Rhetorical Analysis Of Obama's Speech

Mass shootings have been a recurring problem throughout America for many years. After the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting, Mr. Obama gave an immaculate speech to the mourning community of Newtown. Former President Obama realizes the need to prevent this issue of gun violence, and gave a speech to Newtown residents brimming with emotion and thought. Former President Obama not only spoke as the president, but as a loving parent to the grieving community of Newtown and all of America. While giving the speech as a parent, Mr. Obama used many rhetorical devices to portray the message that we, the citizens of the country, are here for Newtown and that the country must have additional gun restriction laws. Mr. Obama used a sympathetic tone
Mr. Obama gives this argument through a claim, giving the evidence to the claims as facts. First, Mr. Obama tells the crowd, “someone once described the joy and anxiety of parenthood as the equivalent of having your heart outside of your body all the time, walking around… and every parent knows there is nothing we will not do to shield our children from harm” (3). The claim helps Mr. Obama’s argument through acknowledging the feeling any parent has for their child, understanding the pain the parents who lost their children must be feeling, and addressing that being a parent can be challenging and, in some ways, frightening. Additionally, he includes “there is nothing we will not do to shield our children from harm” to personally connect to the audience and focus his attention to the pain the parents are feeling. Likewise, he compared parenthood to “having your heart outside of your body” to back his argument of nothing being more important to a parent as their children, because nothing is more vital to a human being than their heart. To further back his argument, the speaker mentions how “there’s only one thing we can be sure of, and that is the love that we have - for our children… a love that takes us out of
Mr. Obama understands that mass shootings are an immense issue in today’s world, and uses the Sandy Hook shooting to reinforce that we need improved gun laws. He asks the country a question through the passage, “can we say that we're truly doing enough to give all the children the chance they deserve to live out their lives in happiness and with purpose?... The answer is no. We're not doing enough. And we will have to change” (3). Former President Obama believes that we must change our views on gun restriction laws, and input stronger or more effective laws. The former president mentions that we will have to change to inform the listener that we are clearly not doing enough to protect the future of our country. Shortly after mentioning this stance, Mr. Obama compares this shooting to the previous mass shootings and believes it is up to us to change the future of these shootings. Mr. Obama believes that “if there is even one step we can take to save another child, or another parent, or another town, from the grief that has visited Tucson, and Aurora, and Oak Creek, and Newtown, and communities from Columbine to Blacksburg before that — then surely we have an obligation to try” (4). Through telling the audience that America has an obligation to save any more towns from the grief that these