Rhetorical for Analysis on “Apology for Study Done in Tuskegee” The well-known and public "Apology for Study Done in Tuskegee." from William (Bill) Jefferson Clinton was approached in a way that caught both the empathetic and ethical listeners’ ears. The speech, meant as a request for forgiveness from the 399 African American participants in government run study that failed to disclose to its participants that they were infected with syphilis and subsequently, denied the participants treatment. This speech spoke volumes to African Americans and American’s in general; apologizing for the unethical treatment and medical practices endured by the victims and their families. Clinton used his political position as president of the United States
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Clinton takes a fallacious pathos appeal by using carefully selected language in this speech to convey how regretful and sorry he is for the behavior of the government. He states that the government failed these citizens and should be ashamed for what they did for breaking Americas trust and betraying the citizens that the institution was sworn to protect. In this excerpt from the speech, I notice undertones of fallacious pathos by way of his argument by emotive language. Clinton uses words like “Betrayed, outraged, shameful, torment and anguish.” to drive his point across. Clinton also applies a slippery slope appeal in the following …show more content…
A quick google search will pull up many articles about the speech as well as recordings and YouTube footage of the actual speech. In the footage, the 8 survivors of the experiment are brought in, with their families to serve as an audience for an in person apology. As you look at the audience of the men, they are all in wheelchairs, crippled from being denied treatment for syphilis 40+ years ago. As the camera pans the room you can see that they took effort to show that many of the spectators are of African American decent but as the apology was given in the Whitehouse, many government officials also appear in the venue. The public receptiveness of this speech is both negative and positive. Under the YouTube footage of the speech there is a few comments about it. The comments range from “They’ll do it again, if they can get away with it. They’re probably getting away with a few things right now #EBOLA #AIDS” to “Clinton and his staff did a wonderful thing.” The public goes from praise for finally doing the right thing in addressing the experiment by issuing an apology, to some discrediting the apology calling it “fake” and saying that “it’s too late for an apology.” Some even go as far to blame the fear and distrust many African Americans have today of the medical field and science in general, on this
Clinton takes a fallacious pathos appeal by using carefully selected language in this speech to convey how regretful and sorry he is for the behavior of the government. He states that the government failed these citizens and should be ashamed for what they did for breaking Americas trust and betraying the citizens that the institution was sworn to protect. In this excerpt from the speech, I notice undertones of fallacious pathos by way of his argument by emotive language. Clinton uses words like “Betrayed, outraged, shameful, torment and anguish.” to drive his point across. Clinton also applies a slippery slope appeal in the following …show more content…
A quick google search will pull up many articles about the speech as well as recordings and YouTube footage of the actual speech. In the footage, the 8 survivors of the experiment are brought in, with their families to serve as an audience for an in person apology. As you look at the audience of the men, they are all in wheelchairs, crippled from being denied treatment for syphilis 40+ years ago. As the camera pans the room you can see that they took effort to show that many of the spectators are of African American decent but as the apology was given in the Whitehouse, many government officials also appear in the venue. The public receptiveness of this speech is both negative and positive. Under the YouTube footage of the speech there is a few comments about it. The comments range from “They’ll do it again, if they can get away with it. They’re probably getting away with a few things right now #EBOLA #AIDS” to “Clinton and his staff did a wonderful thing.” The public goes from praise for finally doing the right thing in addressing the experiment by issuing an apology, to some discrediting the apology calling it “fake” and saying that “it’s too late for an apology.” Some even go as far to blame the fear and distrust many African Americans have today of the medical field and science in general, on this