Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, was known as "the great communicator." One of his most famous statements was made while making a speech at the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin, Germany on June 12, 1987. During this speech, President Reagan threw down this challenge: General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall! Interestingly enough, the "tear down this wall" statement was vehemently opposed by foreign policy experts in Washington and had heavily lobbied the President to not make the "tear down this wall" statement. Ultimately, the lobbying was ignored and Reagan included the challenge in the speech. That was in 1987. On November 9th, 1989, the border separating East Germany from West Germany was open and the wall came tumbling down. The Fall of The Wall will forever be used as a symbol for the end of the cold war; which arguably was Reagan's greatest achievement as President. …show more content…
Kennedy. What made them great communicators? It wasn't that they were great orators, had flashy teeth, sported perfect hair, or demonstrated a flawless writing style. They had the following: Courage - they weren't afraid to speak out against the status quo and challenge conventional wisdom. Conviction - they felt strongly about their ideas and wanted others to know their viewpoint. Wisdom - they knew their subject matter cold and could defend their ideas effectively. Clarity - their message was simple, concise, and easily understood. Credibility - they were trusted by others and walked the
Ronald Reagan adeptly utilizes Ethos Pathos and Logos in his Brandenburg Gate address, he attempts to sway the audience of the importance of success of the marshal plan and western values as a whole, and convince the leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, to open up the barrier which had divided West and East Berlin since 1961. Reagan begins his speech by addressing the people present and recognizing the “freedom” and “feeling of history” of the city of Berlin has. He makes his first reference to previous speakers by saying, “Twenty four years ago, President John F. Kennedy visited Berlin, and speaking to the people of this city and the world at the city hall. Well since then two other presidents have come, each in his turn to Berlin. And today, I, myself, make my second visit to your city,”( Reagan 361) His first usage of pathos is when he addresses the east berliners who were separated from the westerners by the Berlin wall and tells them, “I join your fellow countrymen in the West, in this
Above all else, Reagan uses the speech to inspire
fight for what they believed, that it would be impossible to say that some kind
President Reagan remembers those astronauts that were lost not only on the day of the disaster, but also those who were lost nineteen years before. He conducts this speech not only to mourn the death of The Challenger astronauts, but for the families and those who were impacted by this event. He especially calls out to the schoolchildren of America who were watching this event live as the shuttle took off. As the President of the United States, Reagan earned the nickname "The Great Communicator" due to his ability to convey his beliefs concerning economic and domestic policies to the public. This speech is just one example of how well Reagan spoke to the American public on a personal level and profoundly influenced the nation's confidence in itself after this tragic event.
were for non-conformity and individualism. They were very much concerned with the growth of the individual, whether it be in mind or through the soul.
...speech to the world where he was quoted as saying, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” The speech was given at the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin (“Mr. Gorbachev, Tear Down This Wall: President Ronald Reagan”). This speech signified the beginning of the end of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. President Reagan’s foreign policy tactics are another reason why he was a great president.
For instance, in “Tear Down This Wall,” Reagan addresses the need for the people of West Berlin to accept democracy and oppose the Berlin Wall, which planned to separate East and West Berlin as a symbol of communist oppression. To persuade the Berliners to choose the correct path in such a critical decision, he uses an inspiring and uplifting tone to pull the emotions out of his audience. Near the end of his speech, he
Finally, in November 1989, the wall crumbled under the hands. of the Germans and the cold war ended.2 The downfall of the Cold War started when Ronald Reagan came into office. in 1981. Reagan had two main priorities.
Ronald Reagan is known as the "Great Communicator" by many. In 1992, as he delivered a speech at the Republican Convention, one would not doubt his excellence in public speaking. He demonstrated superiority of speech and was easy to critique because of the situation, the content of his speech, his credibility, and his delivery.
What will you do when you meet a wall that block your way? There are only two ways, either finding a way to go through the wall or staying still. In fact, this is life, when a barrier cut down the road, there comes to two choices, taking an action or doing nothing. In poems ‘where there’s a wall’ by Joy Kogawa and ‘Paxis’ by Sharon. They both talk about the ‘walls’ in their life. On the one hand, in ‘where there’s a wall’ Joy tells about her experience inside the internment camp where there is no freedom. On the other hand, Sharon in ‘Paxis’ observes how human being act meaninglessly under control of outside world. He expresses his sorry and wants to encourage people to fight their own future. Joy and Sharon try to tell people, life can be full
...imes when we are faced with national tragedies we are left at a loss for words. We look upon our leaders to help us through these difficult times, to have all the answers. We listen to what they have to say with vulnerability and uncertainty of what’s to come next for our country. Reagan was aware of all these factors when he gave his famous address. He was aware that in order for any argument to be considered a powerful and successful one it needs to be thought through and take into consideration the outside factors that are affecting it. Reagan’s challenger argument was one that had a clear audience, distinct setting, and finally the argument had a definite and in this case necessary purpose. By Reagan utilizing these three elements and effectively combining them he created a memorable speech that is now widely considered a masterpiece of public communication.
Reagan’s speech on the night of January 28, 1986 dramatically “took the first step toward uniting the country in its grief (Ritter, 4)”. Ronald Reagan reached out to the schoolchildren of America and all other citizens of the United States to counsel them in time of tragedy. He gave hope to the nation through emotional and spiritual reference. He was effective in conveying his message but the way his thoughts were organized was in part ineffective. His speech is very unorganized, and he could have ordered his thoughts better. More importantly than disorganization though, Ronald Reagan reached out to a nation that needed him as there president. He gave the people of the United States hope and Reassurance, a task that the President has been expected to do since the beginning of our country.
Kennedy always saw the belief the people had in him. Everyone looked up at the family to see what they were doing and tried to do whatever they were doing. He acknowledged all the things he had to do and made it pretty clear that he received good respect from his voters. He gave power to the people. When people looked up at him, they saw how much he cared.
A couple of the heroic values that Reagan possessed were strength and courage. Most people would agree that it took an agglomeration of strength and courage during the cold war era to make his ever famous, “Tear Down This Wall Speech” in Berlin. Ramesh Jaura explains how many people believe this speech made a positive effect toward ending the cold war:
The audience he was trying to directly get to was the people he understood were listening to it in the East. He also states, “I address my remarks to you just as surely as to those standing here before me.” To follow up with his statement of intended audience, Reagan says a powerful statement. A statement that is intended to the entirety of the audience. “For I join you, as I join your fellow countrymen in the West, in this firm, this unalterable belief: Es gibt nur ein Berlin.” The final sentence meaning “There is only one Berlin.” This is yet another instance in this rhetorical masterpiece that Reagan clearly states his objective of the speech, to unify