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Olivia Catena

Minbiole

CAS 137

14 October 2016

Rhetorical Analysis

When the Jerry Sandusky scandal of 2011 broke at Penn State, the football players gave a

speech to the media addressing whether or not they were staying on the team. This speech was

effective because it was delivered at a time when the community needed a source of inspiration;

it is what empowered the public to overcome the adversity that faced them. Members of the Penn

State community were dumbfounded when they found out the tragic news that struck the

community. The thought in everyones mind was that Penn State would never recover from this

tragic news. The football team stepped up and became the image of strength that everyone

needed at that time. The players addressed a range of audiences through common beliefs and

helped to recreate the sense of unity that was lost in the wake of the scandal. These same

rhetorical strategies are applied in many tragic situations. The bombing that occurred at the

Boston Marathon in 2013 is another event that required a similar rise of leadership and

reassurance of security. After the Boston Marathon bombing, at a time when our nation was

vulnerable and left without any hope, President Obama spoke to multiple audiences in his speech

that worked the heal the country by utilizing a kairotic moment and multiple commonplaces,

similar to the Penn State football players statement.

The Presidents speech came at the opportune moment, when the country needed a leader

to guide it through the healing process. Millions of people across America and across the whole
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world were scared and confused about the tragic events that happened. Whether it was the family

of a victim, or a stranger across the country, everyone was hurting. At the time of this speech, no

one knew who was responsible for the bombing. No one had confirmed whether or not this tragic

event was classified as a terrorist attack. Either way, America was hurt and felt vulnerable,

scared, and broken. Citizens of the Unites States needed a voice. They needed a leader to

alleviate their pain and guide them to recovery. It was the Presidents speech that reassured the

nation that everything was going to be okay again. As you begin this long journey of recovery,

your city is with you. Your commonwealth is with you. Your country is with you. We will all be

with you as you learn to stand and walk and, yes, run again (Obama). This assertion of power

resonated with the whole country and made them feel strong in a time of weakness. It was this

exact moment that Americans needed a leader to rise up. Not only did the Presidents words put

the nation at ease, but they also encouraged the public to do something. To stick together and

stay strong through this hard time. He applauded everyones strength and exclaimed, That's why

a bomb can't beat us. That's why we don't hunker down. That's why we don't cower in fear. We

carry on. We race. We strive. We build and we work and we love and we raise our kids to do the

same (Obama). He urged the nation to keep going. Nothing was going to get done if everyone

cowered away and sulked in fear. The President also recognized the acts of those that helped

during the bombing, and praised Boston for their strength. They set an example that the rest of

the nation needed to take note of. Our country needed to overcome this adversity, just as the

Penn State community did, and these speeches were what started the fire within the community

to rise above each tragedy.

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Obama addressed a number of audiences in order to establish a sense of unity and pride.

His speech mainly addressed the citizens of the United States and everyone that was affected as a

result of the bombing. He spoke to the country as a whole in order to unite everyone under a

common message. Obama was referring to the people as a whole when he said, In the face of

cruelty, we will choose compassion. In the face of those who would visit death upon innocents,

we will choose to save and to comfort and to heal. Well choose friendship. Well choose love

(Obama). These words were able to unify everyone with a sense of pride. They are Americans.

They will overcome this. The speech also spoke to the city of Boston itself. The public service

workers were thanked for their actions, the community was thanked for its spirit, and the city

was thanked for its history. This made the victims and the people that were directly affected feel

important. They were being recognized for just being themselves, doing their jobs. A sense of

pride was renewed, pride that may have been previously shattered. The victims and their families

were also addressed. President Obama specifically named each and every person that died,

making the speech personal. If one didnt feel connected before, if this tragedy didnt resonate

with them, it did now. The personalization of this instance produced an even larger urge for the

public to rise above this tragedy. Obama was able to ease these audiences while simultaneously

reassuring them that this misfortune would not go unsolved. He spoke directly to the perpetrators

of this evil. Even though no one knew exactly who executed this heinous crime, the President

threatened them with appropriate consequences. The factor of resolution gave the public hop.

They were assured that, no matter what, someone would be punished and there would be an

answer. The threat acted as a form of reassurance for the country. No one was going to get away

with this intolerable act. The addressal of multiple audiences is a technique that was also used in
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the Penn State football players statement. Instead of addressing solely the media, the players

gave a message to the whole country, and the Penn State community in particular. They began by

saying, we want to let the nation know that were proud of who we are, were the true Penn

Staters. They continued, As a team we dont see this as a punishment, we see this as an

opportunity...we have the ability to fight for not just a team, not just a program, but an entire

university (Zordich). The players also addressed critics all around the country and the NCAA

administration. They wanted to show that even in a time of despair and struggle, they were

willing to stand together and rise up against adversity. By doing this, both speeches were able to

reach a wider array of people and make their message more personal, overall, enhancing their

effectiveness.

The speech touched on multiple common beliefs that worked to further Obamas

message. He was able to get his points across to many different types of people because they all

shared similar values. One common place the President spoke to was that terrorism needs to be

stopped at all costs. This was not yet a confirmed act of terrorism, but the majority of the

population believed it to be. Everyone agreed with Obamas words when he discussed the

urgency of finding out who was responsible. The country was united with the common thought

that the culprits needed to be found and penalized no matter what. Another widely held belief

was that violent acts happen way too often. There is an alarming amount of tragedies that occur

in our country every year. From school shootings, to bombings, everyone has seen enough of

these horrific events; Obama was able to use this similarity among his audiences views to

further his message. No one wanted to have to witness anything like this again, so everybody

came together with a desire to stop it. This speech also played into the fact that this was an
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unexpected tragedy that affected the whole nation. The President was able to bring everyone

together, because the whole nation was feeling the same pain. This tragic event impacted the

country as a whole. Obama acted on the common fear and pain that was being experienced

throughout the nation. He spoke on these shared feelings and created a familial atmosphere

throughout the country saying,we come together to pray and mourn and measure our loss. But

we also come together today to reclaim that state of grace, to reaffirm that the spirit of this city is

undaunted and the spirit of the country shall remained undimmed (Obama). Everyone could rely

on each other if they needed support because this event impacted the country as a whole. This

was also a commonplace that Penn State players used to their advantage. The whole community

was shocked about the scandal. It was a surprise that nobody could expect, and nobody knew

how to handle. The players understood that the whole community was feeling the same way, so

they aimed to band everyone together in an attempt to stay strong through this difficult time.

Zordich addressed the Penn State community saying, were going to stick together through this,

were going to see this thing through, and were going to do everything we can for this

university (Zordich). The players were able to unite everyone in order to overcome their

tragedy. These common places acted as a platform for both President Obama and the Penn State

football players to convey their message in terms that everyone could relate to.

The rhetorical strategies utilized in both speeches were very effective in healing the

community. Obamas statement came at the exact moment that the country needed reassurance,

and it was his words that comforted and healed the country. He was able to reach a wide range of

audiences, making what he had to say personal to everyone that was listening. The President was

also able to communicate his message through a variety of commonplaces that related to his
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many audiences. These specific rhetorical techniques were also effective when used by the Penn

State football team after the Jerry Sandusky scandal. Each speaker was able to craft their words

directly to his communities which worked precisely well in these tragic situations. Both

audiences were lost and needed a clear leader to rise up and guide them to recovery. The rhetoric

in these situations did exactly that, and it gave the people hope. These types of events are ones

that happen all too often in our country. We cannot choose to ignore tragedies every time they

happen and then just wait for the next one to come around. Kairos is the most important

technique used in these situations because the speaker must wait for exactly the right time to

deliver their message. It cant be too early, when chaos is still present, or too late when everyone

has gotten over the initial pain. A range of audiences combined with a variation of

commonplaces are also important because it makes their argument personal. No one would

actually listen to what they had to say if it didnt pertain to them. By reaching a number of

audiences through relatable concepts, messages have a larger impact. These rhetorical strategies

were utilized effectively by both the Penn State football team and President Barack Obama in

order to heal their audiences.

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Works Cited

Obama, Barack. "Boston Marathon Memorial." Boston. The Telegraph. Web.

Penn State Football. Dir. Lions247Sports. Perf. Michael Mauti and Michael Zordich. YouTube.

YouTube, 25 July 2012. Web. 27 Apr. 2017.