The Speech President John F. Kennedy - Term Paper Example

This paper will analyze the speech President John F. Kennedy made at the height of the Cuban missile crisis. It will examine the structure and delivery of the speech and look closely at Kennedy’s skill at audience analysis and the effectiveness of the speech on its intended audience. It will reference Bostdorff (1994) and Long and Swett (2010) in order to examine the historical context of the speech and the effect it had on the audience. This paper will show that Kennedy delivered an expert speech that achieved the intended goal with both his enemies and the American people. It will also suggest that the skillful audience analysis employed by President Kennedy shows why audience analysis is important to public speaking in general. The Cuban Missile Crisis Speech: The Right Words at the Last Minute President John F. Kennedy’s speech at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis was one of the most important speeches in American history. The Soviet Union was building bases in Cuba for nuclear missiles that could reach the United States. Kennedy had to inform the public of the possibility of a Soviet nuclear strike against the United States and simultaneously calm the people’s fears and assure them that everything possible was being done to remedy the situation. He also had to use the opportunity to send a message to Nikita Khrushchev and the leaders of Soviet Union that nuclear bases in Cuba would not be tolerated (Long & Swett, 2010). By closely analyzing this speech, it is possible to see the techniques that Kennedy used to deliver two separate messages to two different audiences at once. In doing this, Kennedy showed the importance of audience analysis in public speaking. Kennedy spoke to two audiences in his speech. The first and most important audience was the American public. The people of the United States had already been worried about the possibility of nuclear war since the end of the Second World War and the start of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. Kennedy had to deliver accurate news about what was taking place in Cuba and what it meant for America without panicking people. Upon hearing the news, Americans would want to look to a strong leader who had the crisis under control and who would stop the conflict before it spiraled into unthinkable disaster. Because the missiles would be able to reach most of the Western hemisphere, Kennedy’s address held implications for an international audience, as well. The President’s speech also had a secondary purpose. He could also use the opportunity to make a show of strength to America’s Cold War enemies in the Soviet Union and Cuba. While much of the information delivered in the speech was being exchanged between the powers involved via intelligence, letters, and phone calls, seeing the President proclaim to the American people what strategies would be used against Cuba and the Soviet Union in a speech held more intimidation for the Soviet and Cuban leaders (Bostdorff 1994). A good speech is a powerful emotional tool that can convey the deeper meaning of a message more effectively than a conversation or a written declaration can. Kennedy knew this, and he used the opportunity as a defensive strategy just as much as an informative address. One of the most striking aspects of the speech is the direct and businesslike manner in which Kennedy addresses the American people. To start off, he does not simplify or “dumb down” the information he conveys, nor does he sugar coat it to make it more palletable. Kennedy treats the American people like adults who are capable of understanding the situation. By doing this, he shows the audience that what he’s saying is extremely serious. He then goes on to detail what the Soviet government said about their involvement in the building of the Cuban missile bases and the purpose of these bases, and states emphatically that these assurances were false. Kennedy shows some anger here, but his anger is tightly controlled. By doing this, he reaffirms that the real enemy in the situation is the Soviet Union. He also gives the appearance of being calm and in control. This works to reassure the American people that they have a strong leader in the Oval Office. It also serves to show the Soviets that he is not panicked by their refusal to back down. It shows his enemies what kind of a man they are dealing with. Kennedy then goes on to explain why it is wrong for the Soviets to place these missiles in Cuba. He clearly delineates the differences between the United States and the Soviet Union in terms that create a strong dichotomy between the two and paint a picture of good vs. evil, right vs. wrong, tyrannical aggressors vs. freedom-loving defenders of peace. Rather than using these simplistic, twenty-first century Bushian terms, however, Kennedy makes these distinctions more deftly and subtly. He wants the audience to conclude that the Soviets are evil and tyrannical, but he avoids making the judgment himself by telling them this outright. Instead, he uses language that explains what the Soviets do, rather than saying what they are. He contrasts them with the United States in order to show that we are the good guys, and they are the bad guys, without telling the audience what they must think in such childish terms. He states that “we have no desire to dominate or conquer any other nation or impose our system upon its people” (Kennedy 1962). This was flatly untrue—the US’s recent actions in Cuba that spurred the crisis to begin with being just one example of the falseness of this statement—the distinction served to bring the American people together against a common enemy (Long & Swett 2010). It was no time for reflection about the complexities of US foreign policy. The people needed to be brought together as a decisive, cohesive whole under one strong leader. Next, Kennedy goes on to describe in clear and definitive terms exactly what the US is going to do in order to halt the crisis. He lists the seven strategies he will use to prevent the Soviets from bringing any more weapons to Cuba, and to stop the missiles already on Cuban soil from being deployed. He outlines the ways in which an American blockade of Cuba will be deployed, as well as how a strike against the US or any of its allies will be retaliated against. His seventh item is not so much a statement of strategy as a call for diplomacy. Before his conclusion, Kennedy reaches out to yet a third audience. He makes an overture to the Cuban people themselves, releasing them from blame and enticing them in coded language to rebel against the Soviet-controlled Castro regime. He tells them that the actions of the Cuban government are endangering them. Here Kennedy plays on the nationalist sympathies of some Cubans who felt betrayed by Castro’s abandonment of the ideals he had once claimed to support. Kennedy may have been miscalculating the response the Cuban audience would have had to his speech, but in a desperate situation, it was worth it for him to try. In his conclusion, Kennedy reiterates that the times ahead are uncertain, but points out that perseverance and strength are necessary. In the final part of his speech, Kennedy uses language to inspire his audience to be brave and reassure them that their government has everything under control. In reality, Kennedy was not so sure that everything would be all right, but it was important for him to make the American people feel secure (Bostdorff 1994). He ends by expressing confidence in the American people themselves, thus improving national morale. Kennedy’s skillful analysis of his audience helped to calm the nation’s fears in a time of extreme danger. His carefully crafted speech conveyed strength and control, which was exactly what the audience needed to see in their leader. This shows how incredibly important audience analysis is in giving an effective speech. While the vast majority of speeches do not have the life and death consequences of the one analyzed here, important lessons can still be taken from President Kennedy’s talent for delivering a precise message fine-tuned for his audience. This speech is concise, eloquent, and carefully worded to deliver coded messages to each group affected by the situation it addressed. The address works in subtle psychological ways to speak to the ideas and feelings most important to each group that would be hearing the speech. It shows that audience analysis is truly important in delivering an effective speech. By conveying a sense of calm and strength, President Kennedy avoided turning a terrifying situation into an outright disaster. He showed exemplary talent in what was one of the most important public addresses in the twentieth century. While most speeches are not as important as this one, the skill shown here can be used as a model for crafting great informative speeches. References John F. Kennedy’s Address to the Nation on the Cuban Missile Crisis, text found at: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jfkcubanmissilecrisis.html Bostdorff, D.M. (1994). The Presidency and the rhetoric of foreign crisis. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press. Long, J. & Swett, S. (2010).John F. Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis: An analysis of Crisis Communication within our Nation. Read More