Rhetorical Analysis Of Lyndon B Johnson's Speech: The Great Society

President Lyndon B. Johnson once said, “The Great Society rests on abundance and liberty for all,” in his speech that changed American’s views on society and the outcomes that can occur (“Great Society”).With the death of President Kennedy in November of 1963, it was Johnson’s duty to follow the path of Kennedy’s vision of making America and its future great for everyone. President Johnson named his vision and passion for the future of America that he strived to lead the Great Society(“Great Society”). Johnson’s speech on May 22, 1964 was played out for America and its people to educate the importance to supply our society with wealth, wisdom, and experience to successfully build a country where the struggled labor becomes a value for the

Our environment had been endangered of becoming unsafe, threatening, and even deadly. “The water we drink, the food we eat, the very air that we breathe, are threatened with pollution. Our parks are overcrowded, our seashores overburdened. Green fields and dense forests are disappearing.” Johnson stresses that the health of people and environment is at risk because Americans have allowed for the destruction of nature to get out of hand, and causing both the Earth and human health at risk of becoming an ugly America, due to –as Johnson references- the “Ugly American” (“Great Society”). Less than a month after Johnson’s speech The Clean Air Act was passed and The Wilderness Act of 1964 was in action in efforts to control air pollution and protect land from destruction of human activity (“Major Great Society”).Johnson puts an emotional touch over the situation of nature and its importance towards his audience by saying, “And once man can no longer walk with beauty or wonder at nature his spirit will wither and his sustenance be wasted.” If Americans continue to pollution the environment will in turn become an element of disaster for the well-being of people and their surroundings (“Great

The idea of classroom causing problems for America’s society is elaborated when President Johnson explains that many children in America don’t have enough money to afford school. “There your children’s lives will be shaped. Our society will not be great until every young mind is set free to scan the farthest reaches of thought and imagination.” In order for a society to be great, education is the foundation; schools are where child learn about their world, and what it is they will do in the future to earn money to live a good life. And to better prove his idea Johnson states, “Each year more than 100,000 high school graduates, with proved ability, do not enter college because they cannot afford it,” then questions what will happen in years when time has become elapsed to conclude any efforts are needed to come into play for there to be a Great Society. Another statement about classrooms is they are “outdated”- as Johnson calls it. President Johnson says, “classrooms are overcrowded and curricula are outdated. Most of our qualified teachers are underpaid, and many of our paid teachers are unqualified,” to continue his argument that classrooms should alter more than just learning, but an excitement and place of freedom for children. Johnson goes on with his last concern that there is more involvement in the process of progress in classrooms. President