A young man sits solemnly at a desk in front of a wall full of books, holding eye contact with the camera for the briefest of moments before lowering his eyes to the papers before him and beginning his speech. The young man is Ted Kennedy, and the speech he is about to share with the camera and with his viewers will come to be known as the Chappaquiddick speech. Following the car crash that claimed the life of Mary Jo Kopechne, and the court cases, the speech was intended to tell Kennedy's side of the story. He wished to explain his actions to the nation and to seek forgiveness from his people. The speech was televised at 7:30 pm on July 25, 1969, broadcast live from Kennedy's father's library, and reached the roughly 96% of American homes with televisions.
Before this semester, I had not even heard of the Chappaquiddick speech. Every year of school, my history classes covered colonial times and moved up through the 1950's and very early 1960's, at which point most of the students (and teachers, for that matter) were too worried about summer vacation to really care much about what was being taught. I first viewed the speech in my Persuasion class, as an example of pentadic ratios. My professor prefaced the speech with only a brief explanation of the events leading up to it, and was careful to keep his language neutral and unbiased, so that we could develop our own opinions. Throughout the entire eleven minutes, I was mostly skeptical of his language. I couldn't be sure, however, if this was because I live in a world of doublespeak, where even the “good” politicians aren't to be trusted. I found myself wondering if people bought into the speech, or if even at the time, people had this much skepticism regarding their leaders. One...
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...not likely to do so in the future. The important part, however, is what the people will remember—namely, the impact that it had on Ted Kennedy, Ted Kennedy's Chappaquiddick speech, and probably the fact that Ted Kennedy was neither imprisoned nor forced to give up his seat. Mary Jo Kopechne will fade from memory, not quite a side note in the narrative, but close to it. This is the significant erasure. At best, Kopechne will be remembered as a dead girl; at worst, an unfortunate blemish on the history of a successful senator. Her story will never be as well-known as Kennedy's, if only for the simple fact that she was not given a ten-minute televised broadcast during prime time one night. Because the victim has been erased from the crime, the crime no longer exists, at least in the mind of the general public, and life can go on as usual for those in positions of power.
John F. Kennedy’s assassination has been a mystery since it happened in 1993. John F. Kennedy was shot in a moving car in Dallas, Texas. The murder surprised the nation in a time of peace and calmness, It was also “... the first time the vivid immediacy of such acts was brought into the homes of millions” (“The Warren
He used a very selective vocabulary, purposely using emotionally charged words such as: “wholly unjustifiable and irresponsible defiance” (lines 4-5), “ruthless disregard” (line 82), and “restraint and sacrifice” (lines 14-15). By using words with strong connotation, he powers the emotions of his audience once again directing support for himself and appearing as the calm figurehead amongst the emotional chaos. He also makes his speech very personal by mentioning individual American families, literally using the phrase “every American family” (line 25). He appeals to the strong sense of patriotism in the American public by mentioning the four servicemen who died in Vietnam. Despite the fact that they are almost completely unrelated to the rise in steel prices and, if they were alive, would be unaffected by the rise in price, either. And yet, Kennedy mentions the servicemen to make the situation appear that much more dire. By mentioning the tragic deaths of these men, Kennedy aims to trigger a strong emotional response in his audience that would turn into support for
It was on January 20th 1961 that John F Kennedy gave his inaugural address after winning the presidential race and beating future president Richard Nixon. President, John F Kennedy in his speech, The Inaugural Address, he describes his plans for growth in America. Kennedy’s purpose is unite the people of the U.S. and bring everyone together for the good cause of promoting growth in the country. He creates a very inspirational tone in order to establish a connection with the U.S. people. In his speech Kennedy really used several rhetorical strategies of persuasion to motivate and persuade the U.S. people that they made the right choice in choosing him.
More than fifty years ago, an event took place that will linger within the minds of all American historians and scholars around the world for decades to come. Even for those who did not experience it, the assassination of John F. Kennedy made an impact on every American's life and was felt across the globe. November 22, 1963 marks the day that shocked America and changed perceptions of our country. On this day, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated, leading many to distrust the federal government, initiating the dawn of the conspiracy era, loss of hope in America, and the presidential security system being permanently altered.
The speech I am mentioning is often referred to as the “We Choose To Go To The Moon” speech. It was roughly 20 minutes long and was delivered in Houston, Texas, at Rice University to students and faculty. He starts his speech by providing the audience with facts about man’s inventions and discoveries, mentioning all the way back to cave men and how they used animal skin as clothing. From there John F. Kennedy moved on in history chronologically to discuss how we learned to write, use a cart with wheels, study religion, create the printing press, and develop the steam engine. He also mentioned television, airplanes, nuclear power, and telephones. He says that we need to move forward, and talks about how space will be the means of the progression of the United States. Kennedy explains that the race to space will go on whether the United States takes part in it or not, and a nation that wants to be a world leader needs to come first in the race, and not be behind. He says that we, as a country, have vowed to fill outer space with instruments of knowledge and understanding, not weapons of mass destruction. He explains how he wishes to e...
John F Kennedy delivered one of the finest speeches on January 20, 1961 after being sworn into office. His inauguration speech was so powerful that it captured the entire nations attention, and quotes from it are still remembered by people today. It is one of the finest speeches ever written. It provides a strong appeal to pathos, ethos and logos, and it is because of this that people who never heard the speech can quote lines from it.
This speech proves that Kennedy had a way with words and knew the best way to get a message across. He clearly expressed his feelings but did so without letting them take over. He didn’t scream or shout, but showed he could handle his anger while still letting it shine through. Kennedy used the three appeals, strong diction and syntax, and a well-organized structure of his ideas to convey his purpose; Raise anger in Americans and side with them, while making the steel companies feel guilty for their
In 1961, John F. Kennedy presents a very authoritative and persuasive inaugural address with a surplus of rhetoric. His speech is full of rhetoric in order to manipulate or sway his audience to his new policies. Kennedy’s objective is to unite the country and he does this through fear, duty, and pride. In order to create unity, Kennedy appeals to fear by revealing one common enemy: nuclear warfare. Nuclear warfare could mean the destruction of many countries, which Kennedy effectively presents to America and the world. Kennedy’s earnest tone push the people to invest in his purpose to provide freedom and peace around the world. He stirs at their emotions by effectively using imagery, which helps create pictures of mass destruction. In
President John F. Kennedy brings about a new judgment in his inaugural speech. He brings in a sense of selflessness and relentlessness for the country. He uses literary devices such as, antithesis, repetition, and rhetorical questions to bring about that sense in the audience. He begins by putting himself for the people and allows the audience to feel welcomed. The use of literary devices in his speech allows audience to recognize his goal which is moving forward and bring change and allows his audience to identify with his goal.
The "Historic Speeches." John F. Kennedy. Presidential Library and Museum, n.d. Web. The Web. The Web.
During 2008, Barack Obama delivered his speech called Toward A More Perfect Union, this was during his presidential campaign. The majority of his speech was about race and America. Barack Obama had a very unique perspective than many people in America, because he is biracial and he was raised by his white grandparents. When you are biracial or mixed, society makes you pick which race you are instead of being both. For example, Obama was either seen as too black or not white enough, even though is equally both white and black. Obama successfully uses his own story to address racial divisions in the United States, he is able be relatable and give a real life example.
John F. Kennedy delivered one of the best speeches on January 20, 1961.His inauguration speech was very powerful and it gathered the attention of every single person in the nation. It uses a strong appeal to the pathos, ethos and logos. Kennedy was the youngest president to be in office. He got his degree from Harvard and later joined the navy. He wrote “ Profiles in Courage” which has received one of the most recognized awards, the Pulitzer Prize.
It is 11 June, 1963, and the Alabama National Guardsmen are called to the University of Alabama to ensure the safe admission of two black students. That same afternoon, John F. Kennedy addresses the nation in an attempt to sooth flared tempers on both sides of the debate. Despite the limited time for preparation, “… it was one of his best speeches–a heartfelt appeal in behalf of a moral cause that included several memorable lines calling upon the country to honor its finest traditions” (Dallek). Indeed, part of this heartfelt spirit is likely derived from the relative spontaneity of the speech. Nevertheless, Kennedy is well-recognized as skilled in his use of language (Renehan), and purposefully employs several methods to create his appeals.
On January 20th, 1961, John Fitzgerald Kennedy gave a speech to the nation, which encompassed a new vision for the country with a new generation. That speech was JFK’s Inaugural Address. As the new 35th president, JFK was the youngest president to enter the oval office at the age of forty-three ("Inaugural Address."). The nation was still in in the process of healing after World War II. In the eyes of the masses, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was a breath of fresh air for the American People. He was a youthful president, with his youthful image; he was able to rally the younger generations with a progressive vision. This speech was a message to the nation in which JFK outlines a new direction for The United States by securing it’s freedom, being a competitive nation in all aspects, and rallying the citizens behind the government.
The shots that rang out across Dealey Plaza on November 22, 1963 were ones that would change America forever. The victim was one of the most controversial presidents in American history- John F. Kennedy. Born on May 1917 in Brookline, Massachusetts, Kennedy was known by many as the youngest man ever elected president of the United States. His family, unsurprisingly, had had a long and distinguished history in politics. Kennedy’s maternal grandfather, John “Honey Fitz” Fitzgerald, had been Boston’s Democratic mayor. His own father, Joseph P. Kennedy, served as ambassador to Great Britain under Franklin Roosevelt’s administration. With these achievements to represent his family, Kennedy grew up in an atmosphere of wealth and privilege. He served in the Pacific theater as a navy lieutenant during WWII, but decided to begin his political career soon after. He ran for the House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1946, and was reelected in 1948 and 1950 for the position. In 1960, he earned himself the title of President of the United States, defeating his opponent Richard Nixon by only a small margin of two-tenths of a percent of the popular vote. However, the years that were to follow during his presidency were ones that would have a lasting impact on America. His assassination, in particular, was a traumatizing event for many people. The social and political stress that the nation was experiencing during this time has proven to be linked with his death. From the Bay of Pigs Invasion to the Civil Rights movement, these controversies are a reflection of the President’s passing. As a result, the assassination of John F. Kennedy shows the increasing social and political tension of America during the 1960s.