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Rhetoricalanalysis

This document provides a rhetorical analysis of President Barack Obama's 2012 "Interfaith Prayer Vigil Address" given in Newtown, Connecticut after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. The analysis discusses how Obama connects with the grieving community by speaking as a parent who understands their desire to protect children, as the national leader who wants a safe country, and as a religious person who offers spiritual comfort. Obama appeals to the nation's emotions and seeks to unite the country in preventing future tragedies.

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36 views4 pages

Rhetoricalanalysis

This document provides a rhetorical analysis of President Barack Obama's 2012 "Interfaith Prayer Vigil Address" given in Newtown, Connecticut after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. The analysis discusses how Obama connects with the grieving community by speaking as a parent who understands their desire to protect children, as the national leader who wants a safe country, and as a religious person who offers spiritual comfort. Obama appeals to the nation's emotions and seeks to unite the country in preventing future tragedies.

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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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MorganTrelease
Ms.Trelease
English1010
23October2015
RhetoricalAnalysis
InterfaithPrayerVigilAddress
ThecurrentPresidentoftheUnitedStates,BarackObama,gavethespeech,
InterfaithPrayerVigilAddress
,onDecember16,2012afterthefataltragedyofthe
SandyHookElementaryschoolshooting.ThisspeechwasgivenatNewtownHigh
SchoolinNewtownConnecticut.Thepurposeforthisspeechwastocomfort,connect,
andshowsupporttothefamiliesofthevictimsandthecommunityofNewtownafterthis
tragicevent.ThePresidentgavehisattitudetowardtheissuebyfocusingonhisviews
asaparent,theviewsofthenation,andtheviewsofareligiousperson.
PresidentObama,inhisspeechtalksabouttheissueasaparent,hestates,
Andeveryparentknowsthereisnothingwewillnottodotoshieldourchildrenfrom
harm.Andyet,wealsoknowthatwiththatchildsveryfirst,andeachstepafterthat,
theyareseparatingfromuswecantalwaysbethereforthem(13).Bystatingthis,
hecanconnectwiththeparentsofthevictimstoletthemknowtherewasnothingthey
coulddotopreventthisandthataschildrengetolderitbecomeshardertoprotect
them.Hethengoesonbysaying,Thisisourfirsttaskcaringforourchildren(15).
Yes,onecantalwaysprotecttheirchild,butcaringforthemistheirmainpriority,
accordingtothepresident.Bysaying,Canwehonestlysaythatweredoingenoughto
keepourchildrenallofthemsafefromharm?Canweclaim,asanation,thatwere
alltogetherthere,lettingthemknowthattheyareloved,andteachingthemtolovein
return(16)hequestionsifweasanationareteachingthechildren,ofthenation,how

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toloveandreceivelove.Itisatthispointthathegoesfromtalkingasaparenttotalking
asthePresidentoftheUnitedStates.
PresidentObamausestherhetoricaldeviceofpathosbyconveyinghisfeelings
ofthistragedyasanation.ThePresidentstates,SinceIvebeenPresident,thisisthe
fourthtimewehavecometogethertocomfortagrievingcommunitytornapartbya
massshooting(18).Thisisnotthefirsttimeournationhashadtocometogetherto
comfortthosewhoneedsupport.PresidentObama,beingtheCommanderinChief,
createsthebestcomfortacountrycangetbybeingthenumberoneleader.Bysaying,
Iwillusewhateverpowerthisofficeholdstoengagemyfellowcitizensfromlaw
enforcementtomentalhealthprofessionalstoparentsandeducatorsinaneffort
aimedtopreventingmoretragedieslikethis(21)ourPresidentcaresforthewellbeing
ofthecountry.Hespecificallymentionslawenforcement,mentalhealthprofessionals,
andeducatorsforareason.Thesearetheprofessionsthataredirectlyimpactedby
thesemassschoolshootings.Lawenforcementarethefirstrespondersandarerisking
theirlifeforthesafetyofthechildren.Mentalhealthprofessionalsdealwiththe
perpetratorsthatcausetheharm.ThisillustratesthatObamacaresfortheonethatis
shootingandwantsthemtoreceivethementalhelpneeded.Educatorshavetakenon
theresponsibilityneededtoactasafirstresponderwhenfacedwithsuchdire
circumstances.Therefore,PresidentObamaappealstothenationsfeelingsabout
usingallhispowertocreateasafeandprotectedcountryforhispeople.
Obamathengoesontotalkabouthowonecanviewthistragedyfromareligious
standpoint.ThePresidentstartshisspeechwithascripturefromthebible.Bystarting
hisspeechwithascripturehecanconnectandoffercomforttothosewhohavestrong
religiousbeliefs.Thosewhohaveareligiousbeliefsystem,notjustChristian,find

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comfortinknowingthereisaplaceafterdeath.Afterhetalksasaparent,andasthe
leaderofournationhethenendswithreligiousviews.Hestates,afterlistingoffthe
namesofthechildrenthathavepassed,Godhascalledthemallhome.Forthoseofus
whoremain,letusfindstrengthtocarryonandmakeourcountryworthyoftheir
memory(27).ThePresident,bysayingthis,canprovidethecomfortbytellingthe
parentsofthevictims,whathebelieves,thatthechildrenaresafeandhome.Also,
religiouspeoplebelievethatwhenachildlifeistakingtheyarebenefitedintheafterlife.
Theybelievethatitisnotfairthatachild,whoisinnocentandhasbarelylived,should
betakensoearly.PresidentObamaclosesthevigilbysaying,MayGodblessand
keepthosewevelostinHisheavenlyplace.MayHegracethosewestillhavewithHis
holycomfort.AndmayHeblessandwatchoverthiscommunity,andtheUnitedStates
ofAmerica(28).Hehopesthatwecangetthroughthishorribleoccasionandbecome
oneprotectedcountry,byaskingthatGodwatchoverandprotectthecommunityand
theentirenation.
ThroughtherhetoricaldeviceofpathosPresidentBarackObamaconnectswith
theheartsofthepeopleofNewtownandtheheartsofthecountry.Hedoesthisby
connectingasaparent,astheleaderofthenation,andasareligiousperson.The
Presidentuseshisemotionstogivethecomforttothoseinneed,andtotryandpush
throughthistragicevent.Heastheleaderofournationwantsustobecomeoneunited
people.

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Bibliography
AmericanRhetoric:BarackObamaPrayerVigielAddressAtSandyHook,Newtown,
CT(TranscriptAudioVideo).
AmericanRhetoric:BarackObamaPrayerVigiel
AddressatSandyHook,Newtown,CT(transcriptaudiovideo)
.Web.13Oct.
2015.
<http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/barackobama/barackobamanewtown
vigilspeech.htm>

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