Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Discourse Community of Both Situations

Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. both supported the mission to create America into a peaceful place where all types of people could get along and live together.  They both wanted all people; regardless of gender, race, or religion, to be treated as equal citizens under the law.  During the 1960's the majority of  liberals supported the Civil Rights Movement and the majority of conservatives were against it.  Therefore, the discourse community of both the speech and the picture would be liberal Americans because they all would share the same goals of integration and equality.  In RFK's speech he is addressing his discourse community by urging them to continue to help America fight for equality and racial tolerance via non-violent means despite the tragic assassination of MLK.  The ethos of the people reacting horrified about MLK's assassination indicates they were supportive of MLK.  Also, the ethos of distressed people post-RFK assassination indicates they supported him as well.  The discourse community would have to be pro-integration and pro-equality.

-Ebonie Massey

1 comment:

  1. Nice analysis. I think you mixed up ethos with pathos in your last few sentences. Besides that, it is interesting to note that the Civil Rights Movement was polarizing for America but nowadays it is widely regarded as a very positive event.

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