TOW #1: Remarks by the President in Eulogy for Reverend Clementa Pinckney (Speech)

          The mass shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church shook America to its core on June 17, 2015. Dubbed the "Charlestown church shooting", the act of domestic terrorism on the historic church killed a total of nine church-goers, including senior pastor and state senator Clementa C. Pinckney. The tragic incident stunned the nation and caused the entire country to reconsider the deep-rooted racial issues that have, for so long, remained clandestine in our society. Considering the circumstances, it could be argued that no one could be more suited to address such an issue of racial animosity than the first African American president of the United States -- Barack Obama. In his eulogy for the reverend, President Obama discusses the racial prejudices which have been "kept in silence" all these years, highlighting the implications of our country's old habits on our society.
           Written as a remark to the friends and family of Pinckney, the true meaning of the eulogy pertains to the nation as a whole, serving as a wake up call to the unacceptable actions which have been successively dismissed. His colloquial tone and anecdotal structure make it very easy for his message to resonate with this audience, allowing for every person to feel a connection to his words. Through this masterful control of rhetorical strategies, such as repetition of phrase (particularly, that of "amazing grace") President Obama creates an almost lyrical speech that continuously reiterates the idea that the nation is built of individuals together, not apart in racial discrimination. His rhetorical appeal also allow him to build a strong ethos with the American people, reminding everyone that he too is an American citizen. For this reason, the speech remains an undeniable success. He, though his speech, is able to get Americans to recognize the flaw with our view on racial prejudice and what we, as a nation, can do to fix it. Unique to this particular piece, his ability to achieve this goal can be measured in the actual actions taken place after its delivery, such as the removal of confederate flags from all government buildings.