rhetorical analysis of robert kennedy's speech

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A rhetorical analysis of robert f. kennedy's speaking on the issue of peace in vietnam, as revealed in his kansas address, "conflict in vietnam".

Jeanine I. Rishel , Eastern Illinois University

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Semester of Degree Completion

Thesis director.

B. F. McClerren

Many Americans have marshaled their rhetoric to support or to denounce the Vietnam war. One of the most insistent voices heard was that of Senator Robert F. Kennedy.

Hypothesis . It was the hypothesis of this study that Robert Francis Kennedy’s speaking on the issue of peace in Vietnam was intelligent and responsible.

Statement of Purpose . The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis by analyzing and evaluating “Conflict in Vietnam,” a speech delivered by Robert Kennedy in Manhattan, Kansas on March 18, 1968. This particular speech was selected for the following reasons: (1) The speech stated a clear position on Kennedy’s stand in Vietnam; (2) Textual authenticity was established by a tape recording; (3) The audience could be identified; and (4) The speech was credited with launching Kennedy’s presidential campaign.

Materials . The primary sources used to gain information about Kennedy, the issues with which he dealt, and the society to which he spoke, were: Robert F. Kennedy: Apostle of Change (New York: Pocket Books, 1968); R. F. K.: His Life and Death (New York: Dell Publishing Co., 1968); Kahin and Lewis’ The U. S. in Vietnam (New York: Dial Press, 1967); Joseph Buttinger’s The Smaller Dragon (New York: Frederick A. Praeger, 1958); and Nguyen Van-Thai and Nguyen Van-Mung’s A Short History of Vietnam (Vietnam: Times Publishing Co., 1958).

Criteria and Procedure . The particular criteria used in this study were derived from those used by Tau Kappa Alpha in selecting their recipient for Speaker-of-the-year award. Two major questions were constructed, in order to aid and direct the analysis of the selected speech: (1) Was Robert Kennedy’s speaking intelligent? and (2) Was Robert Kennedy’s speaking responsible?

• What were the assumptions upon which the speech was based?
• What was the speaker’s purpose and what were the main ideas set forth in the speech?
• Were the ideas warranted by the evidence used in the speech?
• Were the ideas well adapted to the audience?
• Did the speaker reveal an awareness of the social consequences of his speech?
• Was the speech free from demagoguery and charlatanism as shown by content, language, and delivery?

Conclusions . There are several conclusions which can be drawn after the analysis of the speech of Robert Kennedy, given at Kansas State University, March 18, 1968.

1. From Robert Kennedy’s assumption that the United States policy in Vietnam was wrong and from his following seven main ideas, one could determine his speaking intelligent. Kennedy’s seven main ideas were:

a. Escalations have brought the U. S. no closer to success than we were before.

b. American control over the rural population in Vietnam has evaporated.

c. Recently, the Saigon government is no better an ally than it was before.

d. Victories that America achieves will only come at the cost of destruction for the nation we once hoped to help.

e. The war in Vietnam is weakening the U. S. position in Asia and around the world.

f. The highest price the U. S. is paying is cost in our inner-most lives and the spirit of our country.

g. The U. S. must negotiate with the National Liberation Front, begin to deescalate the war, and insist that the government of South Vietnam broaden its base, before an end will come to the war.

These ideas all basically implied that unless a change did take place in U. S. involvement, there would be no end to the war in Vietnam. The ideas were appended to general American beliefs about war, peace, survival of self and of country.

Also, Robert Kennedy’s speaking can be determined intelligent by his expressions of good-will and demonstrations of good character.

2. Robert Kennedy’s speaking can be determined responsible from his awareness of military, economic and personal consequences of his speech. Also, there was no evidence of Kennedy revealing characteristics of a demagogue or charlatan.

3. As shown by public opinion polls, it is reasonable to assume that Robert Kennedy’s speaking on the Vietnam issue enhanced his personal and political popularity.

Recommended Citation

Rishel, Jeanine I., "A Rhetorical Analysis of Robert F. Kennedy's Speaking on the Issue of Peace in Vietnam, as Revealed in His Kansas Address, "Conflict in Vietnam"" (1969). Masters Theses . 4156. https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/4156

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Rhetorical Analysis Of Robert Kennedy's Speech

On the back of a pickup truck in Indiana, Democratic Presidential candidate and Senator Robert Kennedy gave an unprepared speech honoring Martin Luther King Jr, who had been assassinated hours earlier. Saddened by the news of a close Civil Rights ally's passing, Kennedy spoke to the Civil Rights supporters and potential voters while on the election trail to console them and honor their fallen leader. In his speech, Senator Robert Kennedy uses personal references, strong repeated phrases, and calm words to console the African-American people nationwide.

To support his audience upon hearing the news of King's death, Kennedy used strong repeated phrases. One phrase he repeated was, "You could be filled with hate, you could be bitter, and you could want revenge." Kennedy uses this quote to clarify to build an emotional connection with his audience. He wants the Civil Rights supporters to understand that he feels and relates to their pain and is by their side in the continued fight for justice. Another repeated idea that he uses to console his audience is "prayer." Religion is an essential factor in Kennedy's life, Reverend King's life, and the Civil Rights Movement. Kennedy highlights prayer because it reminds his audience of a position of strength and perseverance. At the same time, it symbolizes Reverend King's lifelong commitment to peace and prayer, both as a religious and social leader. By consistently praying for the situation, Kennedy honors King's life goals and comforts his audience.

King uses personal references to express sympathy with his audience after hearing that their famous leader had been attacked and killed. To find common ground with his audience, Kennedy wrote, "Someone in my family was killed. He was killed by a white man, too." Kennedy uses this quote to continue his sympathetic connection with his audience while also revealing personal details to make himself seem vulnerable and approachable. This quote opens himself up to his audience, connecting his message to them, and shows them that losing someone they look up to and admire can feel like a knife through the chest, but it will eventually heal, as Kennedy healed. Another reference he uses is, "We have had difficult times in the past." This quote emphasizes how dire the previous situations have been, that leaders have died before and battles have ended in defeat and death before. However, with perseverance and determination, Kennedy assures that history works itself out. Moreover, Kennedy uses this quote to inspire his audience with the hope they desperately need. Like an army that has lost its general, Kennedy consoled his audience by citing all they have already overcome. Finally, Kennedy quoted a Greek poet, "pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop on the heart, until, in our own despair, against our will, comes the wisdom through the awful grace of God." This quote connects the pain of losing their leader, the "pain drop by drop," to the end of segregation, "the wisdom." Kennedy uses this quote because of its personal meaning; it provided him solace when his brother died, and he wants to share some of that comfort with his audience by promising a "happy ending, some wisdom in the end." Overall, Kennedy uses personal references to remind his audience that the pain is temporary.

Kennedy uses calming words to help his audience heal after the murder of Martin Luther King Jr. One use of calming words is when he wrote, "We could have kindness and love instead." Senator Kennedy uses this to caution his audience against acting out in anger, the opposite of what Martin Luther King would have wanted. Instead, Kennedy urges his audience to seek peace because he knows that if they act out of anger, they will fail in their cause and would not find peace about King's death. Kennedy could have told them no break stores and riot, but he chose not to. Conversely, Kennedy chose to calm them with kindness because he knew from experience that the only way to recover from this loss would be to accept it. Another choice that Kennedy uses to calm his audience is when he wrote, "We need to have fair treatment under the law for those who still suffer within our country." Kennedy recognizes that another pathway to solace for the grieving civil rights supporters is to fight in Dr. King's name and continue fighting for a more equal society. He encourages them to fight in DC because he knows the motivation will help them get over King's death. Accordingly, he uses terms like "fair" and "under the law" to attack political policy in the US at the time. Kennedy wants to make his secondary audience, the Washington lawmakers, feel guilty that they have not done enough to help the Civil Rights Movement. Therefore, Kennedy hopes that by creating this sense of guilt, the lawmakers will acknowledge their lack of initiative and create laws that honor Dr. King's purpose and pave the way for a more equal society.  Backed by the motivated Civil Rights movement, Kennedy highlights that Washington and African-Americans must work together to honor Martin Luther King and fight for justice as a way to comfort his audience. Overall, Kennedy uses calm words to comfort African-Americans after Martin Luther King Jr's death and creates multiple pathways to solace with his word choice.

To console Martin Luther King Jr supporters and honor Dr. King's legacy, Senator Robert Kennedy used powerful repetitive phrases, personal references, and calming words in his off-the-cuff speech. He built a connection with his listeners by tying their emotions together and showing their similar histories. His choice to calm rather than incite violence strengthened the resolve of the African-American community and led them to peace. Robert Kennedy was a true champion for Civil Rights and ally of Martin Luther King Jr, which he shows through his speech and legislation. Altogether, Kennedy effectively honors King.

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Home — Essay Samples — Government & Politics — John F. Kennedy — Rhetorical and Literary Devices of John F. Kennedy’s Speech

Rhetorical and Literary Devices of John F. Kennedy's Speech

• Categories: John F. Kennedy

About this sample

Words: 1133 |

Published: Sep 4, 2018

Words: 1133 | Pages: 2 | 6 min read

Works Cited

• Brinkley, A. (2012). John F. Kennedy: The American Presidents Series: The 35th President, 1961-1963. Henry Holt and Company.
• Carver, R. (1994). JFK's inaugural address: Literary masterpiece. The English Journal, 83(1), 17-24.
• Dallek, R. (2003). An unfinished life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963. Little, Brown and Company.
• Divine, R. A., Breen, T. H., Fredrickson, G. M., & Williams, R. H. (2017). America: Past and present. Pearson.
• Garthoff, R. L. (1994). Foreign intelligence and the historiography of the Cold War. Diplomatic History, 18(2), 159-171.
• Kennedy, J. F. (1962). Address at Rice University on the Nation's Space Effort. Retrieved from https://www.jfklibrary.org/archives/other-resources/john-f-kennedy-speeches/rice-university_19620912
• Lewis, J. (1997). The American space program: A historical perspective. Johns Hopkins University Press.
• Logevall, F. (2012). Embers of war: The fall of an empire and the making of America's Vietnam. Random House.
• Morrison, P. (2013). Cold War on the airwaves: The radio propaganda war against East Germany. University of Illinois Press.
• Schlesinger, A. M., Jr. (2002). A thousand days: John F. Kennedy in the White House. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

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• History of The United States

Rhetoric Analysis of Robert Kennedys Speech

Updated 12 May 2022

Subject History of The United States ,  Human Rights ,  Law Enforcement ,  Politics ,  President of The United States ,  Race and Ethnicity

Downloads 60

Category Government ,  History ,  Social Issues ,  Sociology

Topic African American ,  African American History ,  Civil Rights ,  Civil Rights Movement ,  Civil Rights Violation ,  Free Speech ,  John F. Kennedy

The rhetorical study to be undertaken is that of Robert F. Kennedy's iconic address, which he delivered without advance notice after the death of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. The Civil Rights Movement was in full swing in America in the late 1960s, and the nation was facing a major cultural change. Racial strife was the order of the day, and African-Americans around the country rallied behind politicians with the aim of ensuring real equality. Martin Luther King Jr. was the face of the Civil Rights Movement, and when he was assassinated on April 4th, 1968, the world was shocked. By then, Robert F. Kennedy was the leading Democratic candidate for the 1968 election and had a timeline routine tour to Indianapolis on April 4th when he heard the tragic demise of Martin Luther. Although the local chief in Indianapolis advised him to take the safer option of not going out, Robert F. Kennedy ventured out at the heart of the city, which had mostly African-American people and delivered an impromptu speech which is widely known as the “Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.” In his speech, he uses rhetorical devices that help him effectively suppress an emotionally distressed crowd aiming to keep America united.Firstly, Robert F. Kennedy manages to include the use of both pathos and logos appeals. He removes political elements from his speech when he requests the crowd in support of him to put away the campaign signs-“could you lower those signs, please?” By doing so, he addresses the audience not as a politician but as a fellow American who has lost an important person and places himself in the position of the audience, which makes his speech have a human element allowing him to advocate for peace (Kennedy). Also, when he talks about the assassination of his brother-“I had a member of my family killed, but he was killed by a white man.” it enables him to be at an equal emotional ground level just like the crowd and emotionally connecting with them. Bringing the skin color identity of his brother killer, demonstrate that crime has no limit and exclude no one. The usage of the logical appeal in his speech helps to suppress the hatred and anger gathering in the emotionally charged crowd and also helps diffuse the racial tension between the white and black people in the country. The audience was supporters of Martin Luther and his movement, and hence by the use of logos, Kennedy was able to convince them to follow Martin Luther message and his movement and warned them that hatred was not good for the well- being of the nation.Secondly, he uses anaphora in his speech where he lists what action the nation needs and does not need to take to stay unified as a country. The repetition of the phrase “what we need in the United States… (Kennedy)” clearly brings out this aspect of anaphora which unites the people by aiming at a common goal while soaring for peace. Also, the audience is in desperate need of an advice and consolation, and he brings intentional allusion when he reads an extract from the Aeschylus poem. The content of the poem gives them wise words, comfort and instill hope unto them when it says, “In our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom, through the awful grace of God.”Consequently, in his speech he employed the oratorical resonance of parallel constructions where he said, “we will have difficult times-we’ve had difficult times in the past, but we-and we will have difficult times in the future. Applying this rhetorical device made his speech to become more memorable to his audience while contemplating its meaning of peace and unity among them. More so, he further unifies the crowd by intentionally alternating the pronouns ‘you’ and ‘we’ in the speech. After he admits that “you can be filled with bitterness, and with hatred, and desire for revenge,” he follows up with, “we can move in that direction … we can make an effort, spread across our land … (Kennedy)” the intentional alternation eliminates the racism barrier.Moreover pressed by time, the impromptu speech evidently shown the sense of urgency although he was also too obviously affected by the death of Martin Luther King Jr., he was the first to announce the sad demise. The timing of the speech worked well considering no riots took place in Indianapolis as compared to other major cities around the country and throughout the speech he had a wise calming voice.Despite the brevity and improvised nature of the speech, Robert F. Kennedy rhetoric was effective since the utterances impacted them and he was able to prevent potential rioters by urging them to “say a prayer for the family of Martin Luther King … - …to say a prayer for our own country, which all of us love.” The effectiveness of his rhetoric is evidenced by the calmness that ensued in Indianapolis after he made the speech while in other cities there were demonstrations and rioting.Work CitedKennedy, Robert F. Top 100 Speeches. 4 April 1968. <http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/rfkonmlkdeath.html>.

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RFK Jr. Again Denied Secret Service Protection

By Fran Beyer    |   Friday, 12 April 2024 03:56 PM EDT

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s fifth request for Secret Service protection was denied.

According to the Washington Times , Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, in a letter from March 28, wrote that "based on facts and the recommendation of the advisory committee, I have determined that Secret Service protection for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is not warranted at this time." 

Kennedy's lawyer, Aaron Siri, told the Times that the repeated denials are "capricious, an abuse of discretion and clearly politically motivated."

Siri argued Secret Service protection was first expanded to presidential candidates because of the assassination of Kennedy's father in 1968 while he was running for president. 

Since then, 32 presidential candidates have received protection, the lawyer wrote, the Washington Times reported.

Siri also noted that candidates in the past have received protection for far fewer risks than Kennedy faces, including one instance in which a person at a Kennedy campaign event with two loaded handguns who demanded to see the candidate, the outlet reported.

In a letter to Mayorkas, Siri wrote , "Not only have you ignored the obvious threats to the life of the candidate, you have also ignored the assessment of your own Secret Service" — suggesting the denial was because Kennedy's candidacy "poses a risk" to Mayorkas' job and that of President Joe Biden.

"Your disregard for the safety of Mr. Kennedy and others in his environment is contemptible," the lawyer wrote. "Failure to provide him Secret Service protection forthwith lays naked your political motivations and lowers the esteem of our great nation."

"To be sure, there are things worse than death. Living without integrity is one of them," Siri wrote, the outlet reported.

In a own post on X, Kennedy wrote the denials "would almost be funny, except that the butt of the joke is the impartiality and integrity of our political institutions."

• RFK Jr. Qualifies for Nevada Ballot, Campaign Says
• RFK Jr. Backs Sen. Rand Paul to Succeed McConnell

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Robert macneil, longtime pbs anchor, dies at 93.

He was NBC News' man on the scene amid the chaos in Dallas when President Kennedy was assassinated.

By Mike Barnes

Mike Barnes

Senior Editor

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Robert MacNeil, the trusted son of a Canadian naval officer who spent two decades alongside Jim Lehrer delivering the nightly news to PBS viewers, died Friday, PBS announced . He was 93.

MacNeil died of natural causes at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, his daughter, Alison MacNeil, told the Associated Press.

The program in 1983 became  The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour , the nation’s first 60-minute evening news program. Rather than concentrate on one topic, it provided comprehensive coverage and analysis of the day’s important stories .

On the eve of his retirement from the broadcast in October 1995 to concentrate on writing, he was asked why  The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour  gave “very little coverage” to the O.J. Simpson story.

“We don’t normally cover big murder stories, for one thing … It is inconceivable to me that a generation ago, NBC News and CBS News would night after night have said to their audience, ‘This is the most important thing that happened in the world today,’ by leading with Simpson and coming back to it later in the program,” he told the  Los Angeles Times . “What’s interesting to me is how frightened the mainstream media are of the tabloid shows and the new networks.”

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Jim lehrer, respected anchorman for pbs, dies at 85.

On the morning of Nov. 22, 1963, MacNeil, then the No. 2 White House correspondent for NBC, was in President Kennedy’s motorcade in Dallas, sitting in the front row of a press bus about six vehicles behind the limousine in which the president and first lady were riding.

When he really did hear shots, MacNeil rushed out the bus and followed policemen up a hill who were searching of the shooter. A few frantic minutes later, he asked a man outside the Texas School Book Depository building if he knew where he could grab a phone; that man quite possibly was assassin Lee Harvey Oswald.

After Kennedy was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital, MacNeil managed to commandeer one of two pay phones in an anteroom and fed NBC anchormen Chet Huntley and David Brinkley updates all day. “I said to a priest, ‘If you delivered the last rites, does that mean he’s dead?'” he remembered, “and he [responded], ‘I delivered the last rites.’ That’s all he would say.”

Robert Breckenridge Ware MacNeil — friends called him “Robin” — was born in Montreal on Jan. 19, 1931, the oldest of three sons. His father, Robert, served in the Canadian version of the U.S. Coast Guard, and his mother, Margaret, was a housewife.

MacNeil was raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and wanted a career in the theater. For the CBC, he acted in radio productions like  The Count of Monte Cristo , did some reporting and served as a national announcer before graduating from Carleton University in Ottawa in 1955.

He moved to London to write plays and made ends meet by working for three months as a reporter for fledgling network ITV, then joined the Reuters wire service, where he stayed for five years as an editor.

MacNeil and Ray Scherer anchored a half-hour weekend news broadcast on NBC starting in 1965, and he anchored local newscasts and NBC News documentaries including  Whose Right to Bear Arms . In 1967, he returned to London, this time to report for the BBC’s  Panorama  program, then began at PBS in 1971 as a senior correspondent and then host of  Washington Week in Review .

It wasn’t all serious for MacNeil; he appeared a few times on the PBS sister program  Sesame Street , once posing probing questions to Cookie Monster (represented by his attorney, Kermit) about a “Cookiegate” scandal.

MacNeil wrote several books, including 1968’s  The People Machine , which studied the relationship between television and politics, three memoirs and three novels. He also was the co-author of 1992’s  The Story of English , a companion volume to a BBC-PBS series he hosted (he won a Primetime Emmy for that), and its 2005 sequel,  Do You Speak American?

He became a U.S. citizen in 1997, the same year he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada for being “one of the most respected journalists of our time.” Two years later, he and Lehrer were inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.

MacNeil was married three times and had four children, including Tony-winning scenic designer Ian MacNeil ( An Inspector Calls ,  Billy Elliot: The Musical ,  Angels in America ).

PBS NewsHour co-anchors Geoff Bennett and Amna Nawaz added: “Robin was one of a kind. With his distinctive voice, he brought stories to life — unraveling complex issues with clarity and compassion. Whether it was through his incisive reporting or his intimate interviews, he possessed a singular ability to connect with people. As we reflect on his many contributions, we honor his memory by continuing to pursue the truth and by fostering connections that bridge divides — just as Robin did with such grace and vigor. We are deeply grateful for the enduring legacy he leaves behind.”

Asked by Charlie Rose in 1995 what he earned from Lehrer during their long association, MacNeil replied : “I came out of the school of television interviewing where one asked questions partly to demonstrate how much one knew,” he said. “I learned from Jim to ask much better questions, like ‘What does that mean?’ or ‘I don’t understand’ or ‘Have you answered the question?’ Or simply, ‘Why?’ People hate being asked why.”

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