Together We Can
“So I’m putting forward a specific set of proposals based on the work of Joe’s task force. And in the days ahead I intend to use whatever weight this office holds to make them a reality;” Stated President Obama during his speech in Washington D.C on January 16, 2013. President Obama insisted that we issue a gun control problem to reduce the violence in America. He emphasizes throughout his speech that “We” as in every citizen in the United States, needs to come together and speak up on the violence so that change can come.
Millions of people in the United States sat and watched Obama’s speech on their televisions, smart phones, or even listened to it on the radio. Watching some speech’s can be a bit dull and can tend to have people, including myself, dosing off while watching it. President Obama speech on Gun Control however, had me glued to the TV screen and also on board with his proposal on the gun control. Through Repetition, his use of historical references, and the structure of his speech, President Obama persuades his audience to be on board with his proposal on issuing Gun Control.
Throughout his speech President Obama repetitively used the word “violence”. “To help prevent mass shootings, to reduce the broader epidemic of gun violence in this country.” Or “if there’s even one thing we can do to reduce this violence, if there’s even one life that can be saved, then we’ve got an obligation to try.” President Obama repetitively used the word “violence” to emphasize to Americans that gun shootings are increasing in the United States and we have to do something to stop it. The word violence itself is a powerful word; it opens up peoples ears when they hear it and makes them listen to what is being said about it. By using this word president Obama can persuade Americans that guns are very violent and dangerous and needs to be kept out the hands of dangerous people.
President Obama repetitively used the word Violence was a great way to grab the attention to all Americans. But when he stated the historically references on Ronald Reagan it gave him creditability on how great the gun control proposal will be. “And, by the way, so did Ronald Reagan, one of the staunchest defenders of the Second Amendment, who wrote to Congress in 1994, urging them — this is Ronald Reagan speaking — urging them to listen to the American public and to the law enforcement community and support a ban on the further manufacture of military-style assault weapons.” President Obama used this quote from Ronald Reagan to show the people that even a great idol of the United States once said that we should have a ban on assault weapons. President Obama also speaks on the second amendment, “Like most Americans, I believe the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to bear arms.” President Obama speaks on this so that he can still gain the trust of the people who uses guns for hunting or sports. President Obama doesn’t want the gun control issue to be a bad thing he wants it to be a good one for all Americans.
The way President Obama structured his speech not only kept everyone who was watching glued to their television but it touched Americans hearts when he speaks on the killings of young children and adults. “And obviously, none have affected us more than the families of those gorgeous children and their teachers and guardians who were lost.” Or “This is our first task as a society, keeping our children safe. This is how we will be judged. And their voices should compel us to change.” President Obama structured his speech with quotes about the children and adults who were murdered so that he can create a mood of sadness and anger that the use of guns is used to take away loved ones. By doing this it caused Americans to stop and think to themselves “we do need a control on purchasing guns”. President Obama also used letters from young children about how we should do something about the killings in the U.S. “Hinna (ph) wrote, “I feel terrible for the parents who lost their children. I love my country, and I want everybody to be happy, and safe.” And another letter from a young child “And then Grant, go ahead and wave Grant, Grant said, “I think there should be some changes. We should learn from what happened at Sandy Hook. I feel really bad.” Using the letters from children also creates a mood of sadness it shows to Americans that young kids also agrees on having change and the need for control on assault weapons.
Finally, President Obama states in his speech what congress needs to do to help with the change in stopping the violence in the U.S. “To make a real and lasting difference, Congress, too, must act, and Congress must act soon. And I’m calling on Congress to pass some very specific proposals right away.” Obama then states three things that congress needs to do to help make a change in the use of guns. After each statement Obama tells us some background information on why he states theses three things. President Obama does this because he wants all Americans to know that he is not the only one who can enforce the control on guns. He wants the citizens of America to know that we all need to work together to enforce these laws. In closing his speech president Obama stated “we must act now, for Grace, for the 25 other innocent children and devoted educators who had so much left to give; for the men and women in big cities and small towns who fall victims to senseless violence each and every day; for all the Americans who are counting on us to keep them safe from harm.” By the end of this statement Americans are persuade to help speak out on the gun violence in the U.S.
