I would not be running for President if I didn't believe with all my heart that this is what the vast majority of Americans want for this country. I can no more disown him than I can disown my white grandmother a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed her by on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe. trailer Another controversial topic was slavery. This belief comes from my unyielding faith in the decency and generosity of the American people. A time before torch-bearing white supremacists marched through the night in Charlottesville, Virginia. His major methods of development are narration and logical analysis. Then, Professor Tracey Sharpley Whiting, who edited a book about the speech, talks about its impact today. Start your constitutional learning journey. Absolutely just as I'm sure many of you have heard remarks from your pastors, priests, or rabbis with which you strongly disagreed. But I have asserted a firm conviction a conviction rooted in my faith in God and my faith in the American people that, working together, we can move beyond some of our old racial wounds, and that in fact we have no choice if we are to continue on the path of a more perfect union. A More Perfect Union Analysis | Shmoop WebPresident Barack Obama delivered a speech titled A More Perfect Union. His speech focused on the prominent issue of racism in America. Back to Obama: "This was one of the tasks we set forth at the beginning of this campaign to continue the long march of those who came before us, a march for a more just, more equal, more free, more caring and more prosperous America." His rhetoric, however, excludes audience members who are against racial unification, specifically groups of Americans that have views that still involve some form of segregationfor example, white supremacists. It's that he spoke as if our society was static; as if no progress had been made; as if this country a country that has made it possible for one of his own members to run for the highest office in the land and build a coalition of white and black, Latino and Asian, rich and poor, young and old is still irrevocably bound to a tragic past. He also responds to criticism of the Rev. Just as black anger often proved counterproductive, so have these white resentments distracted attention from the real culprits of the middle class squeeze a corporate culture rife with inside dealing, questionable accounting practices and short-term greed; a Washington dominated by lobbyists and special interests; economic policies that favor the few over the many. I suppose the politically safe thing to do would be to move on from this episode and just hope that it fades into the woodwork. Barack Obama, a very familiar name now; which otherwise could have been Barack Obama Sr. while studying at the University of Hawaii met Ann Dunham, and after few months they married on February 2, 1961. Beginning on December 7, 1787, five statesDelaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia and Connecticutratified the Constitution in quick succession. WebFrom Obamas establishment of ethos in his speech A More Perfect Union we see that trying to approach the problem of protecting your reputation from many directions and A More Perfect Union was a speech by then-Senator Barack Obama in 2008. But what my former pastor too often failed to understand is that embarking on a program of self-help also requires a belief that society can change. America to most people is freedom, opportunity, fair and the greatest country in the world. 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It reads: The Bill of Rights were 10 amendments guaranteeing basic individual protections, such as freedom of speech and religion, that became part of the Constitution in 1791. Since Obama uses such a diversity of techniques to establish his ethos, I dont think theres much he could have improved on. 0000006178 00000 n I have brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles, and cousins, of every race and every hue, scattered across three continents, and for as long as I live, I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible.". He supports this claim with three reasons: while Reverend Wrights comments are deplorable, they consist of an amalgam of the worst statements he has ever made and do not reflect Reverend Wright as a person; that these types of situations reflect on America as a whole, with individuals all contributing different backgrounds; and that America needs to set aside history, and overcome and push forward in unity. During most of the 20th century, demagogues, especially in the South, gained political traction by pitting working class whites and blacks against each other. In speeches, as in homilies, stories almost always carry the weight of parable, with moral lessons to be drawn. In chronicling our journey, the stories and songs gave us a meaning to reclaim memories that we didn't need to feel shame about memories that all people might study and cherish, and with which we could start to rebuild.". Two-ness I could argue that Obama's speech is a meditation upon DuBois' theory of a dual experience of race in America. Let us find that common stake we all have in one another, and let our politics reflect that spirit as well. We strive for accuracy and fairness. U.S. Constitution - The Preamble | Resources - Congress This is not to say that race has not been an issue in this campaign. Although political platforms might not be applicable to the general population, countering from many directions is a skill that can be transferred over to any rhetorical problem in general. Allusion Part of what made Dr. King's speech resonate, not just for black people, but for some whites, was its framing of racial equality in familiar patriotic terms: "This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning, 'My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty of thee I sing. All Rights Reserved. Article. But the remarks that have caused this recent firestorm weren't simply controversial. Like other predominantly black churches across the country, Trinity embodies the black community in its entirety the doctor and the welfare mom, the model student and the former gang-banger. Farmers and scholars, statesmen and patriots who had traveled across the ocean to escape tyranny and persecution finally made real their declaration of 2023 National Constitution Center. In fact, once you begin the search, it is remarkable how many examples of two-ness shine through: "through protests and struggles" "on the streets and in the courts" "through civil war and civil disobedience" "I am the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas." Obamas purpose is twofold: he wants to make it clear that he doesnt support his pastors racial comments, but he also wants to convince the audience to unite together in order to create a better America in the future. What comes next is "Two hundred and twenty one years ago," an opening that places him in the tradition of Lincoln at Gettysburg and Dr. King at the Lincoln Memorial: "Five score years ago.". We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the The fact that so many people are surprised to hear that anger in some of Reverend Wright's sermons simply reminds us of the old truism that the most segregated hour of American life occurs on Sunday morning. The popular opinion is that our current president, though plain spoken, is clumsy with language. Understanding this reality requires a reminder of how we arrived at this point. Stevenson discusses many troubling stories about police During the film, The Kings Speech, Lionel Logue plays five different roles. My Rights!" Inside the fallout of Twitters decision to strip verified Twitter users of their legacy blue checks. Legalized discrimination where blacks were prevented, often through violence, from owning property, or loans were not granted to African-American business owners, or black homeowners could not access FHA mortgages, or blacks were excluded from unions or the police force or the fire department meant that black families could not amass any meaningful wealth to bequeath to future generations. And then another one. Transcript: Barack Obama's Speech on Race : NPR Since ethos is one of the three main modes of persuasion as listed by Aristotle, we can ask What ethos strategies does Obama use in his speech A More Perfect Union to protect his reputation and discuss other topics meaningfully? At various stages in the campaign, some commentators have deemed me either "too black" or "not black enough." He simply says to everyone in the room, "I am here because of Ashley.". But she didn't. By itself, that single moment of recognition between that young white girl and that old black man is not enough. WebRead the preamble to the Constitution. Towards a More Perfect Union: Understanding What Even for those blacks who did make it, questions of race and racism continue to define their worldview in fundamental ways. The issue was resolved by the Connecticut Compromise, which proposed a bicameral legislature with proportional representation of the states in the lower house (House of Representatives) and equal representation in the upper house (Senate). In order for the Constitution to become law, it then had to be ratified by nine of the 13 states. The delegates (who also became known as the framers of the Constitution) were a well-educated group that included merchants, farmers, bankers and lawyers. Barack Obamas main rival at this point was Hillary Clinton. It is not enough to give health care to the sick, or jobs to the jobless, or education to our children. That's the mind of a 9-year-old. A system of checks and balances was put into place so that no single branch would have too much authority. Like the anger within the black community, these resentments aren't always expressed in polite company. This is also supported by his recall of seminal court cases like Brown v. Board of Education (Obama P29), and statements about the racial inequalities that are due to the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow (Obama, P29). These questions matter for us today as there are always situations, especially political ones, where we need to defend our own credibility in a competent manner. WebHe says that purpose of the Constitution was "to form a more perfect Union". Wright's comments. And to simply wish it away, to condemn it without understanding its roots, only serves to widen the chasm of misunderstanding that exists between the races. He does not say that he was there because of Barack Obama. "a man who served his country" "on a path of a more perfect union" "a full measure of justice" "the immigrant trying to feed his family" "where our union grows stronger" "a band of patriots signed that document. Given my background, my politics, and my professed values and ideals, there will no doubt be those for whom my statements of condemnation are not enough. You can view The Poynter Institutes most-recent public financial disclosure form 990. And occasionally it finds voice in the church on Sunday morning, in the pulpit and in the pews. Through all the changes, the Constitution has endured and adapted. A More Perfect Union They built it from scratch. startxref Barack Obama: Toward a More This essay has been submitted by a student. Abraham Lincolns First Inaugural Address: The better angels 0000003931 00000 n We probably don't need to tell you how rare it is Click to view mentions of key words in Obama's speech. And it means taking full responsibility for our own lives by demanding more from our fathers, and spending more time with our children, and reading to them, and teaching them that while they may face challenges and discrimination in their own lives, they must never succumb to despair or cynicism; they must always believe that they can write their own destiny. It was stained by this nation's original sin of slavery, a question that divided the colonies and brought the convention to a stalemate until the founders chose to allow the slave trade to continue for at least 20 more years, and to leave any final resolution to future generations. Instead, they expressed a profoundly distorted view of this country a view that sees white racism as endemic, and that elevates what is wrong with America above all that we know is right with America; a view that sees the conflicts in the Middle East as rooted primarily in the actions of stalwart allies like Israel, instead of emanating from the perverse and hateful ideologies of radical Islam. In addition, he is one out of the sixteen presidents in the Philippines and a former mayor of Davao City. Quizlet He was an absolute wonderful writer and had a great amount of patience with me as well as following all directions very accordingly. Obama had/has a gift for language. Candidate Obama emphasized that both white and black communities had valid arguments about their place in America. Then Senator and presidential candidate Barack Obama delivers his speech 'A More Perfect Union,' in Philadelphia on March 18, 2008. But it was also an urgent call for racial harmony. I am the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas. Link couldn't be copied to clipboard! She did this for a year until her mom got better. Autobiography There is an obnoxious tendency among political candidates to frame their life story as a struggle against poverty or hard circumstances. A More Perfect Union Our trials and triumphs became at once unique and universal, black and more than black. Moreover, Obama was the democratic candidate, so his audience was likely biased towards more liberal on the political spectrum. They all have different stories and different reasons. 0000001614 00000 n In order to overcome these barriers, Obama had to establish himself as someone worth listening to, which is just the problem of establishing ethos. On September 25, 1789, Congress adopted 12 of the amendments and sent them to the states for ratification. Ratified June 21, 1788. Then Senator and presidential candidate Barack Obama delivers his speech 'A More Perfect Union,' in Philadelphia on March 18, 2008. Anger over welfare and affirmative action helped forge the Reagan Coalition. In the white community, the path to a more perfect union means acknowledging that what ails the African-American community does not just exist in the Reproduction Number: LC-H8-CT-C01-063. Would you like to have an original essay? Perhaps somebody told her along the way that the source of her mother's problems were blacks who were on welfare and too lazy to work, or Hispanics who were coming into the country illegally. Barack Obama, a black man with an African father and an American mother, took the stage and delivered a speech that would paint the racial They had to file for bankruptcy, and that's when Ashley decided that she had to do something to help her mom. Moreover, he even discusses conflicts in the Middle East and the root causes of them (Obama, P15). In fact, it isn't even past." If you are counting, that's five parallel phrases among 43 words. We knowyou're not a fan of rhetorical questions. For the African-American community, that path means embracing the burdens of our past without becoming victims of our past. And this helps explain, perhaps, my relationship with Reverend Wright. No plagiarism guarantee. As William Faulkner once wrote, "The past isn't dead and buried. Speech In his speech, Obama not only responds to his former pastors comments but also addresses the larger topic of race in the United States and argues that America can only continue to grow as a nation if all races and socioeconomic classes join forces and work together on problems. And if we walk away now, if we simply retreat into our respective corners, we will never be able to come together and solve challenges like health care or education or the need to find good jobs for every American. On September 17, George Washington was the first to sign the document. The fact that he starts the speech with a reference to the constitution and ends it similarly also indicate that he tries to align himself with the country. But race is an issue that I believe this nation cannot afford to ignore right now. The Preamble outlines the Constitution's purpose and guiding principles. He does not say education or the war. We can tackle race only as spectacle as we did in the O.J. WebA More Perfect Union: Rhetorical Questions BACK NEXT That teacher who thinks he's funny (but isn't): "what do you get when you cross a joke with a rhetorical question?" On September 25, An Ethos Analysis of Obamas "A More Perfect Union" - EduZaurus The Bill of Rights guarantees individuals certain basic protections as citizens, including freedom of speech, religion and the press; the right to bear and keep arms; the right to peaceably assemble; protection from unreasonable search and seizure; and the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury. Third, some in the audience were inherently biased against Obama as he was not the typical candidate since he was African-American. On the more religious side of things, Obama states that more than twenty years ago [he was] introduce[d] to Christian faith (Obama P18). Such analysis, while interesting in itself, might be little more than a scholarly curiosity if we were not so concerned with the language issues of political discourse. Like other black churches, Trinity's services are full of raucous laughter and sometimes bawdy humor. Rhetorical Analysis Essay: Rough Draft It is where our union grows stronger. 0 0000001950 00000 n In 1774, Great Britain's North American This union may never be perfect, but generation after generation has shown that it can always be perfected. The focus has been on the orator's willingness to say things in public about race that are rarely spoken at all, even in private, and his expressed desire to move the country to a new and better place. That is the true genius of this nation. Classically, to establish ethos, you can display sagacity (knowledge of the issue, wisdom, or expertise), moral character, or good will toward the audience (Strang 1).