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A Rhetorical Analysis Of Speech By President Ronald Regan

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On January 28th, 1986, the United States was devastated by the Challenger Disaster. Because of the importance of space exploration at the time, the Challenger was covered heavily in the media. The addition of the first regular civilian to ever be in space was an exciting possibility to many of the American people. The launch was televised and because of the popularity millions of people were watching all over the nation. The stunned American people were absolutely devastated by the explosion. On this same day, President Ronald Regan was preparing to give the State of the Union address. Immediately after the disaster happened President Ronald Regan appeared on television to address what just happened. In his speech to address the Challenger Disaster, Ronald …show more content…

We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country. This is truly a national loss.” In just these few phrases, Ronald Regan recognizes the pain people are feeling and empathizes with them. By using words and phrases like we and our country, Ronald Regan successfully appeals to the general audience’s emotions. He uses pathos even further and more specifically to the families of the deceased by acknowledging the deceased’s sacrifices and announcing their full names with a pause in between each. He also notes to the family of seven that, “we cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy.” By specifically recognizing the seven deceased and their families, it helps to ease their pain by knowing that the President of the United States cares. Ronald Regan also specifically mentions the people working on the Challenger at NASA and the school children who were watching the Challenger launch on live television. Mentioning audience members specifically is a great way to show that you connect and emphasize with them. Ronald Regan knew this and used it

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