A Rhetorical Analysis Of Robert F. Kennedy's Speech

Robert F. Kennedy, in his speech following Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination (1968), highlights the serious impact of America’s violent culture throughout the country. Kennedy relays his strong message of justice by emphasizing the negative effects of violence, as well as pointing out America’s numbness to violent deaths through the media. The purpose of this speech is to encourage the people of America to unite as one nation and work towards the common goal of happiness together. Kennedy uses a stern tone when speaking to relay the serious meaning behind his message, as well as to capture the audience's attention. for he must convict the citizens of their wrongdoings, then provide an inspirational solution. By convicting the people of America of mindless violence and discrimination, as well as encouraging the county to achieve true justice and unity through the bond of a
Kennedy simply proclaims that when any American’s life is taken by another American unnecessarily, “the whole nation is degraded.” Kennedy believed that no matter if it was done in revenge or in passion, in response to violence, or in the name of the law, it could not be justified. His intention of highlighting the presence of violence in the country as a whole is to show how degrading the act is. Additionally, he poses the question of what violence has ever accomplished, revealing that violent actions have no successful outcomes, clearly convicting the people. He also highlights the violence caused by discrimination and the relations between “men because their skin has different colors” that he refers to as slow destruction. Kennedy alludes to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. through his message of violence through racial hatred. Kennedy mentions this after his section on physical violence to emphasize the larger picture of abolishing racial