CCP College
COS 113
Bil Yos
Critique of We Shall Overcome
The following is an analysis of the speech “We Shall Overcome”. The speech was delivered by
President Lyndon Johnson to Congress on March 16, 1965. The purpose of the speech was about
equal rights that should be passed by The US Congress. It was about the Negros rights to vote.
Therefore, the audiences were Congress members, but the speaker did not forget those behind the
television waiting for his action and the Congress. Thus, his message was not about the law but
went behind that to reach each soul of America. Therefore, that shows that President Lyndon
Johnson knew he had a neutral audience. All audiences were looking for logic and fact and that
is exactly what the president did. He spoke to all audiences “I urge every member of
both parties, Americans of all religions and of all colors, from every section of this country, to
join me in that cause.” Thus, he talked to each listener. He delivered a speech on the manner of
ethics also. Thus, he used the violence that has happened in Selma, Alabama. He mentioned the
peaceful protester's march. Unfortunately, one man was killed. Thus, President Lyndon Johnson
grabbed listeners’ attention to hear the speech. President Lyndon Johnson used that and other
violence to support his speech.
The speech was powerful with proof. The speaker used the word “We” to grab the attention of
the Congress’s members as he said, “We met tonight as American, not as a part of Democrats or
Republicans.” This sentence shows that President Lyndon Johnson was talking to Congress
members’ souls. It was emotionally, ethical, and humane support. He encouraged the Congress
members and others, white people, by having been honest in his speech. He mentioned all ways
that the register of the vote was used to push Negroes away from the elections such as exams,
refusing the application, and even things like the pronunciation of the last name, etc. That was
proof of the weakness of the law and that also was his supporter to improve the civil rights act
that can ensure Negro’s vote like other American citizens. Thus, president Lyndon Johnson used
many reasonable logical proofs. He used every single violence that happened to get to the bottom
of the rights issue of US citizens. Therefore, he got to the history of America, as he says this
about us about America and the constitution. The Constitution gave the right to the US citizen to
vote to select their leaders, but some states refused it. Thus, his message to the people and
Congress was to not defied the constitution and should provide equal voting rights for all
citizens.
In addition, he used rhetorical and stylistic devices many times such as hyperbole. For example,
he quoted Patrick Henry “give me liberty or give me death.” Also, president Lyndon Johnson
used repetition such as right, rights, color, we, and citizen. For example, he said, “The most basic
right of all was the right to choose your own leaders.” These words kind of logic the speaker
used. That means a leader should be chosen by the people. It is clear president Lyndon Johnson
used comparisons to support his idea. It appears when he mentioned to the what happened at
Alabama was happened previous at deferent places also. Why all that? Because a man wants to
end a search for freedom. He urged that is no Negroes problem no one problem, is the American
problem. Thus, he put the American problem in the hand of the authority “Congress” to do their
jobs. In addition, he pushed them to do the right things according to the constitution to the
dignity of their souls. Thus, he supported his argument with the constitution. President Lyndon
Johnson used in his argument a reasonable logic such as “All men are created equal and Negroes
are men. Then, Negroes are created equal. The weaknesses of the speaker about the gender. He
used man and men many times and merely mentioned women one time. He mentioned to the
men during the war, in general people forget about the women’s work during the war most of the
time they were fathers and mothers while their spouses on battle. Nowadays, young ladies in the
battle also with men. As a result, President Lyndon Johnson delivered a We Shall Overcome
speech to Congress and Americans behind the TV. He urged Congress members of both parties
to pass the equal voting rights.
References:
Henry, P. A. T. R. I. C. K. (1816). Give me liberty, or give me death. Retrieved February 1,
2019, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Give_me_liberty,_or_give_me_death!
Lyndon Baines Johnson, Transcription by Michael E. Eidenmuller. Property of
AmericanRhetoric.com. © Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. Retrieved January 31,
2019, https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/lbjweshallovercome.htm