The 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a dark day in the history of America. After an event so deadly and tragic, the citizens of the nation were left shocked and in a state of mourning. President Barack Obama in his address to the nation two days afterward, explained the terrible tragedy and his plan for the future to prevent similar massacres from occurring. Obama effectively addresses the citizens in efforts to console and ease the burden in their hearts and minds. This speech in its entirety appeals to pathos as an event so tragic is filled with emotions of all kinds. However, the emotional diction used throughout the speech provides a constant sense of mourning and remembrance. A use very emotional diction occurs when President Obama lists the names of six adults and twenty children killed on that dreadful …show more content…
However, using appeals to anaphora, the repetition of certain pronouns all through the speech, Obama categorizes the victims specifically, and also the nation as a whole. The repetition of the pronoun “you’ve” categorizes the students, faculty, and administration of the Sandy Hook Elementary School. It is used to describe the members of the school community and commend their bravery. By singling them out, Obama appeals to those who the shooting has specifically affected. The repeated pronoun use of the word “we” transforms the President into a citizen of the nation as he includes himself in this phrase. By doing so, his words seem relatable and comforting, knowing that as citizens we experience hardship together. A certain type of personal reflection is also created at this time because tragedies like this can happen anywhere, “in a town full of good and decent people.” In this moment, Obama is not viewed solely as The President, rather an average citizen, forced to cope with tragedy
The purpose of an “inaugural address” is to inform the people of his or her intentions as a leader. Two of the most prominent inaugural addresses throughout history are Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s and Barack Obama’s. Franklin Roosevelt’s inaugural address stands the test of time because it gave the American people hope that they may overcome the terrible Great Depression. Similarly, Barack Obama’s address is well known because it inspired millions that we will be lifted out of economic crisis, but it was also remembered as the first inaugural address from an African American president. The inauguration speeches of Franklin Roosevelt and Barack Obama use the rhetorical devices parallelism, allusions, and emotive language to convey their messages
Sandy Hook is an elementary school in Connecticut that was invaded by a shooter, Adam Lanza. Twenty-eight people were shot and killed, twenty of them being children between the ages of five and ten. Before Lanza arrived, he shot and killed his mother who was a teacher at this school. The article was published the day of the shooting to the Washington Post. The article was written announce what had actually happened during this tragic event. The article was directed towards parents with kids and adults to inform everyone on the catastrophe and to hopefully make schools as safe as they could possibly be. Additionally the author also states that this is not the right time to try and discuss the gun control laws.
In the Obama Sandy Hook School Shooting speech, the exigence that Obama talked about was the tragedy of the school shooting. In the speech, he talks about how he is reacting as a parent and not as a president. Obama also talks about how the children had their life ahead of them. He basically said the children were going to become something in life; some were going to get married, and some were going t...
The tragedy that happened in Newton, Connecticut swept the world with a variety of emotions. Many individuals became angry or saddened by the tragedy. I think more of the individuals were angry of what happened to those 20 innocent children. Parents send their children to school thinking that they are safe but in this case ended in tragedy. I am going to discuss similarities and differences between two articles. I am also going to discuss how this shooting is a symbolic crime, how likely policy changes will be enacted and how unlikely they are to be enacted.
He implements this emotional appeal into his speech to involve all Americans—people living in the United States of America, regardless of their ethnicity, race, or culture, and to acknowledge that the American people have endured this together, and that they will continue to advance after this event with stronger resolve, stronger than ever. In addition, he implements personification to motivate and empower the American people. “Our nation, this generation, will lift a dark threat of violence from our people and our future” (Bush, 2001). “This generation”, again a synonym for the American people, with its unwavering resolve, will fight for its freedom persistently. He intimates that the future of America and of democratic freedom is in the hands of the American people; that the American people have the power to control their fate.
President Obama’s Address to the nation was presented on January 5, 2016. His speech was shown on all of the major network stations. The main goal of his speech was to get the point across to the nation about the increasing problem of gun use. His speech really focused on the issue of gun control and if it would benefit the country. Overall, the biggest idea of his Address was that gun control is a large issue in the United States. The way to prevent deaths caused by firearms can be prevented in other ways than taking peoples guns away. The examples brought up in this Address really stood out to me. The use of personal, national, and global examples really made his speech stronger on the topic of effectiveness.
On December 14th 2012, just 11 days before Christmas, an awful tragedy happened in Newtown, Connecticut. Twenty-six people were shot at the Sandy Hook Elementary School. This awful event left a lot of unanswered questions and rumors about that day. The reason for that is because the shooter killed himself after shooting twenty young children and six adults. This tragedy open the eyes of everyone; made you want to hug your loves one just a little tighter, appreciate what you still have and never take a day for granted. Even our president Barack Obama felt the pain of all those who lost their loved ones in this event. He insured everyone that he will do everything in his power to make sure a tragedy like this will not happen again. However, did you know that there have been over 44 school shootings since the tragedy of Sandy Hook Elementary shooting? I know as a future teacher and mother I want to make sure my children are safe in this world and even at school. I want to be able to make a difference in this issue and have some knowledge to have I can do that. The society should understand what really happen during the Sandy Hook event, the reasons behind why school shootings/violence are rapidly increasing each year, and have some knowledge about what we, as a society, can do to help in order for us to start seeing a decrease of these events.
He makes sure his audience connects with him directly by making them feel at his level, and at hiss. This way he connects to the audience, and in exchange, helps his statement of unity. Using various examples of parallelism, anaphora and refrain, Obama brands the theme of equality and togetherness in our country throughout the speech, vital to gaining the respect of his audience. Obama recalls the ‘enduring strength of the constitution’ by delving into the past alluding to America’s allegiance to the Declaration of Independence by quoting “we hold these truths. that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”.
The United States will not soon forget the rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut that came just two weeks before Christmas last year. This tragic event resulted in the deaths of twenty students and eight adults. Although the event shocked the nation, the rampage shootings are nothing new. Over the years, many families have lost loved ones to these horrific events. As a result, these mass shootings such as the one that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary caught public attention, leading to a push to find the cause of these events.
One of his most emotionally driven speeches is his eulogy for Reverend Clementa Pinckney. Obama appeals to his audience which happens to be the loved ones of the victims of the Charleston shooting. Obama eulogy is very effective since he uses rhetorical appeals to honor Reverend Clementa Pinckney and the victims of the Charleston shooting as well as bring to the light the struggles faced by African Americans. With his unique style of speaking, Obama makes it easy for his
Retrieved November 1, 2013, from Info Please: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0777958.html Levin, J. (2012, December 19). How to prevent school shootings. Retrieved November 1, 2013, from The Boston Globe: http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2012/12/19/podium-newtown/8RBiAPBjlYG9N9LyC2RVyM/story.html Robertz, F. J. (2012, December 12). Deadly Dreams: What Motivates School Shootings? Retrieved November 15, 2013, from Scientific American:
In the article “Gun Control Can Prevent School Shootings,” Bennett shares the effects of gun violence in the past, present, and future. The Sandy Hook shooting occurred on December 14, 2012 when twenty children and six adult staff members were killed. Barely a month after the shooting, eleven of the families affected by the shooting went to meet privately with Joe Biden, and members from the Congress and cabinet. Bennett stated, “They were preparing to wade into some of the roughest waters in American politics: the gun debate.” President Obama gave a speech in Connecticut vowing to fight for change. And as Bennett put it, “Members of Congress started acting as parents instead of politicians.” Bennett explained to the families that they couldn't get rid of assault weapons or high capacity ammunition magazines, no matter how bad the shooting was. The families got angry and stated they did not want to know what they couldn't do, but what they could do to honor their children.
President Bush used a copious amount of rhetorical strategies in his speech. He used many forms of personification, anaphora and metaphors. Personification is used to get people to comprehend what the country has at stake here when he says, “Freedom and fear are at war.” Anaphora is used when he wanted to make a point by disclosing, “The advance of human freedom, the great achievement of our time, the great hope of every time…” He used metaphors to describe to this glorious nation what they could do by proclaiming, “...our generation, will lift a dark threat of violence of violence from our and our future.” Overall the President's tone was sombre and proactive because what he was talking about was the worst situation anyone could imagine in America. While being sombre he was also proactive because he knew we couldn’t just sit there and let it happen again and he was letting the people know he wasn’t going to.
In his opening lines Obama shows his compassion for the victims and mourners of the shooting stating: “I have come here tonight as an American who, like all Americans, kneels to pray with you today, and will stand by you tomorrow.” With just this short statement Obama aligns himself with the American people, showing his empathy and comforting the people by saying “I will be here for you.” This allows him to form a connection with his audience, which he further reinforces though his use of the term “we” when addressing the American population: “We mourn with you for the fallen. “We join you in your grief.” He also draws parallels between the nation’s mourning following the shooting and the mourning that comes with losing a family member...
There are many different types of school violence. The one that gets the most public attention is school shootings. The term school shooting is basically defined as an act where a student, school staff member, or intruder from the outside commits an act on the school campus. One of the most well known school shootings took place at Columbine High School near Littleton, Colorado. On a Tuesday April 20,1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, students at Columbine High School, took the lives of thirteen other students before taking the lives of their own. When we think of events like this, we have many questions that go through our mind. Thoughts like why did this happen, could it have been prevented, and how did impact the individuals involved just to name a few. There are probably several more thoughts that go through the minds of a nation when we hear about traumatic evens such as a school shooting.