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Katherine Dillard

Professor Keith Vyvial

English 1302- Internet

11 April 2017

President Kennedy and a Peaceful Call to Action

The 1960s found America in a tumultuous whirlwind of political disillusionment,

controversy, and protest. Underlying the chaos of the 1960s was the political struggle, otherwise

known as the Cold War, a time when the country stood on the brink of nuclear war with the

Soviet Union. Across the nation, Americans held their breath fearing the threats of nuclear

warfare. 35th President of the United States John F. Kennedy inherited this chess-match and

undoubtedly felt the pressure of budding war and its resulting propaganda. Kennedy, a man of

deep conviction, opposed the Cold War and called upon the people to reevaluate their thoughts

towards the Soviet Union and its citizens. Several months before his assassination, Kennedy

addressed the students at American University declaring his hopes and plans for withdrawal from

the Cold War. On June 10, 1963, President John F. Kennedy effectively outlined key reasons to

exit the Cold War through skillful usage of pathos, logos, and ethos.

President Kennedy persuaded the audience to see the Cold War in a different light by

emotionally connecting Americans to the Russian people. Often times, political sensationalism

commingled Americans hatred of communism with a dislike and disregard for the citizens of

Soviet Russia. Through usage of pathos, Kennedy illustrated shared commonalities in all cultures

and civilizations, Our most basic common link, is that we all inhabit this small planet, we all

breathe the same air, we all cherish our children's futures, and we are all mortal (Kennedy).
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These words immediately resonated with the audience because they called out deep seated

emotions and convictions. This statement, even more, wrestled with the moral consciousness of

people at the time. It defined something Americans had greatly lacked during the Cold War:

common ground with the Soviet Union.

The president also used pathos by encouraging the audience to feel hope about his goals

for peace. When speaking of peace, Kennedy inserted phrases that trigger positive emotions in

the listeners. For instance, he remarked that this peace inspires growth and hope (Kennedy). He

also described this peace as one that builds a better life for children as well as adults

(Kennedy). These statements accomplished a simple goal by using cherished societal values and

inserting them into his proposition. With this approach, President Kennedy immediately placed

the peoples better interest in the speech. This tactic heightened the audiences attention because

the topic affected the betterment of their livelihoods.

Pathos was present throughout the entirety of Kennedys argument. At the end of his

speech, the president closed with a sympathetic appeal. He understands the burden past wars

have left on the people (Kennedy). By recognizing these emotional burdens, he not only showed

his best interest for the American people, but he actually invited them to consider their motives

for war and its effects (Kennedy). This allowed the audience to recall the emotional and physical

side effects of war; consequently, remembering the negative consequences of war deterred the

audience from embracing the idea of foreign conflict.

Kennedys address certainly contributed powerful emotional appeal, but it also delivered

solid historical reasoning and logic through logos. President Kennedy justified his intentions for

wartime peace both in the nation and around the world. In an effort to clarify his position, he

referred to Roman history (the Pax Romana) as a warning against forced, militarized
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cooperation, What kind of a peace do we seek? Not a Pax Americana enforced on the world by

American weapons of war (Kennedy). The Pax Romana brought a reasonable perspective to the

argument. This era in Roman history depicted a time of widespread peace or coercion due to

the strong presence of the Roman military. The president drew a parallel between ancient Roman

History and then, present-day America, to illustrate the effects of undisciplined military

expansion.

President Kennedys speech also used logos by presenting the audience with strong

statistical evidence. For instance, he illustrates the danger of the Cold War by noting that a

single nuclear weapon contains almost ten times the explosive force delivered by all the allied air

forces (Kennedy). This factual comparison forces the audience to consider the magnitude of the

consequences of nuclear war. After convincing the audience of the dangers of nuclear war,

Kennedy developed his argument by explaining the reasons the Soviet Union may also want to

avoid nuclear warfare. President Kennedy also finds common ground between both the United

States and the Soviet Union. Both countries fully understand the devastating casualties from war.

Particularly, Russia lost over 20 million lives as well as losing two thirds of its industrial base,

(Kennedy). This data established a likely point of negotiation between the United States and the

Soviet Union. In this instance and many others, Kennedys delivery of reasoning and logic

demonstrated the likelihood of his hope for successfully withdrawing from the Cold War.

A great deal of controversy surrounded the Cold War; because of the topics difficulty, it

was crucial that Kennedy lighten the mood by affirming the audience and creating a relationship

with them. In order to accomplish this, the president used pathos to ease the atmosphere before

he delivered the speech. For instance, President Kennedy began with a humble remark

expressing his attempt to act as a lawyer in his speech. His statement was personable and
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relatable because he admitted to feeling pressured about outlining a legal case in a short amount

of time. His opening statement created a relationship with the audience by expressing his

excitement to be there as well as a genuine interest in the institution. it is with great pride that I

participate in this ceremonyThis growing university...has already fulfilled Bishop Hurst's

enlightened hope (Kennedy). These opening statements automatically established a relationship

with the audience. Kennedys genuine interest for the student-body fueled the speech with

momentum to actively engage the audience throughout its duration.

Through usage of these three rhetorical devices, President John F. Kennedy presented the

audience with compelling reasons to consider withdrawal from the Cold War. The president

certainly made a convincing argument for resolving the nations conflict with the Soviet Union.

Unfortunately, the world never knew if President Kennedys plans to withdraw from this conflict

would have succeeded. His untimely death in 1963 left the nation with many questions; however,

few questioned his persuasive rhetoric and leadership qualities.

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Works Cited

Kennedy, John Fitzgerald. "American University Commencement Address." American

University Commencement Address. The American University, Washington D.C. 4 Apr.

2017.Address.