Ronald Reagan Ethos Pathos Logos

The tragedy that took place with the launch of The Challenger on July 26th, 1986 was one that affected everyone in the United States. 73 seconds after the shuttle took off, it exploded, killing all seven crew members on board. On that fateful day, President Ronald Reagan was meant to deliver a report on the state of the union. Instead, he delivered one to the people of the United States which was aired on both television and radio. The speech that he delivers is a short, yet effective one that hits home with the people of the nation. Despite the disaster, he manages to relate on a personal basis and offers inspiration to the future generations of the country. The speaker of the speech is President Ronald Reagan. He served as the 40th president of the

In his speech he states, “For the families of the seven, we cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss, and we're thinking about you so very much” (Cook, 2009). He demonstrates that he cannot feel the same of the families affected which makes him sincere and trustworthy. This is a an example of the usage of ethos in speech. “Speakers can maximize ethos by being honest with audiences about their credentials, motivations, and connections” (Tinianow, 2017, Section 3.2, Para. 3). Another great example of his speaking style the employment of logos. He achieves this by comparing the crew of the challenger to Sir Francis Drake. “To maximize logos, speakers should spend time and effort organizing and researching an effective and accurate speech and accurately and diligently identify the sources of the information included” (Tinianow, 2017, Section 3.2, Para. 4). Sir Francis Drake also died during his voyage of new frontiers and is remembered in history for everything he accomplished. In turn, the seven crew members of The Challenger live on in history for their ultimate sacrifice in exploring a new