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Rhetorical Analysis Of Lyndon B Johnson's Speech

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Recommended: Racism during the civil rights era

On March 7th, 1965, a day now known as “Bloody Sunday”, displayed the tragedy of civil rights activists being brutally assaulted. This horrific example of blatant racism and hatred towards African Americans demanded a reaction from our government. The current President, Lyndon B. Johnson was tasked with uniting a country that seemed on the brink of conflict within itself. There were talks of him sending a bill that would declare the right of voting for all citizens. Lyndon B. Johnson had received criticism for how long it took him to send a voting bill to Congress. Johnson explained that he did not want to promote a bill he wasn 't sure would pass, and it couldn’t be bill that could be described as unconstitutional. While receiving complaints …show more content…

As many older Southern men, President Johnson had a very slow but consistent speed when he spoke. His tone was very somber and concerned, which was appropriate due to the events that had just occurred in Selma. This tone rarely changed throughout the speech, as he rarely raised or lowered his voice. Due to the grave importance this speech, he did not crack any jokes or make any comments to alleviate the discomfort caused by the issue of racial injustices. President Johnson did not speak with metaphors or use any allusions. This aided him in reinforcing just how important this topic was to him and should be to everyone watching. He used the discomfort and tense pressure that had been building up to his advantage as he shamed all of those who denied voting rights many times throughout the speech. There are many moments throughout the speech where he seems to be targeting specific Congress members with his intimidating stare. In fact, after he said Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s famous words he stared at Senator Dirksen who was one of the few who did not stand and applaud. His deliberate focus caused the cameras to turn to the senator, forcing him to stand and join the audience. Much like a murderer in a horror film, his attacks were relentless as he detailed the many injustices the US had caused to the many African Americans. His delivery ultimately aided him with getting his message across. Based solely on the immediate reactions from the crowd present at the address, his speech was wildly

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