TaylorJones6th1010

RhetoricalappealsinPresidentObamasSpeech
Youandyourfamilyareoutfordinnerbecauseyouarecelebratingthebirthdayofthe
youngestchild.Dinnerhasconcluded,anddessertisnowbeingservedafterahappy
birthdaysonghasbeensung.Smilesandlaughterfillthetableasyouandyourfamily
creatememories.Agunshothaltsallconversationintheroom.Youarentsurewhat
thenoiseisuntilanothershotissounded.Laughterisreplacedwithscreaming.You
begintopanic,butyoutryandhelpyourfamilyunderthetable.Amanwithagun
standsinthedoorwayoftherestaurant.Severalgunshotshavegoneoff.Soundsof
sirensdrawcloserasdoesthemanwiththegun.Everythingseemstobegoinginslow
motionasyouwatchthismanmakehiswayclosertowhereyoursweetfamilyis.You
praynothinghappenstothem.Thisperfectnighthasnowbecomeadevastatingone
forfamilieseverywhere.
Asituationliketheoneabovehauntsthedeepestthoughtsofpeople
everywhere.BecausegunviolenceisbecomingcommonplaceintheUnitedStates,
opinionsandstrategiesonhowtohandlegunshavealsobecomefamiliar.Whatsets
apartthesuccessfulargumentsfromtheunsuccessfulonesistheappropriateuseof
rhetoric.Rhetoriciscommunicationthatismeanttopersuadeandshowthe
relationshipbetweentheauthor,thetext,andtheauthorsintendedaudience.Authors
attempttomakethisrelationshipsuccessfulbyusingrhetoricalappealssuchaslogical
appeals,emotionalappeals,andcharacterbasedappeals.Anexampleofanauthor
whosuccessfullyusedrhetorictopersuadeisinPresidentObamasstatementmadeon

theshootingsatUmpquaCommunityCollegeinRoseburg,Oregon.Inthisspeech
ObamashareshiscondolencesforthedeathsatUmpqua,butthenheshiftshisfocus
totheimportanceofguncontrol.HeurgesAmericanstomakeachangefromthe
shootingsthathavebecomecommonandtocreatestrongerguncontrollaws.Although
somesuggestthatObamadoesntsuccessfullyuserhetoricalappeals,Icontendthathe
doesusethemsuccessfullytoconvincehisaudienceoftheneedforstrongergun
control.
OneoftherhetoricalappealsObamausestopersuadehisaudienceislogical
appeals,whichareaformofrhetoricthatisusedtoappealtotheaudiencessenseof
logic.PresidentObamauseslogicalappealsfrequentlyinhisstatement.Heexplains
multipletimesthatnothavingstrongerguncontrollawsandallowingthesemass
shootingstohappendoesntmakesense.HealsosuggeststhatAmericanscanstill
Obamasays,Thenotionthatgunviolenceissomehowdifferent[fromotherownguns,
butthatguncontrolneedstobeincreasedinordertoprotectlives.President
regulations],thatourfreedomandourConstitutionprohibitsanymodestregulationof
howweusedeadlyweapon,whentherearelawabidinggunownersallacrossthe
countrywhocouldhuntandprotecttheirfamiliesanddoeverythingtheydoundersuch
regulationsdoesntmakesense(3).Hearguesthatcreatingstrongergunlawsmakes
sensebecause,asAmericans,wecanprotectmorelivesandstillallowcitizenstoown
gunsbutinaproperway.BystatingthatstrongergunlawsmakesenseObamaisalso
sayingthatguncontrolislogical.Heusesanif/thenscenariotodemonstratethelogicin
thesituation,whichinreturnappealstoandpersuadestheaudience.

AnotherformofpersuasionthatObamausesistherhetoricalstrategyof
emotionalappeals,whichareusedtoconvinceandconnectwiththeaudienceby
appealingtotheiremotions.Obamaoftentalksaboutthelivesthatwerelostandthat
couldhavebeensaved.Hemakeshisaudiencefeelresponsibleforthedeathsby
sayingthatmassshootingscouldbepreventedifAmericanswouldjustallowmoregun
control.PresidentObamastates,So,tonight,asthoseofuswhoareluckyenoughto
hugourkidsalittlecloserarethinkingaboutthefamilieswhoarentsofortunate,Idask
theAmericanpeopletothinkabouthowtheycangetourgovernmenttochangethese
laws,andtosavelives,andtoletyoungpeoplegrowup(3).Obamawantshis
audiencetofeelsorrowforthedeathsthathaveoccurredbecausehewantsthefeeling
ofsadnessandguilttopersuadetheAmericanpeopletomakeachange.Bycreatinga
feelingofremorseinhisstatement,thepresidenteffectivelyinfluencestheway
Americansfeelabouttheregulationofguns.
PresidentObamaalsoinfluenceshisaudiencetochangebyusing
characterbasedappeals,whichareappealstotheaudiencessenseofcharacter
revealedthroughdetailsabouttheauthorandaudience.FrequentlyObamasaysthings
likeaspresidentinhisstatement.Hedoesthiswhenhetalksabouthowhecant
makethischangebyhimself,andwhenhetalksabouthowheneverwantstoseea
massshootingoccuragainwhileheisstillinoffice.Obamarelays,Ihopeandpray
thatIdonthavetocomeoutagainduringmytenureasPresidenttooffermy
condolencestofamiliesinthesecircumstances.Butbasedonmyexperienceas
President,Icantguaranteethat.Andthatsterribletosay.Anditcanchange(3).The

presidentwantstheAmericanpeopletoallowhimandcongresstoadapttothe
circumstancescreatedbecauseofmassshootings.Inthequoteaboveandthroughout
thestatementObamausesthetermpresidentbecausehewantstobuildhiscredibility.
Thisbuildscredibilitybecausetheconnotationofapresidentissomeonewhoissmart,
responsible,reliable,andeducated.Bytellingtheaudienceheisthepresidenttheyalso
knowheisoneofthemostpowerfulmenintheworld,andinreturntheybelievewhat
hestates.ByusingcharacterbasedappealstheaudiencetrustsObamaandwhathe
says,sotheyaremorelikelytobeaffected.
Situationsliketheonepresentedatthebeginningofthispaperhappenfrequently
intoday'ssociety.Apersonmayneverknowwhentheywillencountersomeonewitha
weaponthatcouldcausesubstantialsuffering.Ahappynightcelebratingabirthday
couldturnintoalifealteringexperience.PresidentObamawantsthesekindsofdeadly
situationsandtherepercussionsofthemtocometoend.Inordertodothis,President
Obamausesrhetoricalstrategiessuchaslogicalappeals,emotionalappeals,and
characterbasedappealstosuccessfullypersuadehisaudienceoftheneedforstronger
guncontrollaws.