1) What is your initial reaction to his speech? Your thoughts? [Paragraph One]
2) Pick one piece of diction or syntax that stood out to you? What was the effect? [Paragraph Two]
Full Transcript of Speech
On Sept. 10, Obama addressed the nation on the topic of Syria. Below, I would like you to address the following: 1) What is your initial reaction to his speech? Your thoughts? [Paragraph One] 2) Pick one piece of diction or syntax that stood out to you? What was the effect? [Paragraph Two] Full Transcript of Speech
12 Comments
9/17/2013 12:17:13 pm
My first initial reaction is wow... I had no idea this was going on, and when Mrs. Jennamen pointed it out in class I was really curious as to what was going on. President Obama is a great speaker and I agreed with him 110%. It is not right for us to stand by and do nothing but just watch innocent people... children die. I also agree that we should not be police men and I like that we are consulting with other nations and trying to take a peace-fuller way to ending this. One thing that really stood out to me was the effect that pathos (emotion) had. Yes there was ethos, I mean come on he is the president it is a given, and logos, he gives facts, dates, and details. Letting us know all of this information made me feel as if he trusted us and needed us to know. But as soon as he said thousands dead including men, women, and children- he had me hooked, I was on board to whatever he was selling. I mean honestly it was to my belief that this "gassing" stuff was done with after the holocaust. And now knowing that it is still being used on not only everyday people, but also children. I don't know about you but it makes me feel unsafe and I'm glad our government is not just ignoring it, but taking action.
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Ashley Schleicher B2
9/17/2013 01:33:03 pm
1. The speech caught my attention right away. I am very interested in global issues and I did not know about this particular issue. Obama immediately started providing facts about how the whole situation started 2 years ago which was helpful to me so I understood why the situation was happening and what was happening. I also liked how Obama explained how the situation changed on August 10th. Obama's use of description really helped me relate to the Syria issue and understand it because I can create images in my head. The fact about the how the US government approved an international agreement prohibiting the use of chemical weapons and 189 governments join it is really caught my eye because Syria clearly violated that rule and I can't believe they thought it was acceptable. Also, it is nice that Obama hits on the topic of what the US is going to do. That is important to me because I want the US to take action to keep its people safe and I feel better knowing their plan because then I know action is being taken. It is obvious, if the US fails to act, the Assad regime will see no reason to stop using chemical weapons. Clearly, the Assad regime needs to see why they should stop. Killing innocent people, especially children, with the use of chemicals is illegal. Another point Obama makes is that most Syrian people want to live in peace, with dignity and freedom so us helping them is a positive thing because we (Americans) want that too. The speech was well spoken and explained clearly with facts what was going on and how America is going to help and solve the problem. That makes me as an American feel blessed to know I live in a country that cares not just about its own people but the entire world and making it a safe and positive environment.
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Katie Lake
9/18/2013 06:39:49 am
I was very intrigued by this particular speech. I thought it was interesting to hear that Obama initially thought that the US could not resolve someone else's civil war through force, and therefore rejected military action. I thought this was useful information because it showed that Obama has considered both sides of the situation. I was impressed with the way Obama answered the overall concerns/questions of American citizens. He directly answered questions straight from the letters sent from citizens, and even agreed with some of the criticism against him. The part of this speech that stood out to me the most was when Obama announced that Assad's government gassed over a thousand people including hundreds of children. This appealed to my emotion, especially the announcement of children dying. When Obama was describing scenes of what has been going on, he said that "A father was clutching his dead children." I was extremely taken back by this. It was upsetting to hear that a government would do this to innocent people.
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Jessalyn Fedrick
9/18/2013 09:17:09 am
At first, my opinion to this call to action in Syria was very firm, we need to stay out and let them fight their own battle. Who are we to judge their use of chemical warfare, when nearly 70+ years ago America used nuclear power on Japan. That being said, I very much agree with President Obama's attempt to negotiate with Syria,
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Megan Eckstein
9/18/2013 09:58:55 am
My initial reaction was that I was very shocked. I had not been following all that was going on Syria and I had no clue that it was this bad. I felt that President Obama did a very nice job of letting Americans know what was going on, and what we were going to do about it. He addressed the questions that many Americans were asking and let them know what his plans were for involving ourselves in Syria. President Obama's speech was very effective in my opinion. He acknowledged every aspect of the rhetorical triangle in his speech. He established pathos when he told us about the children being gassed. He used facts and statistics to establish logos and ethos was used when he said that he was commander in chief and president of the United States. This speech did a wonderful job of establishing its purpose.
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Chris Rosing
9/18/2013 04:09:36 pm
Barack Obama successful portrays his side of the argument in his speech. He also counters every main argument used against him and brought a great balance of pathos, logos, and ethos. One major line that struck me was when he mentioned, "Because what happened to those people -- to those children -- is not only a violation of international law, it’s also a danger to our security." That brings some fear(pathos) into the picture, but also some logic. Americans aren't trying to be the world's policeman, this is American Exceptionalism, we are protecting our values so that they don't get diminished in the global world. I agree with Obama, if we back down, Syria could gain more massive weapons and the Assad regime would hurt other neighbors and eventually us.
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Alexandra Klumb
9/19/2013 09:18:43 am
My first reaction to President Obama's speech was wow. I didn't know everything that was going on in Syria, and I am very shocked to hear about it. At the beginning of this speech, I thought of the Holocaust. What was happening in Syria reminded me of what happened during the Holocaust. When the President addressed the Holocaust in the his speech, it was shocking to learn of all of the similarities between the two situations. I definitely agree with what President Obama was saying. "These basic rules were violated, along with our sense of common humanity." Each and every one of these people that have had their basic human rights taken away, and that is very wrong. I think President Obama's reaction to the war situation was a good one. I agree with taking the more peaceful path.
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Austin Bolger
9/19/2013 10:34:18 am
Over the weeks prior to this speech, I had been mildly following the debate in Washington over wether or not we should strike Syria. It was not until this address that I began to read more opinions on the matter. I watched the address live on that Tuesday night, and my opinion was not altered following the speech. Although moving, I did not find Obama's arguments very convincing, and the majority of the nation concurs.
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Anthony Jantzen
9/19/2013 11:16:00 am
My initial reaction to President Obama's speech was complete shock. I had no idea about the extent of the conflict in Syria. It is horrifying to think that we as Americans are living comfortably, while innocent people over in Syria are being brutally murdered by their own government. One hundred thousand people. That is absolutely ridiculous. I was at first critical of our country trying to get involved with the situation over there because I thought it was our usual meddling in everyone else's business. Now however, I realize there is an urgent need for our involvement to take down this tyrannical regime and ease the pains of the civilians over there.
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Victoria Radcliffe
9/19/2013 11:44:57 am
I was not particularly impressed by the speech. There were parts that had my full attention and parts were I thought, "get on with it." One of the parts that caught my attention was when Obama mentioned that Russia is supporting the notion of eliminating chemical warfare, given that America and Russia have had a shaky relationship. I also liked Obama's descriptive language in how he described the gassings; that really pulled on my heartstrings. I found it interesting that he repeatedly says that America cannot be the world's policeman and "we cannot resolve someone else's civil war by force." I could really tell he was appealing to Americans that have be severely affected by the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. The part that I found repetative was toward the middle of his speech. It seemed that he was contradicting himself; that Americans cannot get involved whenever something goes wrong in the world but that we cannot just look the other way.
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Sam Webb
9/19/2013 12:20:25 pm
President Obama's speech wasn't the most impressive speech I've heard because of the way he said that the U.S was going to do a military attack on Syria, then later on he says that the U.S and Russia are trying to solve the problem diplomatically. To me, that sounds very contradictory he goes from one side of the spectrum to the other side. Although with the descriptions of the children slowly dying from the gas attacks, it makes you want to do something about it and punish the Assad.
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Oscar Ryland
9/22/2013 09:48:21 am
I believe President Obama made a very successful speech. I happen not to agree with some of his policies and do not agree with a military strike. However, his argument presented in his speech is logical, emotionally appealing and supported with credibility. I understand his suggested course of action, the reasons for it, the suggested course of action and the expected outcome. He does a great job at attempting to gain the support of both the left and the rights wings. He makes another war sound appealing. I agree with him that the actions in Syria were horrific and, though I don't believe suggesting such military implications is correct due to the democratic possibilities of ending the problem that are open and workable, I understand his reasoning behind his plan.
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