Speech Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Speech - Term Paper Example 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 us e 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 â€Å"dumb down† the information he conveys, nor does he sugar coat it to make it more pa lletable. 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