Jfk Commitment To Space Essay

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One of the many facets of the Cold War not to be forgotten is, the US-Soviet space race which captivated the minds of millions across the globe as the two countries set out on a quest to explore the final frontier that is the penetrating depths of outer space. In May of 1961, President John F Kennedy proposed an American lunar commitment to be completed within the decade, regardless of the expense . However, Kennedy was a very unlikely candidate to make the decision to send Americans to the moon, because he had never been drawn to spaces issues within politics prior to his incumbency . Still, as a president, he is recognized for bringing vigor, intelligence, and style to his endeavors through the use of rhetoric in an attempt to revitalize public support for …show more content…

The President was a skilled orator and rhetoric from two of his most popular speeches is said to have influenced the public support for the space programs. In the weeks following the his moon landing goal, the public reception to the initiative was in general very positive. The commitment was embellished with rhetorical flourishes which were responsible for garnering public acceptance. For instance, Kennedy urged Americans to take longer strides for the “great new American enterprise” with the hope that the nation would surpass the Soviets as the leaders in space development. He reinforced the idea that space was made for free Americans to share with the rest of the world. Also, he made a personal pledge to invoke the nation to move forward with the “full speed of freedom” into the vastness of space. As a result, the public rhetoric produced by Kennedy portrayed space issues as an idealistic civilian effort to increase national unity and prestige. In the same way, Kennedy gave another speech a year later at Rice University in

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