On April 4, 1967, King addressed a crowd of 3,000 in Riverside Church by delivering a speech titled, “Beyond Vietnam,” in the midst of the cruelty of the Vietnam War. Despite criticism from speaking out about things other than civil rights, King uses syntax, rhetorical strategies, and appeals to explain why he has chosen to speak out on Vietnam because of the following reasons: how the war is an enemy of the poor, how it is a cruel manipulation of the poor, how it is for the sake of the poor, government, and others, and how it is related to his religious duties.
While doing so he also reveals his purpose, which is to move his audience to challenge the Vietnam War through means of protest and questioning the need for the war.. King’s first …show more content…
This is accomplished by comparing and contrasting the perception of the poor at home against the perception of the poor at war. By showing how the poor do not have the same freedoms as the rich at home, but both are forced to die together and rely upon each other in times of war, it creates an ironic image for his audience, forcing them to judge the fairness of this perception, again appealing to logic. This moves the immediate audience to abstain from passivity on this issue, compelling them to create their own opinions and bring attention to and challenge the issue …show more content…
He strengthens his argument through his use of rhetorical questions and an anecdote. He efficiently uses the anecdote to tell how he has spoken with young men, telling them how violence will not solve their problems. This is then placed beside the men’s rhetorical questioning of America attempting to use violence to fix its own issues at home. This juxtaposition then creates a logical fallacy for King, when confronted with the issue by the men, and for both the immediate and remote audience. By showing the truth to this argument, he then claims that one cannot show concern for American life without questioning the war, and the effect it has one's nation. Through King’s anecdote, rhetorical questions, and juxtapostion, he makes the audience feel a responsibility to escape this hypocrisy, and plead for peace in
While doing so he also reveals his purpose, which is to move his audience to challenge the Vietnam War through means of protest and questioning the need for the war.. King’s first …show more content…
This is accomplished by comparing and contrasting the perception of the poor at home against the perception of the poor at war. By showing how the poor do not have the same freedoms as the rich at home, but both are forced to die together and rely upon each other in times of war, it creates an ironic image for his audience, forcing them to judge the fairness of this perception, again appealing to logic. This moves the immediate audience to abstain from passivity on this issue, compelling them to create their own opinions and bring attention to and challenge the issue …show more content…
He strengthens his argument through his use of rhetorical questions and an anecdote. He efficiently uses the anecdote to tell how he has spoken with young men, telling them how violence will not solve their problems. This is then placed beside the men’s rhetorical questioning of America attempting to use violence to fix its own issues at home. This juxtaposition then creates a logical fallacy for King, when confronted with the issue by the men, and for both the immediate and remote audience. By showing the truth to this argument, he then claims that one cannot show concern for American life without questioning the war, and the effect it has one's nation. Through King’s anecdote, rhetorical questions, and juxtapostion, he makes the audience feel a responsibility to escape this hypocrisy, and plead for peace in