Response paper

The inclusion of the speech by an American president into literature anthropology is amazing. The authors of the Norton Anthology of African American literature have used a clever rhetoric in explaining their reasons for including the “A More Perfect Union” (March 2008) speech by Barack Obama. Though it is p[ossible to include other excerpts by Obama like The Audacity of Hope (2006) and Dreams from My Father: (2004), they focus on the autobiographical presentation of Obama. 

However, the speech provides a sense of curiosity about Barrack’s position in African American political and cultural nationalism. The selection of this speech raises deep questions about America’s love for good terms and literary history. Richard Weaver’s “The Ethics of Rhetoric” (1953) discusses on strategies that are vital for interpreting Obama’s Oratory. Thus, the choice for this speech into the anthology is literary, political and ethical.

In this speech, Obama first talks about the Constitution and how it was effective in theory but not in reality. It is because not every person shares the same equal status as claimed by the Constitution. He talks about his of a racially mixed race and close ties he had with Reverend Wright and the Trinity Church. He then talks about the sermons from the Reverend and even refers to the Bible throughout his speech. He also addresses the current turmoil in the world and the issue of race in America. He finally stresses on the vital role of social and political unity in the society and the need to perfect the union we have so far (Obama, 3-4).

 I was mainly impressed by Obama’s appealing to the pathos/ emotional sides of Americans through his speech. He did an excellent job in embodying the American spirit and patriotism while at the same time making use of external facts and sources. By basing his speech on the United States Constitution, he managed to express the main agenda or goal of his speech, and this helped him motivate Americans to strive towards social and political unity. Also by writing about his ancestors and racially mixed background, Obama enabled Americans to see him as an ordinary citizen like them, and this appealed to their hearts. Through his speech, he made an impact by using biblical quotes and sermon references, and he can be said to be a Very religious man. My question, however, was Obama religious affiliation. I am one of those people confused about the presidents’ religion. I thought he was brought up by a Muslim father.

            Through this speech, Obama's campaign took a racial hit and his remarks might have upset those who are not among his race. It is clear that some of his remarks caused conflict in trying to prove followers he does not racially feel the same way. It is because he comes from diverse cultures and multiple races that make him who he is. I have, therefore, learned that he is a man who does not have a strong affiliation to a single race. His characteristics are similar to many people of my generation. We the young people are becoming more and more accepting and open to people of diverse cultures. I do not fear a future with predominant racial issues.

People of my generation accept various types of the social aspect that were in the past seen as extreme issues. Most people of my generation are descendants of many races with Caucasian, Native American, Latino and African-American in our blood. Thus, we come from and interact with multiple cultural influences. It is the time that we realize that we can solve challenges we face by working together. I can compare Obama to Lincoln and King, who have talked about race and the need for unity in the United States. The language he uses splits the speech between the tropes that undermine the vital tents and the traditional liberal discourse. The speech reenacts the encounter of subjectivity by calling into question on equality versus reciprocity found within the liberal social contract.

 The most compelling aspect is the vocabulary of Obama’s liberal political thought which frames his approach of using familiar figures of liberal universalism and identity politics. He repeats the calls for unity that is a vital strategy that helped him win the hearts of many Americans. He asserts, “We might not look the same, and we do not share a common origin, but we want to move towards the same direction for the generation to come”. He calls for a nation whereby all people come together so as to solve problems. We do not have to view ourselves as being Latino white, Asian, or black. This speech provides the same mode as written by a journalist claiming that Obama is reassuring voters that racism is not an issue exists. It, however, exists in our memory, and it does not also mean that the white people are not to blame for past injustices. (Hendricks 175). This speech fits the study of a generative and uneasy coexistence of political ethics and liberal political thought. It is a speech that reveals the incongruities of liberalism and enables listeners to imagine the best social relations.

 References

Barrack Obama, A More Perfect Union. The African American Norton Anthology Literature, Edition 33, Volume 23-4 pages.

Hendricks, Obrien. A Perfect Obama, The Speech: Race and Barak Obama’s A More Perfect Union.hiting. New York: Bloomsbury, 2009. 155-83. Print.

Carolyn Morgan is the author of this paper. A senior editor at MeldaResearch.Com in paper college 24/7. If you need a similar paper you can place your order from custom nursing papers.