We Shall Overcome
The 1960s are often recognized as being the period of the Civil Rights Movement. Of the many issues concerning the treatment and equality of African Americans, voting rights became one of the more highly debated topics. Even though African Americans had won the right to vote when the 15th amendment was added to the U.S. Constitution in 1870, many local and state governments were purposely preventing black from voting through various tests that white voters were not forced to take. The tests were often unreasonable and resulted in many African Americans being turned away from the polls. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson addressed Congress to show his support for the Voting Rights Act with his “We Shall Overcome” speech. …show more content…
He uses this appeal to prove that he understands the inequality both as a politician and as a person. Johnson initially establishes his ethos by referring to the historical events Lexington and Concord, best known for Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride, and the battle of Appomattox, which was where General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses Grant. This demonstrates his knowledge of the nation’s history as a politician and as a citizen (Johnson). He also uses the famous historical quotes "all men are created equal," "government by consent of the governed," "give me liberty or give me death" to support his argument that all Americans deserve freedom, equality, and the right to choose their leaders (Johnson). Johnson continues to establish his credibility by referring to his time as a Senator, when he helped vote on the Civil Rights Act of 1957 (Johnson). One might argue that this hurts his credibility because he worked to weaken that act. He also establishes his ethos in a more intimate way when he describes a personal experience. Near the end of his speech, Johnson reveals his experience at his first job as a schoolteacher to Mexican-American children (Johnson). His students were poor and somehow understood that they were no well-liked in society, but could not understand why (Johnson). This example of ethos is much more valuable, in my opinion, because it shows the roots of his passion and why he feels that it is so important to strive for equality. To me this story reflects his intentions to help American citizens who have been oppressed due to poverty or discrimination or any other hardship. I think that it also displays some guilt that he might have about weakening a previous Civil Rights act. This story could also aid Johnson in his use of pathos by creating a sense of responsibility and feelings of guilt among the American people for having allowed such acts of
The 1960s are often recognized as being the period of the Civil Rights Movement. Of the many issues concerning the treatment and equality of African Americans, voting rights became one of the more highly debated topics. Even though African Americans had won the right to vote when the 15th amendment was added to the U.S. Constitution in 1870, many local and state governments were purposely preventing black from voting through various tests that white voters were not forced to take. The tests were often unreasonable and resulted in many African Americans being turned away from the polls. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson addressed Congress to show his support for the Voting Rights Act with his “We Shall Overcome” speech. …show more content…
He uses this appeal to prove that he understands the inequality both as a politician and as a person. Johnson initially establishes his ethos by referring to the historical events Lexington and Concord, best known for Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride, and the battle of Appomattox, which was where General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses Grant. This demonstrates his knowledge of the nation’s history as a politician and as a citizen (Johnson). He also uses the famous historical quotes "all men are created equal," "government by consent of the governed," "give me liberty or give me death" to support his argument that all Americans deserve freedom, equality, and the right to choose their leaders (Johnson). Johnson continues to establish his credibility by referring to his time as a Senator, when he helped vote on the Civil Rights Act of 1957 (Johnson). One might argue that this hurts his credibility because he worked to weaken that act. He also establishes his ethos in a more intimate way when he describes a personal experience. Near the end of his speech, Johnson reveals his experience at his first job as a schoolteacher to Mexican-American children (Johnson). His students were poor and somehow understood that they were no well-liked in society, but could not understand why (Johnson). This example of ethos is much more valuable, in my opinion, because it shows the roots of his passion and why he feels that it is so important to strive for equality. To me this story reflects his intentions to help American citizens who have been oppressed due to poverty or discrimination or any other hardship. I think that it also displays some guilt that he might have about weakening a previous Civil Rights act. This story could also aid Johnson in his use of pathos by creating a sense of responsibility and feelings of guilt among the American people for having allowed such acts of