Racism has been an important issue that plays a huge role in today’s society. In Roy Peter Clark’s article “Why it worked”, he expressed his views on Barack Obama’s speech “A More Perfect Union”. Also comparing it to Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. In Obama’s speech he discussed the constitution and racial segregation in America, and the comments made by Reverend J. Wright, his former pastor. He also tells a little about his racial background.
After taking an in depth look at all of the available topics, I meticulously made my choice to write my paper on two critical speeches that I believe explains a great impact on today’s society and the government. First Martin Luther King Jr’s, “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. My second choice is “A More Perfect Union” a speech by former President Obama. These two speeches endure what the United States government refuses to talk about which is race. What was interesting between these two men are from different era’s in time, however they see the same issue.
“A More Perfect Union” was a speech written and delivered by Senator and impending President Barack Obama on March 18, 2008. President Obama wrote this speech to address the evident racial divide issue in America that was broached by his preacher, Reverend Wright. Endeavoring to conspicuously convey his thoughts, President Obama organized his speech in a well-versed manner. Throughout the introduction, narration, identification of the situation, main body, counterarguments, and conclusion of his speech, Obama utilizes different speech elements to support his ideas. Beginning in the introduction, President Obama engages his audience by providing background information and credibility about the context of his speech.
Candidate Barack Obama did a speech called “A More Perfect Union,” on March 18, 2008. Obama talks about the cultural race in America giving us his perception about it. As Obama freely discusses the issues by efficiently using a smart strategy that almost majority of America can relate to. He ensures to successfully use each appeal not alone, but using them together for a much stronger argument that will rule the audiences favor because of how effective it is.
Rhetorical Analysis Former Illinois State Senator and soon to be Forty-fourth president of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama, recounts what happened in the past to make America what is today and how he intends to maintain the ideas of America’s founding fathers throughout his term of presidency. His intended audience of the first inaugural address is the citizens of America and his purpose was to comfort them about the past and encourage the future of America. He creates a patriotic and empowering tone in order to appeal to pathos. His diction throughout the speech illustrates patriotism, allusions, and anaphoras. Obama opens his speech by discussing the views of our forebears and documents and how we have followed through with those views.
Analyzing Barack Obama's "A More Perfect Union" Speech through the Five Canons of Rhetoric On March 18, 2008, then-presidential candidate Barack Obama delivered a speech titled "A More Perfect Union" in response to the controversy surrounding his former pastor's inflammatory remarks. The speech aimed to address the issue of race in America and promote unity among all citizens. Through an analysis of the five canons of rhetoric – invention, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery – this paper will examine how Obama used rhetorical strategies to effectively deliver his message.
Barak Obama’s “A More Perfect Union” speech was aimed to unite all Americans, and to soothe white voters of any worries and or fears from the communicant of a black Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Obama opens up his speech by reminding his targeted audience of what America was founded upon and how the perfect union has yet to be accomplished due to the previous sin of slavery. The President goes on to address how the comments of his pastor created a bigger discourse between whites and blacks, which deters their attention from bigger issues and widens the gap between races. Lastly, Obama ends his speech by informing his audience of how they can achieve a more perfect union. President Obama effectively appealed to ethos in his speech by displaying experience, good sense, and good character.
A More Perfect Union On March 18, 2008 presidential candidate Barack Obama wrote a speech about race, equality and the response to reverend Wright's comments that he made about the white race. Obama was worried about the comments that were said and did not want it to ruin the election for him. His reverend’s comments persuaded him to talk to America on racial problems he noticed the country had and how we should solve it. This speech filled with many rhetorical strategies caught the attention of so many individuals as it motivated other countries to put an end to inequality. Obama knew racism and segregation was a vast problem when his reverend; someone he looked up to made racial slur about the white race.
Obama’s use of ethos and pathos in his “A More Perfect Union” speech further helps to persuade his voters to stick with him because he does not have the same views as Reverend Wright. It gives some context as to why some African-Americans feel the way they do towards the government and other races. In his speech Obama also uses irony by noting the old truism that the “most segregated hour in American life occurs on sunday morning” meaning that on a day that's supposed to be dedicated to love and God, the American people are still segregated and racially divided whether it be Black and White or Latino and Asian(Obama). The combined use of ethos, pathos, and irony strengthen Obama's message of unity and equality.
The 44th and first African American President, Barack Obama, in his Inaugural Address, promotes a call to action. Obama’s purpose is to express his gratitude for his opportunity to become president and discuss his plans for economic advancement. In order to reach the American people of the U.S., Obama adopts a serious and thought-provoking tone to urge them to support his plans for advancement. During this time of economic crisis, Obama clearly conveys to the American people through his use of metaphor, allusion, and anaphora, that it is time to take a stand and make a change in America.
President Obama is the 44th elected president and the first African American President of the United States (Bibliography.com Editors, 2016). With the election coming up this year in November 2016, it is a time for us to reflect on the success and downfalls of the president. Most importantly, being the first African American President and knowing the struggle of the minority, what has he done for the African American community? It has been argued by many that President Obama has not done anything for the black community, especially by current presidential candidate Donald Trump. His supporters and even some African Americans themselves believe that President Obama has not changed the situation of the African Americans in the Unites States.
In order to attain this goal, Obama attempted to speak to every demographic, “It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled.” This connected him with not just one person, but the entire country. Although, Obama stood as a candidate, he portrayed himself and the citizens as “one people” that “will begin the next chapter in America’s story.” Consequently, this depicted the nation; a nation that will make change united and not
Readers analyze the speech as an essay that appeals to the common American and is a speech that makes them feel connected to the president and politics. Finally, President Obama handiness with select words allows him to draw the listener in and capture their attention. It also shows that even though that he won the the presidency he will not show off, but will continually work to make America better place than it ever
Polar bears were the biggest and most feared predator in the North Atlantic, until recently. This paper will explain what is happening to the polar bears due to the melting ice caps, what the result of this is and how that is going to change the entire region. It will focus on primarily three factors; climate change and CO2 production, the invasion of killer whales (Orcinus Orca), and how the invasion into the north will effect human civilizations. Introduction The world’s climate is changing rapidly.
Barack Obama’s win for President in 2009 was a historical moment for the United States. His inaugural speech was much anticipated, because this was going to set the tone for his presidency. His speech told the American people that improving the economy is one of his priorities, but there were also other areas he would like to improve like healthcare and the education system. This was a speech that was meant to persuade the American public to take action for them to rise as a nation again, and for them to put their trust into him. His message addressed a couple of specific points like his gratefulness to the American people, the different crises America is facing, how America will overcome these crises, replying to his cynics, addressing the world, and then he reminded America again to be brave like they’ve always been to overcome the hard times (5 Speechwriting Lessons from Obama's Inaugural Speech, (n.d.).
