience mainly consists of nationalistic white Americans who remain hesitant to allow desegregation. It circles back to the ideas in the Constitution and creates a logistical appeal to white Americans. He mentions the idea that “All men are created equal” four times through the thirty-minute speech and is careful when applying it to his Ethos. Furthermore, Kennedy’s speech is rhetorically calculated to remain fairly neutral. His language cannot be described as harsh and condemning of those who threaten violence. Rather, it is an overall gesture for peace. He uses language such as, “Men who happened to be born negro.” This creates a coincidental effect--as if the men being black is of no real consequence to the people. He downplays the effect of race in the world through his speech to distract white Americans from the fact that the issue is essentially about