Speech+of+the+Week

__Speech of the Week __Place all group comments here. By Friday, all comments must be consolidated into one coherent piece. 

[|Group One - Challenger Explo]

Zach Shaw: On January 28, 1986, the space shuttle “Challenger” exploded during a takeoff bound for space, killing 7 astronauts. The same day, President Ronald Reagan did his best to reconcile the deaths of the astronauts, as well as mollify his traumatized nation. Right off the bat, Reagan lets all Americans know that the mourning of the astronauts should supersede all other important business. Reagan solidifies the fact that although astronauts have been lost in the past, they have never been lost in actual flight, making for a profound tragedy. Reagan’s speech can be characterized as optimistic, because even though he acknowledges that what has happened is in fact a horrible occurrence, he repeats that the audience should focus on the fact that the astronauts were extremely brave and knew the dangers they faced, and were not scared to face challenges no matter how scared they were. Furthermore, Reagan lets us know that the deaths of the astronauts were in no way futile. The astronauts died on an important mission, and were not just serving a space program, they were serving us. Not only does Regan find ways to implement patriotism into his speech, but also lets Americans know that as a people who must progress, tragedies are always going to be inevitable, but progress by pioneering is a necessity in contemporary society. Finally Reagan makes sure to note that the astronauts who died in the “Challenger” were truly Challengers themselves, and although they died, Reagan assures his people that their memory will in fact live on if the members of the audience live their lives in the way that the seven victims did All in all, by saying that a tragedy had occurred, but also saying that good can come from the tragedy, Reagan does a perfect job of reconciling the deaths of the seven astronauts. People who lose a lost one love to know that the loved one’s death was not in vain, it shows that even after death, the lives of seven, or the life of one, still has a purpose. Reagan’s ability to use a tragedy to touch the hearts of all Americans is astounding

Yona Groffman: Reagan, addressing the American public immediately after the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded over Cape Kennedy, speaks to the people as a member of the civilian world. He includes his wife in his reaction, calling her by her first name. By doing this, Reagan destroys the barrier between the people and himself. This gives his words an air of comfort as if he were literally sitting in each and every American’s living room, not being broadcast nationally from this country’s most prestigious office. He lauds the fallen astronauts as American heroes, men and women who truly stood for the spirit of America, effectively guaranteeing the acceptance of his words by a shell shocked nation desperately in need of somewhere to look for comfort and security. He continues to bolster national pride and hope by reminding the population that "we are pioneers" into the last great frontier. The idea of pioneering cuts more to the soul of every American than almost any other, we imagine our ancestors who first arrived in the New World, our founding fathers who blazed a trail in democracy, Lewis and Clark who made the endless trek across the nation. This ideal of pushing the boundaries, of lighting the way for the rest of the world tro follow has been a mission statement in our country since the colonial era, as per "the city on a hill". Another important aspect Reagan includes into his speech is the schoolchildren of the nation. Knowing that the entire nation, both old and young, had seen the explosion, he made sure to be sensitive to the nation's youth. He spoke to them as if they were his own, and by doing that, he was able to comfort the people in a very intimate way. Reagan keeps the address short and sweet, he memorializes the Challenger 7, he comforts the nation, he affects national pride through brilliant diction, and he asserts his complete comfort with continuing the program funding and national support for NASA. Reagan knew that the people didn't want to hear a long, and boring speech. The nation needed to hear something short, concise, and compassionate. By keeping his speech simple and profound, he was able to give the people what he really needed; closure. His final words however, truly exemplify the purpose of this speech, he once again remembers the 7 and mourns for what we have lost, but he also helps the population realize that we should not feel sorry for them, it is the people left behind who received the short end of the stick.

[|Group Two - Pearl Harbour] Place your comments below. Please leave your name after your comments!

Well, for starters, I noticed that President Roosevelt first begins to create a stir and muster feelings from the crowd starting with the first sentence (after his opening addresses). He associates infamy with the day of the attack on Pearl Harbor, thus creating discomfort within the crowd. However, he gets even more personal when he says that the US was //suddenly// and //deliberately// attacked. By saying this he is sure to get all those listening to his speech to pay attention and feel hate towards Japan. This is important because by getting the nation to feel this way, it doesn't even matter what he says next because emotion will take over and logistics will be left by the way side. For all intensive purposes, it doesn't matter what the people rationally think as long as they feel empowered to go to war. FDR just needs to get the people emotional so when he declares war on Japan the nation will agree and follow him blindly (and by doing so, no matter what the outcome, he can't be blamed for taking America to war for after all, at the time war was declared, everyone was for it). Next FDR goes further by creating an angelic facade for America by saying that we were "at peace with that nation," meaning Japan. Immediately, it puts full blame of attack on the Japanese. This of course is a tactic catering to the public's emotions because natural instinct dictates that if one is blamed for a bad thing, the accused will try to pit the failure on someone or something else. A few lines later, FDR says that the US was discussing peace plans with Japan but received a reply that "contained no threat or hint of war or armed attack." FDR is practically shouting "we are innocent! We are the victims of a brutish empire!" Again, he is doing this to get the crowd riled up. And as if it wasn't clear already that the Japanese are the sole perpetrators in this incident, FDR states that "the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace." Reason for this statement: to create more hatred towards the Japanese by playing on the emotions of the audience. FDR continues his speech, but instead of continuing to blame the Japanese for what they’ve done, he switches his focus to the damage it has caused America. FDR says that “I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost.” In doing so he is creating a tension. He is getting the point across that our children, our American children, have been killed. FDR creates a stronger pull for the people to mobilize and act out against the Japanese because //yes, the Japanese have attacked us, but they’ve also had the nerve of killing our people, and no one has that right.// FDR then seals the idea of being personally attacked through his repetition of “last night.” As he lists off the different American landholdings that were attacked it overwhelms the audience, and suffocates them in knowing that so many places were attacked, because the more places attacked, the more likely large amounts of Americans were killed. FDR also drives a point when he calls the previous day’s events “facts.” True they are facts, but by using that word it makes it more personal. It connotes: //the fact is the Japanese were never on our side. The fact is the Japanese were always out to get the US. The fact is they were plotting with our enemy.// FDR then adds in that he is the Commander in Chief of the Army, thus pulling the responsibility of action onto himself. This is important for two reasons: 1. It makes the people feel that the President actually cares, and so the people feel like they are not fully responsible for rectifying the situation and 2. It justifies FDR’s course of action. And of course, it wouldn’t be a presidential speech if he neglected to use pronouns like “we” and “us.” As seen before, these pronouns create a sense of equality among the people and the president which makes the nation feel good because, hey they’re equal to the president of the United States! Lastly, FDR ends off on a dramatic note, which will always intensify feelings and draw people to action. Also, going back to the beginning of the speech, we realize that the address is circular as it starts and ends with the date of the attack by the Japanese on the US. This is necessary in that it intimates the idea that the US will remain in a state of war with Japan until something is done about it.
 * Rachel Furst**

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s “Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation” makes him seem like an incompetent president. When he says that it should “be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it // obvious // that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago”, he’s clearly admitting that although it was // obviously // planned weeks ago, the United States was completely ignorant of Japan’s plans to attack our nation. By saying that only one hour after the bombing of Oahu, did the representative of Japan come in to say that Japan thought their negotiations were useless, it begs the question, “Why was the president along with the rest of the government so completely oblivious to the possibility of a Japanese attack?” The words “suddenly” and “surprise” in the President’s speech only emphasize how caught unawares the United States was. He says the date of the bombing will live on in infamy, but it’s only famous as an embarrassment for this country. To me it seems that the President is just trying to save face by saying that no matter how long it takes, the “righteous” American people will win. All he’s really saying is that he won’t stop until he corrects his mistake. Furthermore, when he says that “Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong, Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam, Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands, Last night the Japanese attacked Wake Island, and this morning the Japanese attacked Midway Islands” it’s as if he’s trying to lessen the fact that the United States naivety cost them hundreds of American lives and the base in Pearl Harbor. It’s as if he’s saying “It’s not so bad! These people got attacked too, so we weren’t the only ones targeted.”He does make a good point by saying that our interests, our people, and our territories are in danger because this statement will rally the American people into wanting to fight in war. He also plays on a religious aspect and brings God into his speech, which will again rally the American people, because having faith in God meant having faith in the American Army’s capability of winning this war against Japan, and later the rest of the Axis Powers. There was no other way to end this speech, but to ask Congress to declare war because what else was Roosevelt going to do? Overall, to a more educated American all this un-eloquent speech does is emphasize the size of Roosevelt’s blunder in not being more cautious of the Japanese. **Rachel Lehrer**

In this speech, Franklin D. Roosevelt utilizes various different techniques to approach his audience. In his essay, he is addressing the American people in relevance to the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was objective in his facts, allowing for listeners to draw their own conclusions about the Japanese attacks. With his speech, FDR attempts at reviving a nation in distress into feeling relieved and safe. His writing was simple, appealing, and repetitive. FDR comes off as ignorant by saying that the US was at peace with Japan because clearly they were not if Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. By stating how America was precautious after the Japanese attack on Oahu, he was trying to tell his listeners that the government was not inactive in maintaining safety. By saying so, he is reassuring the people that they were not aware of this attack because in a reply sent to the Secretary of state by the Japanese ambassador to the US, did not contain any hints of threat or attack. FDR continuously repeats himself with stating how the United States were unaware of this attack due to false statements of peace settlement from the Japanese. He helps the American’s cope with their loss by bringing in how other places as well were attacked by the Japanese. This serves to show the people that they are not the only ones in suffering. He again, reiterates how this was a “surprise offense” in order to strongly establish how the government was not oblivious, but rather did not anticipate what occurred. FDR reassures the people of their safety by stating that he is the Commander in Chief of the Military and Navy, and that all measures will be taken to make sure the American people will be safe. Not only does he provide them with reassurance of safety, but he as well makes clear that no such thing shall ever reoccur. FDR uses words such as “confidence”, “unbounding determination”, “inevitable triumph” to appeal to the ear of the public. **Nathalie Pludwinski ** **[|Group Three - JFK's Inaugural Address] Place your comments below. Please leave your name after your comments! **

On January 20, 1961, John F. Kennedy was sworn into office and delivered his inaugural address. The first thing I noticed was Kennedy’s youthful energy apparent throughout the speech. In his speech, he illustrates his goals by appealing to emotion and connecting to the common American man. He is already the president so there is no need to garner votes however he tries to ease America into his presidency by peering into the future as using the past as an example. Specifically Kennedy shows his determination and persistence when he states, “I do not shrink form this responsibility—I welcome it”. This sentence alone portrays a common theme throughout the speech—I am here to guide, and I will guide you fearlessly. This is also exemplified in his use of strong diction, for example the word “absolute”. Kennedy uses short rhetorical questions that can apply to anyone, in order to make each an every American feel as if he is talking to him or her. He also puts the power in the hands of the people by saying “In your Hands, my fellow citizens, more than mine…” by stating this Kennedy lifts the power of the people above his own, trying to show them that they can make a difference. More importantly Kennedy gains the attention and support of Americans through his use patriotism (“the land we love”), through his use of religion (“but from the hand of God”), by his talks of peace, unity, and freedom, and overall via his focus on change, (“We begin new country”). Kennedy also comments upon the struggles of man such as poverty, war, and disease, and he lists these ideas together. This is because each struggle builds upon the one before it. He also used reversed syntax; his sentence seems out of order to emphasize these common struggles. Lastly, I must comment upon some of JFK’s most famous words, “ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” This statement is very contradictory, however it furthers his point. What he is trying to say is that, You, America, can make a difference all you have to do is try. I can only help you, if you first help yourself, because you, as the citizens, have the power to make a change. His speech does achieve its purpose in that it forces Americans to believe in Kennedy, trust him as their president, and support him when necessary, which is crucial for a president to be successful. -Brianna Cohen

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“And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” Finally, the origin of this famous statement reveals itself to me. Wit this profound statement, JFK invited his citizens to join him in a “revolution.” JFK places the power within the people with this statement, and statements of the like, that invests a certain sense of importance in the citizens. Throughout the speech, one is made to feel as if his very own next move will impact his country.=====

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“We shall not always expect to find them supporting our view. But we shall always hope to find them strongly supporting their own freedom -- and to remember that, in the past, those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside.” This may very well be my favorite line of the speech. JFk subtly and brilliantly chastises or warns those that oppose the government’s views not to act upon them in rebellion, for they will ultimately be consumed by the terrors of conflict. The way in which he addresses the issue of opposing views is comforting and reassuring.=====

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Another important aspect is that JFK categorizes his speech by personally addressing each faction or country. For example, “To those old allies” or “To our sister republics south of our border” which adds a special personal touch. In this segment, he addresses the subject of help for the poor: “not because the Communists may be doing it, not because we seek their votes, but because it is right. If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.” With this, he unites extraordinarily diverse people on extreme ends of the spectrum, simply because it is right. The direction of “right” rings loud and clear throughout this speech, and is especially highlighted in this sentence.=====

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“Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us here the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you.” With this culminating statement, JFK ties together his theme of unity and of cooperation. He has a right as the leader to call upon his people, or people of the world, for high standards of peace, tolerance, and advancement. But the true sign of a leader is his ability to recognize where his responsibilities lay and not to shirk them off by means of diffusion. And this, this dogma is what encourages people to act as a team. this is also what makes a leader powerful and thoroughly impressive.=====

-Amy Weiss [|Group Four - Nixon's Resignation Speech]

Group 4-Liora Kleiner On August 8,1974 President Nixon delievered his resignation speech. The first line of his speech was how many times he had spoken to them and how the decisions made there changed history. So right from the start the President alludes to all the good things he made.It then continues to how every decision he ever made was for the good of the nation. Right from the start the President is setting himself up as the good guy. But then he says,"I no longer have a strong political base in the congess to justify continuing that effort". This clearly makes congress look like the bad guy not him. So he completely sets himself up as the victim. Then he says, "I have never been a quitter". Then he talks about the only reason he is leaving is because it's in the nations best interest. Just from the beigning paragraphs you can see how President Nixon is painting himself as the martyr. As he continues talking about how the Vice President will take over he makes it seem thats really him doing all the action. Then he completely turns the speech in a diffrent direction and starts talking about peace and how america needs to work on it. This complete change of topic is almost away to distract the public from the bad he did. As he continues talking about how he is so peacefull, you can tell he is just doing it to leave the nation a good image of him. He then finishes it up by thanking his supporters and forgivng his enemies. Also, he says he will still fight for what he believes in. This obviously to make him look like the victim and that he is being treated unfairly. The whole tone of the speech is bitter. He makes it seem like really it was congress who was bad and not him and that he is a peace loving president who cares about America. For example he says, "To have served in this office is to have felt a very personal sense of kinship with each and every American". The whole point of the speech is to make him look good in the eyes of americans.His last line," In leaving it,I do so with this prayer: May God's grace be with you in all the days ahead". This line sounds so bitter its as though he is telling america that he dosent care about them and hopes God will help them. Overall this speech makes President Nixon look like a bitter and angry man who wants to play the victim.

Nixon sets himself up like a father leaving his children but for their own good; he's like a father going off to war and leaving his children with advice and hope for the future. That's the tone and composure he has while giving the speech. The whole country feels sympathetic for him and sadness in his leaving because in his speech he makes himself seem like everything he is doing is a sacrifice for the people so they should appreciate it. He makes it clear that he is resigning solely for the benefit of the people of the country. He opens up by stating how he has appeared in the office he is in 37 times before regarding matters significant in the shaping of the history of America and that he has " always tried to do what was best for the nation". He completely distracts the audience from the actual Watergate affair by focusing only on how all his decisions are for the people and that he has tried to achieve all the goals he set when first elected. "But the interests of the nation must always come before any personal considerations." He takes the fact that he no longer has congressional support because of the Watergate affair and manipulates it to relate it to not to his guilt in breaking the law but to not being able to serve the people well. Mentioning how his family urged him to finish his term but that he refused because he would not have been able to serve the people, makes the American people feel special that he disregarded his family's opinion for the good of the Americans. "I have never been a quitter. But the interests of the nation must always come before any personal considerations. " With this line he reiterates that he is opposing his own nature to favor the needs of the people themselves. Despite the sad event of his leaving, Nixon instills hope in the people. He introduces Ford as the new president and associates Ford with himself so that the people trust him. He also speaks about how he feels as if the future is more peaceful because he has worked hard at achieving this goal throughout his time in office. He presents himself as a peaceful person by expressing gratitude towards those who supported him and that he has no hard feelings towards those who did not support him. This reinforces the idea that he has worked to make the world a safer and more peaceful place. He ends off on a happy note, saying how he cherishes the shortened time that he spent with the people and hopes to have developed a "kinship" with each American. The word kinship was a good choice because it makes Nixon look as if he cares about every American like they are part of his family. -Johanna Bensalel Nixon Speech  By Miriam Mond President Nixon is addressing the nation concerning his resignation of office. In the speech, Nixon does not outright take responsibility for his actions in Watergate; instead he blames the government for his resignation. He emphasizes that “he is not a quitter” and that “to leave office before a term is completely abhorrent”. He expresses that it is not his choice to abandon the nation. The primary purpose of this speech is to bridge the gap between the old and the new president. Nixon is handing over the reins of the presidency to Ford and telling the nation “I approve of this new president”. Nixon underlines the accomplishments done under his presidency to say that Ford will manage to accomplish similar feats. Nixon stresses his familiarity with the nation by emphasizing that it is his 37th time addressing the nation. President He is reminding the nation that they are like “old friends.”