Ronald Reagan Evil Empire Speech Analysis

Republican Ronald Reagan appeared at the 41st Evangelical Convention with a speech prepared, but the audience had little knowledge of the light he would shine in their lives that evening. In Orlando, he called the Evangelical Church to action in what he titled the world as “The Evil Empire.” Although the speech on the surface discusses world-wide issues, Reagan evokes emotion in a desperate cry to the Evangelical Church by suggesting that together they can cleanse the world of abortion, communism, and infanticide. As the President of the United States, he establishes trust between himself and the people of the convention by the use of quotations from credible forefathers and Biblical references. Reagan’s use of tone further develops his call …show more content…
Reagan chooses the word “evil” because it relates abortion, communism, and infanticide to the devil. In Christianity, the devil is the root of all things wicked; the Ten Commandments is a list of ten interpretations that generally keep the world pure, assuming that everyone follows them. This precise definition of sin relates to pathos because it creates an alarming aura as Reagan introduces the three “evils” he chooses, scaring the audience into bettering the world. Additionally, he formats his speech to be similar to a sermon; this is a style of speaking that the crowd is familiar with because they sit in church. Sermons begin with an introduction and specific purpose statement, and they introduce their points in question by telling personal stories to make the topics more relatable. Reagan brings up a personal experience with a father; “I heard him saying, ‘I love my little girls more than anything.’ and I said to myself, ‘Oh, no, don’t. You can’t… Don’t say that.’ But I had underestimated him. He went on: ‘I would rather see my little girls die now; still believing in God, then have them grow up under communism and one day die no longer believing in God.’” This quote is important in his appeal to pathos because it showcases the radicalness of communism, and how it eliminates God and introduces an evilness in people’s …show more content…
He paints his picture of “The Evil Empire” for the audience, begging the people of the Evangelical Church to help him freeze the issues and prevent them from spreading further. By implementing pathos, Reagan is able to create an emotional relationship with the people listening. Consequently, this relationship offers ethos because they feel as if they should trust Reagan. Finally, he establishes a distinct tone through the use of humor and repetition. These rhetorical devices produce a call to action to the Evangelical Church that suggest that because they are God’s people, it is their duty to the church and their country to prevent the spread of these