Question

(06.01 HC)

Read the following excerpt from Lyndon B. Johnson's "Let Us Continue" speech. Answer the question that follows.

The time has come for Americans of all races and creeds and political beliefs to understand and to respect one another. So let us put an end to the teaching and the preaching of hate and evil and violence. Let us turn away from the fanatics of the far left and the far right, from the apostles of bitterness and bigotry, from those defiant of law, and those who pour venom into our nation's bloodstream.

I profoundly hope that the tragedy and the torment of these terrible days will bind us together in new fellowship, making us one people in our hour of sorrow.

So let us here highly resolve that John Fitzgerald Kennedy did not live or die in vain.

How does Johnson's use of rhetorical appeals help him achieve his purpose?

Johnson uses the emotion around Kennedy's death to persuade his audience to unify.
Johnson uses logic about the issues of violence to persuade his audience to stand up to hate.
Johnson uses a sense of urgency to persuade his audience to mourn Kennedy's death.
Johnson uses his credibility as president to persuade his audience to work together.

Answer 1

Johnson uses the emotion around Kennedy's death to persuade his audience to unify.

Johnson mainly uses pathos, or emotional appeal, to encourage his audience to unite through the use of rhetorical appeals. He calls on Americans to reject extremism and intolerance and to put an end to hate, wickedness, and bloodshed, emphasizing the pain of Kennedy's passing. Johnson hopes to strengthen the bond in Americans at this trying period by raising feelings of grief and a sense of collective loss.