Ronald Reagan Anti-Gay Speech Analysis

Two-hundred and nine thousand. That is the number of lives that were nobly given to save the many during the invasion of Normandy (D-day and the Battle of Normandy). The courageous men and women fought continuously for days on end, climbing the jagged cliffs of Normandy, France. Under rifle fire from gun nests from above, the allied troops were able to take control of the coastline, but not without great sacrifice. The speech given by Ronald Reagan was made to commemorate those who fearlessly fought for our country and the many thousands that gave their lives during those hard days of war. His speech had a clear message, to honor and remember those who gave and risked their lives during the invasion of Normandy.

Ronald Reagan’s speech “A Time for Choosing” was a very effective persuasive speech that may not have gotten Barry Goldwater elected as president, but it did have a profound impact on the American people. This speech more than likely led to Ronald Reagan’s interest in politics and election as President of the United States in 1981. He communicated facts that may not have been known to the American community and additionally brought into perspective invalid statements that were said about Barry Goldwater. Reagan easily connected to his audience and was successful in convincing people to join his side of thinking through various persuasive techniques.

Ronald Reagan is known as “The great communicator” and it shows in his speech, he is able connect to the audience and this works very well for him, his speech “Address to the national challenger” it is a drastically emotional and important speech for the American people at the time it became one of Reagan’s great speeches and it was crucial to the American’s as they were all in such pain due to the accident which was the Challenger disaster. Instead of doing his report on the state union, he talks about the disaster and honors the members who had passed on board and he wishes that the United States will not stop its space exploration due to this. When listening to the speech is it distinguishable that is the speech is not something to joke about and the tone had an emotional and solemn feel with great respect to all involved being felt.

Reagan integrates ethos, pathos, and logos to represent a solemnly optimistic tone which helps illustrate to the audience that we as a whole can overcome this tragedy for the future. Reagan uses a mixture of ethos and pathos during his speech to appeal specifically to the schoolchildren, parents, and family members who knew those from the incident. Reagan states that he and his wife are “pained to the core by the tragedy.” And that he knows “ it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things happen.” Reagan also uses logos during his speech. He refers to a perhaps forgotten famous quote by Sir Francis Drake. Drake said, “He lived by the sea, died on it, and was buried in it.” Reagan says that we can compare what Drake said and refer it to the Challenger’s team dedication.

On January 28, 1986, as millions of Americans watched on live television and in person, the Challenger space shuttle exploded and broke up over the Atlantic Ocean just moments after its launch. This space mission was significant for several reason, among them was that it would be the first time where the space shuttle would carry a civilian into outer space. Also, there was a frenzy of interest for Americans as the U.S. and Russians were locked in a space race for space exploration supremacy. Instead. President Ronald Reagan was left with the unenviable duty of consoling a nation that had just witnessed the most significant disaster in American history.

Imagine telling millions of people that seven United States citizens were killed in a fatal accident that could have easily been prevented. On January 28, 1986, Ronald Reagan made an address to the nation over the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger in the oval office. At 11:38 am on a chilly Saturday morning the shuttle Challenger set out for its adventure for space. No one knew that the lives of Americans nationwide would change dramatically in just one minute. The shuttle exploded at 11:39 am, ending the lives of seven brave men and women. Later that evening, Ronald Reagan made an address to the nation over the tragic event. Ronald Reagan employs the rhetorical appeals of pathos and ethos, combined with a heavy hearted tone to show sympathy for the Challenger accident.

Our textbook claims, “The election of Ronald Reagan in 1980 marked the most important turning point in politics since Franklin D. Roosevelt’s election in 1932.”(American Promise 835) This statement is backed by Reagan’s drastic changes to America such as decreasing inflation, increases the Federal Budget deficit tremendously, and gave enormous tax cuts.

The 1980 election of Ronald Reagan was not only significant because it was the start of a new decade, but it signified a return to conservatism. Reagan had made a bid for office in 1976 trying to bypass the incumbent Ford for the Republican nomination. Although unsuccessful in his attempt, Reagan definitely had merit in pursuing his endeavors.

(Goldfield et.al., 2014). Alongside surviving an assassination attempt, Reagan and the Republican party attracted young voters that were in their early twenties and thirties. Therefore, he won the 1980 election and later on the 1984 presidential election against Democratic candidate Walter Mondale. In both of his presidential administrations, Ronald Reagan set the stage that changed American political and economic balance in the 1980s.

The phenomenon dubbed the “Reagan Revolution,” can have its roots traced back decades, as early as the 1950s. It is important to start in this era, as it sets the stage for the 60s, which ultimately leads into the 70s and 80s, as history tends to portray a cause and effect relationship. Each of these generations contribute to this revolution of conservatism becoming the most popular view in the nation because of their cultural and social elements, with the 60s being the most important period. However, there is also an effect that stems from the previous Presidents, and their governing abilities, or lack thereof, that held office before Reagan. Ultimately, it is a blend of these two components at the same time in their respective decades,

In 1964 Ronald Reagan delivered his televised speech “A Time for Choosing” endorsing the Republican candidate for the presidency. While history has almost forgotten the Republican candidate and his failure to win the presidential race, Reagan’s speech launched him into the political spot light. He had profoundly influenced the American people. Through his gut-wrenching facts and his historical comparisons, Reagan proved America’s dire situation and administrative failures. However, statistics and references alone could not possibly account for the effectiveness of his speech. Instead, Reagan’s knack of calmly evoking emotion inside his simple proofs provided the thrust that moved the American public.

On defense, domestic, and international issues, as well as individual rights they were both moderately conservative and agreed or strongly agreed on some topics. A few of these issues for individual rights were that of legally requiring the hiring of women and minorities, that EPA regulations were too restrictive, and that we need to keep God in the public square (“President Ronald Reagan VS President Franklin D. Roosevelt”, n.d.). When it came to domestic issues

Ronald Reagan, in his speech, (“Berlin Wall”, 1987), the former governor and President of the United States and at the time of the Cold War, “ the most magnetic public figure in the nation”(encyclopedia.com) elucidates to his audience the consequences of residing under the influence of the Soviet Union. Reagan supports his assertion through the use of various rhetorical devices to generate logos, ethos, and pathos. His purpose is to incite a feeling of an injustice done to the people of Berlin and Soviet Allies and to bring down the Berlin Wall as “the most visible symbol of the decades-long Cold War”(History.com) between the Americans and the Soviets during the Cold War. Reagan writes in perfervid tone generated toward the people of Berlin and other Soviet allies in hopes of bringing the Cold War to an end and it is reported by CBS News that he successfully “bolstered the morale of the pro-democracy movement in East Germany”(Brinkley).

Just over two years before Ronald Reagan competed in his first statewide or national office, the former actor gave a speech in support of a doomed presidential candidate, Senator Barry Goldwater. This speech had little effect on 1964 presidential election. However, the “A Time for Choosing” speech established Ronald Reagan as the future of the conservative movement, and outlined his view of what America should be. “A Time for Choosing” fastened Reagan’s conservatism in the minds of both Republicans and Americans. This speech propelled Reagan to win the California governor’s race in 1967 and a sweeping victory in the 1980 presidential election. The “A Time for Choosing” speech declared

President Reagan read his speech in public with so much care for the people and their families. Some examples that shows that he cares is that in the first paragraph he says “We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country”. This part of speech says a lot because he is referring to that the deaths of the astronauts has not been hard on the families but also on the country. President Reagan wants the audience and the crowd watching to feel the pain and also the astronauts were brave enough to go up in mission without caring about the consequences.