At the beginning of his speech, John F. Kennedy immediately grabs the attention and support of the audience. He speaks about his origins in Massachusetts, and the credit he owes to the states and its people. JFK states, “For fourteen years I have placed my confidence in the citizens of Massachusetts.” This statement gives the people a sense of pride and accomplishment, as well as arousing their curiosity. After gaining their trust, JFK refers to John Winthrop’s “City Upon a Hill” in order to inform how the eyes of all people are watching them and they, the people of the United States, must be a shining light. JFK’s opening statements help him to ease into the part of the speech where he begins to speak about, very subtly, the problems of their government and the items that need to be addressed. I find it very interesting how John F. Kennedy lists out the issues at hand with questions. He asks the people if they were men of “courage”, “judgment”, “integrity”, and “dedication”. Listing out the issues using a question format helps to get the audience and even myself to think about them. JFK then leaves the audience with closing remarks that again gain the support of the audience. In stating that those qualities mentioned before are the qualities the state of Massachusetts already has he appeals to the people. These last remarks set a standard for the upcoming presidency of John F. Kennedy.
Tag Archives: JFK
JFK: Massachusetts General Court (January 9, 1961)
With the Vietnam War, Cold War, and ongoing Space Race, it’s understandable that John F. Kennedy would try to use religion to appeal to the citizens of the United States. Morale was at a low because of the back-to-back wars and the tensions with the Soviet Union. The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki also made the effects of war and technological advancement all the more alarming. So to deal with this all of this, JFK starts off his speech with something positive and reassuring. He turns to religion as we all do in times of need.
The start of JFK’s speech is very nationalistic; he discusses his pride in the state of Massachusetts claiming it will always be his home. By doing so, he is trying to elicit an emotional response from the people of Massachusetts as well as establish a connection. Once he does this, he makes an important reference to John Winthrop’s “City Upon a Hill” speech; it is all the more powerful because it too took place in Massachusetts. JFK claims that the United States and its government should be responsible, “resist public pressure,” and “admit mistakes,” for we are being watched. This is interesting to note because it can be interpreted in two ways: the other countries in the world are watching the United States because of the Cold War and it’s resulting proxy wars or because the people of the United States are actually wary of the government’s excessive involvement in these proxy wars. This underlying purpose of the speech is very subtle; from the surface, the speech just seems to address general issues but when you keep the background of the time period in mind you can start to see that JFK may be trying to revive the morale of the people and get them to trust the government through the use of pathos. This is especially evident in his last few lines, “And these are the qualities which, with God’s help, this son of Massachusetts hopes will characterize our government’s conduct in the four stormy years that lie ahead. Humbly I ask His help in that undertaking–but aware that on earth His will is worked by men. I ask for your help and your prayers, as I embark on this new and solemn journey.”