Like the anger within the black community, these resentments aren't always expressed in polite company. Autobiography There is an obnoxious tendency among political candidates to frame their life story as a struggle against poverty or hard circumstances. ", Roy Peter Clark has taught writing at Poynter to students of all ages since 1979. And as so many generations have come to realize over the course of the 221 years since a band of patriots signed that document right here in Philadelphia, that is where the perfection begins. Choose your writer among 300 professionals! To date, there have been thousands of proposed amendments to the Constitution. I heard something else: At the foot of that cross, inside the thousands of churches across the city, I imagined the stories of ordinary black people merging with the stories of David and Goliath, Moses and Pharaoh, the Christians in the lion's den, Ezekiel's field of dry bones. WebA More Perfect Union by Barack Obama was delivered at the Constitution Center in Philadelphia. 0000003671 00000 n To mark this day and to honor language arts teachers everywhere Poynter is republishing an essay I wrote almost a decade ago. The effectiveness of Obamas speech rests upon four related rhetorical strategies: 1. And finally, in 1787, one of the declared objects for ordaining and establishing the Constitution was to form a more perfect Union. But if destruction of the Union by one or by a part only of the States be lawfully possible, the Union is less perfect than before the Constitution, having lost the vital element of perpetuity. Despite the temptation to view my candidacy through a purely racial lens, we won commanding victories in states with some of the whitest populations in the country. By itself, that single moment of recognition between that young white girl and that old black man is not enough. Farmers and scholars, statesmen and patriots who had traveled across the ocean to escape tyranny and persecution finally made real their declaration of They built it from scratch. With that purpose, Obama firmly states, we have no choice [other than to act now] if we are to continue on the path of a more perfect union. With the exigence identified and the kairotic moment present, the speaker appeals to pathos by presenting examples of racial injustice that exist in our nation to further argue the necessity of change. His audience and the situation pose the following barriers and constraints: First, they are a very heterogeneous population, which means that trying to pander to a specific type of person might distance Obama from other groups. He is a skilled orator. In the end, then, what is called for is nothing more and nothing less than what all the world's great religions demand that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us. Second, the audience is wary of politicians as they are standardly depicted as two-faced, saying one thing while doing something else. 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). 0000000649 00000 n A time just before the Great Recession. Most working- and middle-class white Americans don't feel that they have been particularly privileged by their race. A lack of economic opportunity among black men, and the shame and frustration that came from not being able to provide for one's family contributed to the erosion of black families a problem that welfare policies for many years may have worsened. Since Obama uses such a diversity of techniques to establish his ethos, I dont think theres much he could have improved on. But the remarks that have caused this recent firestorm weren't simply controversial. My X-ray analysis of that speech is meant not as a final word on that historical moment, but as an invitation, a doorway to a room where we can all reflect on American history and the American language. Among the more contentious issues was the question of state representation in the national legislature. Ten of these amendments, known collectively as the Bill of Rights, were ratified and became part of the Constitution on December 10, 1791. 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. And yet, to wish away the resentments of white Americans, to label them as misguided or even racist, without recognizing they are grounded in legitimate concerns this too widens the racial divide and blocks the path to understanding. Many bring up a specific issue. We want to talk about how to bring them home from a war that should have never been authorized and should have never been waged. We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, And in an era of stagnant wages and global competition, opportunity comes to be seen as a zero sum game, in which your dreams come at my expense. (By the content of their character is parallel to by the color of their skin.). 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. Even for those blacks who did make it, questions of race and racism continue to define their worldview in fundamental ways. The Articles of Confederation gave Congress the power to govern foreign affairs, conduct war and regulate currency; however, in reality these powers were sharply limited because Congress had no authority to enforce its requests to the states for money or troops. Of the 55 delegates, a total of 39 signed; some had already left Philadelphia, and threeGeorge Mason (1725-92) and Edmund Randolph (1753-1813) of Virginia, and Elbridge Gerry (1744-1813) of Massachusettsrefused to approve the document. And they are part of America, this country that I love. HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. One ever feels his two-ness, an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.". Jeremiah Wright, in which the minister lambasted America's foreign policies and treatment of minorities, especially African-Americans. Contrary to the claims of some of my critics, black and white, I have never been so nave as to believe that we can get beyond our racial divisions in a single election cycle, or with a single candidacy particularly a candidacy as imperfect as my own. For all those who scratched and clawed their way to get a piece of the American Dream, there were many who didn't make it those who were ultimately defeated, in one way or another, by discrimination. Support responsible news and fact-based information today! "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. Did you know? <]>> Painting by John Trumbull (1756-1843) photographed by Theodor Horydczak ca.1920-1950. 0000001614 00000 n HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. The introduction of my book "Writing Tools" imagines what America might look like and sound like if we declared ourselves a nation of writers. After all, what good is freedom of expression if we lack the means to express ourselves? These statements show that Barack Obama not only understands present-day conflicts, but also knows the history well. But it also means binding our particular grievances for better health care and better schools and better jobs to the larger aspirations of all Americans: the white woman struggling to break the glass ceiling, the white man who has been laid off, the immigrant trying to feed his family. He also states that I am married to a black American who carries within her the blood of slaves and slaveownersan inheritance we pass on to our two precious daughters (Obama P8), further connecting him to the African-American population. 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. 4. 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 He adopts an objective but still hopeful tone, a tone which is appropriate for the implied audience. We`ll do boring work for you. A time before Colin Kaepernick took a knee except when he was tired. "I'm here because of Ashley." WebAnd finally, in 1787, one of the declared objects for ordaining and establishing the Constitution, was "to form a more perfect Union." Logue is a father (plays with his children in his office), husband (talks with his wife by the radio), therapist (sits with Bertie every day to help We use cookies to offer you the best experience. Just a week earlier, the national media had picked up on a series of comments that Obamas pastor, Jeremiah Wright Jr. , had made during sermons that were racially charged and targeted many different racial groups. And Ashley asks him why he's there. 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.". Essay, Racial Police Brutality in Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson Essay, Great Leaders Use Rhetoric to Instil Hope as Seen in the King's Speech 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. Understanding this reality requires a reminder of how we arrived at this point. On May 25, 1787, the Constitutional Convention opened in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence had been adopted 11 years earlier. And then another one. That is the true genius of this nation. Also featured is Alicia Garza, co-founder of Black Lives Matter and principal at Black Futures Lab, discussing why Obama's words do not fully address the depth of racial discrimination. By September 1787, the conventions five-member Committee of Style (Hamilton, Madison, William Samuel Johnson of Connecticut, Gouverneur Morris of New York, Rufus King of Massachusetts) had drafted the final text of the Constitution, which consisted of some 4,200 words. Not once in my conversations with him have I heard him talk about any ethnic group in derogatory terms, or treat whites with whom he interacted with anything but courtesy and respect. Anyway, Ashley finishes her story and then goes around the room and asks everyone else why they're supporting the campaign. What we have already achieved gives us hope the audacity to hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow. Obama had/has a gift for language. 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. Americas first constitution, the Articles of Confederation, was ratified in 1781, a time when the nation was a loose confederation of states, each operating like independent countries. The following is a transcript of the remarks of Democratic Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, delivered March 18, 2008, in Philadelphia at the Constitution Center. The power of allusion and its patriotic associations. If you need this sample, insert an email and we'll deliver it to you. Of course, the answer to the slavery question was already embedded within our Constitution a Constitution that had at its very core the ideal of equal citizenship under the law; a Constitution that promised its people liberty and justice and a union that could be and should be perfected over time. He strengthened my faith, officiated my wedding, and baptized my children. America to most people is freedom, opportunity, fair and the greatest country in the world. Reporters and other visitors were barred from the convention sessions, which were held in secret to avoid outside pressures. WebA More Perfect Union Summary BACK NEXT Brief Summary The Setup Barack Obama believed we could persevere and overcome hundreds of years of racial tensions and inequalities. He had multiracial Ruling under the authority of a king and ruling under the authority of a president are obviously two completely different ways to rule. They've worked hard all their lives, many times only to see their jobs shipped overseas or their pensions dumped after a lifetime of labor. In my first book, Dreams From My Father, I describe the experience of my first service at Trinity: "People began to shout, to rise from their seats and clap and cry out, a forceful wind carrying the reverend's voice up into the rafters. The most recent amendment to the Constitution, Article XXVII, which deals with congressional pay raises, was proposed in 1789 and ratified in 1992. 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? The word "story" is revealing one, for it is always the candidate's job (as both responsibility and ploy) to describe himself or herself as a character in a story of his or her own making. Jeremiah Wright. Obamas speech that day, titled A More Perfect Union, had to address that. The press has scoured every single exit poll for the latest evidence of racial polarization, not just in terms of white and black, but black and brown as well. 0000000016 00000 n 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. Wright has made inflammatory remarks about the United States and has accused the country of bringing on the Sept. 11 attacks by spreading terrorism. There is a young, 23-year-old white woman named Ashley Baia who organized for our campaign in Florence, S.C. She had been working to organize a mostly African-American community since the beginning of this campaign, and one day she was at a roundtable discussion where everyone went around telling their story and why they were there. 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. Not this time. By saying this, he establishes that he is deeply connected to many parts of the country, like Kansas, and that he can connect with both the African-American population and the white population as his father was Kenyan and his mother was white. And I confess that if all that I knew of Reverend Wright were the snippets of those sermons that have run in an endless loop on the television sets and YouTube, or if Trinity United Church of Christ conformed to the caricatures being peddled by some commentators, there is no doubt that I would react in much the same way. Since announcing his candidacy, Obama sought to maintain a "race-neutral" cam-paign. 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). Additionally, it was agreed that Congress wouldnt be allowed to prohibit the slave trade before 1808, and states were required to return fugitive enslaved people to their owners. But it was also an urgent call for racial harmony. 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?" He states that for as long as I live, I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible (Obama P8), which makes it clear that he still thinks America is the greatest country, even with all the hardships he has overcome. In the more than 200 years since the Constitution was created, America has stretched across an entire continent and its population and economy have expanded more than the documents framers likely ever could have envisioned. His major methods of development are narration and logical analysis. George Washington was inaugurated as Americas first president on April 30, 1789. It's a story that hasn't made me the most conventional of candidates. That legacy of defeat was passed on to future generations those young men and, increasingly, young women who we see standing on street corners or languishing in our prisons, without hope or prospects for the future. Obama also establishes that he is knowledgeable by saying that I've gone to some of the best schools in America (Obama P8), namely Harvard, which demonstrates that he has a very strong educational background. Updated: March 28, 2023 | Original: October 27, 2009. We can pounce on some gaffe by a Hillary supporter as evidence that she's playing the race card, or we can speculate on whether white men will all flock to John McCain in the general election regardless of his policies.

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