National Eulogy
In 1999 President Clinton gave a speech at Columbine High School addressing the mass Shooting and in doing so created a new Genre called National School Shooting Eulogies. Generic criticism attempts to sort types of speeches into categories in order to either give them new meaning and find what is interesting about them or just organize ideas. Generic descriptions asks if this is a new species, what the style and substance is, and what the organizing principle is. Clinton specifically addresses the people of Columbine since he is at the high school which is what was unique about this speech at the time. However he also speaks o the entirety of the United States as it is televised. His speech patterns are then more empathetic and personable for these specific small town people. The substance of his speech was story telling that empowers people and he also provides solutions through politics when he says “You have provoked Hillary and me and the Vice President and Mrs. Gore to reach out across America to launch a national grass-roots campaign against violence directed against young people. You can be a part of that”. The organizing principle is leadership and caring. This tactic has been used to rally much of the nation together but what is required in a tragedy in order for a president to visit the town to give a speech? Is it the terror or the political climate?
COMM 441, Rhetorical Criticism
Doyle Srader
10 AM – Noon