A New Beginning

I have to admit that I was very impressed by President Obama's inauguration. I found that rhetoric was exhibited throughout his speech, because his main target was to convince the American people that all is not lost, and that with him our country can and will be repaired. He used examples from American history to establish the fact that we are a great nation and that like our ancestors, we too have the ability to be strong through these perilous times. 

I enjoyed how he didn't try to avoid the fact that our country is in woe, but rather embraced it and used many examples that will appeal to his audience. He focused directly on things that have affected every American. Things such as: loosing a job, not being able to afford health insurance, or having a loved one serving in Iraq. Everyone can relate to these circumstances, no matter where we live, or who we are, all of us have been affected by the terrible situation our country is in.  

He used a great deal of pathos, because by including our ancestors, and courageous stories from times past, our emotions are appealed to and we feel the need to agree with him. Also, as I stated above, we are all affected because whether directly or indirectly, at some point we have been deeply wounded by the things going on in our country. 

Throughout his speech many promises were made to the American people. One statement in particular said, " We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age." So in this quote alone, he states that he is going to bring science back and give it the power that it deserves, provide health care for a lower cost, and start working to prevent global warming from becoming worse. He also goes on to say that more jobs will be provided and that the troops are going to be taken out of Iraq and Afghanistan and brought home. 

I believe that Obama's overall goal was to raise awareness as to what changes he is attempting to make over the next few years. He gives specific reasons as to why, and how; he is going to face each of these issues. He also addresses the fact that it is going to be hard, but with the faith and help of America, a change for the best is possible.