"We dare not tempt them with weakness. For only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed. But neither can two great and powerful groups of nations take comfort from our present course. Both sides overburdened by the cost of modern weapons, both rightly alarmed by the steady spread of the deadly atom, yet both racing to alter that uncertain balance of terror that stays the hand of mankind's final war. So let us begin anew, remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof." Kennedy wished to suggest that it was in the national interest of both nations to talk and engage in diplomacy or official dialogue -- even while America was steadily building up its military arsenal and interventionist efforts in the name of anti-communism.
Kennedy was….

Great nations of Europe have fought their bloodiest wars." However, he implies that it is uncertain whether this new epoch is benevolent or malicious, asking Americans "Are we nearing the light -- a day of freedom and of peace for all mankind? Or are the shadows of another night closing in upon us?"
In explaining his plan, Eisenhower employed a conspicuously organized, almost military style containing nine strategic objectives, or what he called "rules of conduct." Eisenhower promised Americans protection from danger through the observance of "eternal moral and natural laws" and the refinement of what appear to be distinctly American virtues, the "love of truth, pride of work, devotion to country." Eisenhower thought the best outlet for American energies and the best defense against America's threats was to produce as if it was wartime. Perhaps Eisenhower believed that war brought out the best in people, as he seemed to….

He also wanted a special session of Congress to address the ideas he had for getting the country on its' feet again. He also said that if the separation of powers could not ensure a speedy end to the problems facing the country, that he would ask for broad executive powers to ensure the policies went into effect as quickly as possible to help heal the country and put people back to work.
The line, "we have nothing to fear but fear itself" has become one of the most memorable lines in the speech, and in history. oosevelt's optimism helped the nation get on with their lives and back to work by giving them faith and trust in the government. In addition, the speech is memorable because of its strength and power. It is clear the President plans to make sweeping changes in a hurry, and his powerful speech seems….

He disapproved the religion intolerance that largely shaped the past of humanity, stressing the fact that it had been very important for people to get actively engaged in supporting freedom through any means available.
Jefferson's discourse is somewhat philosophical in nature, given that it deals with concepts of morality and to the fact that people should refrain from putting across a biased behavior. He deals with problems that were contemporary to him, such as the difficult times the U.S. experienced and the wars Europe went through at the time. He highlighted the fact that in comparison to the rest of the world the U.S. was advantaged due to several factors, such as that relating to its position and that regarding the principles Americans lived by.

Considering the way he addresses the public in what was to be a simple and official inauguration address makes it obvious that he wanted to take….

ashington and Obama's Inaugural Addresses
hen comparing George ashington's first inaugural address upon becoming President of the United States in 1789 with Barack Obama's inaugural address from 2009, a number of similarities and differences become apparent which help to inform the reader about the particular context of either speech, and to see how the country's expectations of the President and the President's expectations of his audience have changed over time. In particular, each speaker's view of the office he is about to hold as well as the explicit and implicit appeals to Christianity reveal how American politics has changed over time (seemingly for the worse).

In his inaugural address, ashington spends the entire first paragraph remarking at his inexperience and lack of confidence in his ability to perform the duties of his job. He describes himself as having inherited "inferior endowments from nature and unpractised in the duties of civil administration," and….

PESIDENTIAL SPEECH: KENNEDY'S INAUGUAL ADDESS
Presidential Speech: Kennedy

Presidential Speech: Kennedy's Inaugural Address

On January 20, 1961 newly elected president John F. Kennedy delivered his inaugural address to a nation in the midst of an ongoing "Cold War" with the Union of Soviet Socialist epublics (USS). In order to put this speech in context one must understand that the previous decades may be characterized as politically tense as the associated conflicts between the two super powers intensified. Anti- communist sentiment and fear was high in the wake of congressional hearings, the ed Scare, the McCarthy era, and the nation's reaction to the 1957 launch of Sputnik, a Soviet satellite which signaled a significant development in the Cold War (Dunar, 2006). In this address Kennedy touched on a number of issues that fed this fear and endeavored to bring about a dialog between the east and the west in order to diffuse some of….

Jefferson Davis' Inaugural Address
Written shortly before the outbreak of the Civil War, Jefferson Davis' inaugural speech is his provisional acceptance of the office of president of the newly formed Confederacy. The speech addresses some of the key concerns of the Confederate states, outlines its goals, and severely criticizes the Union for not following the intentions of the nation's founders. Moreover, Davis points to the "folly and wickedness of our aggressors" should they decide to wage war over the secession.

Jefferson Davis states, "it is the right of the people to alter or abolish governments whenever they become destructive of the ends for which they were established." It his statement is true then any time the citizens of a nation were divided over a political issue, a group of people could form a new government and threaten secession from the union. Davis' speech therefore illustrates the rashness of the Confederacy. Furthermore, when….

" Thus, the address stresses in its intentions, the political and economic reasons for secession, as Davis is concerned that the Confederacy is still able to trade with other nations and conduct diplomatic relations. "An agricultural people, whose chief interest is the export of a commodity required in every manufacturing country, our true policy is peace, and the freest trade which our necessities will permit."
The implications are as thus -- Davis clearly wished to create and maintain trade relations for the confederacy with the nations of the world, for vital economic reasons and also to create legitimacy for the new regime. He did not wish the Southern states' traditional trading powers to consider them mere upstart revolutionary powers in their new formations. Davis' was in the uncomfortable position, however, of justifying a regime based upon states rights, and yet having to govern this regime as a unifying, chief executive. He….

3. Jefferson was one of the proponents of the notion that the most effective government is that which governs least. As such, the former president was definitely in favor of circumscribing the role of the federal government, particularly in the daily affairs of the people who elect its specific individuals to power. In this speech, Jefferson made certain to mention the fact that the government he was presiding over would be a "frugal" one, that would be limited in its effect on the type of work and industry that people performed, as well as on the earnings that people garnered for the application of their industry. He also advocated, within this document, a limited central government that would leave it to the discretion of the individual people to make changes and improvements in their lives -- both in an individual and in a collective sense. These are some common tenets….

Robespierre argues in a speech by turns logical and eloquent, that in order to establish democracy, the popular will must be enforced with a virtuous application of terror. He delivered the speech during the height of the French Revolution in an attempt to justify the political violence which the revolutionary tribunal had indulged in as it sought to implement its (ultimately) peaceful reforms. He argues that the very "sublimity" of the tribunal's aims had resulted in vicious royalist counter-revolutionary activities by men who hoped to protect their private interests by preventing the revolution, and that killing such men was justified. "Subdue by terror the enemies of liberty, and you will be right," he argues, hoping to speed the pace of the revolutionary throngs.

Churchill delivers his speech at a low moment in the midst of England's battle against the Nazis. In a very brief address, he declares in no uncertain terms….

There are no props per se, although the presence of his youthful wife in the background might be one 'prop' as a reminder that the torch had been passed to a younger generation, from the older generation embodied by the Eisenhowers. Kennedy's athletic physique dominates the podium. But he does not use aggressive body language, like stretching across lectern which might make him seem as if he were overreaching or too small for the space. Instead, Kennedy comfortably fills the space and commands attention through firm gestures, punching and pointing at the air with determination and a sense of calculation, not moving about for the sake of movement alone.
In terms of overall effectiveness, this may be one of the most effective inaugural speeches given by a president in memory. Few other speeches can be quoted, in terms of its key phrases, more easily than Kennedy's. His language and also….

Second Inaugural Address: President Obama
Giving an inaugural address is a massive endeavor, and requires an extensive amount of preparation for the speaker. Public speaking requires more structure and detail than ordinary conversation: even a short speech given by a student to the classroom requires research, audience analysis, and above all practice. As a U.S. president entering his second term, it was incumbent upon President Obama to give a speech that would address the needs of a very diverse audience on January 21, 2013 and to satisfy a wide range of often-competing audience needs and concerns.

President Obama had to tread a delicate balance in his speech in terms of the issues he covered. On one hand, he was speaking to many people who had fought long and hard to elect him. They wanted him to celebrate his past, present, and future accomplishments. But President Obama was also speaking to Republicans and….

President Obama's "Second Inaugural Address:" Rhetorical analysis
Knowing one's audience is a critical component of giving a good speech. hen President Obama gave his second inaugural address, although he had been reelected by a significant majority, he knew he was still facing a divided country. To show his respect for patriotic values, he began his speech invoking both God and country yet in a manner that stressed the need for concrete government actions to deal with the nation and the world's problems. "For history tells us that while these truths may be self-evident, they've never been self-executing. That while freedom is a gift from God, it must be secured by his people here on earth."

Obama addressed his speech to the American public at large, but he also had a clear eye upon his Republican critics, in his use of specific phrases and themes. His first term began with a very conciliatory….

American Constitution: A living, evolving document -- from guaranteeing the right to enslavement in the 18th century to modifications in favor of freedom in the 19th century
Constitution today protects the rights of all in its language, but this was not always the case in its text and spirit. As a political tactic as well as out of personal conviction and experience, Frederick Douglass' characterization of the American Constitution as an anti-slavery document is certainly an admirable piece of rhetoric. Douglass stated that although the America he spoke to at the time of his autobiography My Bondage and My Freedom, was a nation divided between free and slave states and territories, fundamentally America was and "is in its letter and spirit, an anti-slavery instrument, demanding the abolition of slavery as a condition of its own existence" (396)

Slavery, Douglass stated, deprives an individual of his or her dignity, deprives an individual….

Mill believes that it is impossible to be a great scientist, without having some feeling and sensitivity about the human condition given by the humanities, and someone learning the classics must understand the functioning of the modern world, to give what he or she is learning some significance.
How do the ideas on education of Locke, Jefferson and Mill relate to one another and to the importance of education for a democratic society such as our own?

Mill's stress upon holistic knowledge is essential for a citizen in a democracy -- today, a citizen must vote an elected official into office who can deal with the scientific complexities of global warming and healthcare, and can comprehend the intricacies of foreign cultures. To judge the knowledge base of our elected officials, citizens must also have a well-rounded basis of knowledge. That is why Thomas Jefferson believed so fervently in the need to….