Read Barack Obama's Speech on Race (you can find at my website) and answer ONE of the following questions:
1) What is the rhetorical effect of Obama quoting Faulkner's statement, "The past isn't dead and buried. In fact, it isn't even past"?
2) What is Obama trying to equate when he says "The church contains in full kindness and cruelty" and "the most segregated hour in American life occurs on Sunday"?
3) How does Obama think the issue of race will be overcome? What ideas does he use to support his claim?
Pick ONE of these questions and answer with a three-paragraph response.
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In this weeks blog, i chose to explain the rhetorical effect of Obama quoting Faulkner's statement, "The past isn't dead and buried. In fact, it isn't even past". The rhetorical effect would be that he used a quote from the past to explain why certain things occur the way they do today.
For example, he said, "disparities that exist in the African-American community today can be directly traced to inequalities passed on from an earlier generation.." The past is what effects our present and future. By using the quote from Faulkner, he made the audience see that what African Americans dealt with in the past is part of how the next generation will veiw race.
Obama took a quote that was relative to a different time period, and made his audience see that it is still somewhat relavent today. Faulkner's quote explains that things our nation was dealing with in the past have improved, but certain issues will still have an effect on the nations next generation.
-A.Burchel!-
In this weeks blog, i chose to explain the rhetorical effect of Obama quoting Faulkner's statement, "The past isn't dead and buried. In fact, it isn't even past". The rhetorical effect would be that he used a quote from the past to explain why certain things occur the way they do today.
For example, he said, "disparities that exist in the African-American community today can be directly traced to inequalities passed on from an earlier generation.." The past is what effects our present and future. By using the quote from Faulkner, he made the audience see that what African Americans dealt with in the past is part of how the next generation will veiw race.
Obama took a quote that was relative to a different time period, and made his audience see that it is still somewhat relavent today. Faulkner's quote explains that things our nation was dealing with in the past have improved, but certain issues will still have an effect on the nations next generation.
-A.Burchel!-
In our recent readings, we have read Senator Barack Obama’s Speech on Race, given on March 18. 2008. In this speech, Obama quoted William Faulkner in saying, “"The past isn't dead and buried. In fact, it isn't even past." This quotation was a very powerful rhetorical device that Senator Obama used in his speech.
The rhetorical effect that this quote had was almost persuasive and enlightening in that things that happen today are due to events that happened in the past. Therefore, the past isn’t dead and buried but still prominent in the present because we are still living and going through the same events today.
For example, September 11, 2001 was a major tragic event in United States history, but we are still living the effects of it today. One reason is beacuase we still have troops in the Middle East and we are still at “war.” This displays that the past isn’t even past but present and future. The use of this quotation by Senator Barack Obama was very clever and ultimately effective.
-V. Gobble
In his speech on race, Obama made many profound observations and statements about the issue of race in America. One of these was his statement about the church being full of kindness and cruelty, and the most “segregated hour in America” occurs on Sunday morning. Obama was attempting to distance himself from the infamous Reverend Wright, but also to critique the church on its pride in faith over religious toleration.
I have to agree with both of these statements. Christian churches in American are separated into different denominations that differ in basic beliefs and worship practices. These churches often focus on praising God and condemning those who practice differently. This method can often lead to discrimination from one group to another, despite the fact that they believe in the same God and text.
These differences are highlighted in the contrasting practices of predominately African American churches, and the predominately white churches. The worship in one type of church may include more singing and rejoicing in praise, while the other consists of scripture and the recital of hymns. Very rarely do you see these two types of Christian churches combine into one “mixed” church. Racial tradition had indeed made Sunday mornings “the most segregated hour in America.”
--Emerson--->
With Barach Obama coming up as president, he states that "The past isn't dead and buried. In fact, it isn't even past"? What he means by this is that, yes, we are coming up into a new era, a new beginning, but with racism still lurking in the crevices of political debates and social coversation of regular citizens, Our past is not really a past, its becoming who we are as America , and therefore cant be conceived as a simple word “past” but rather who we are and what we stand for. This does not mean that Obama is for racism, but it does show that Obama is not oblivious of the situation that surrounds him.
Obama stated in his speech: “a Constitution that had at is very core the ideal of equal citizenship under the law; a Constitution that promised its people liberty, and justice, and a union that could be and should be perfected over time.” So what is it that America is trying to do? Tear down this man because he isn’t a modeled white figure? Why? The constitution clearly states that that should not be our reasoning. We say we’re not against the opposite race, but if not what are we so afraid of? The chance to be shown that the black man is better? Wiser? Politically more advantaged? And if that were the case, should’nt we be thanking God that he is in office? Because that is our future! We shouldn’t be wanting our country to go down, but we should be lifting it up!
The point of Obama making this statement is to reveal that America needs to stop this act and Tom Foolery and get with the program! Don’t try to ruin the country with your racist beliefs and biased opinions when we sit on our dollar bills that state in God We Trust (yet when that’s the last power we tend to go to) and do nothing to try to better things. America is based on change but we seem to never be open to it when the it comes.
“This was one of the tasks we set forth at the beginning of this campaign - to continue the long march of those who came before us, a march for a more just, more equal, more free, more caring and more prosperous America. I chose to run for the presidency at this moment in history because I believe deeply that we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together - unless we perfect our union by understanding that we may have different stories, but we hold common hopes; that we may not look the same and we may not have come from the same place, but we all want to move in the same direction - towards a better future for of children and our grandchildren. This belief comes from my unyielding faith in the decency and generosity of the American people. But it also comes from my own American story.”
-Erin
#2 Obama means that people still segregated in church. Different races worship in different ways. Obama describes his church in saying, “they are full of dancing, clapping, screaming, and shouting that may seem jarring to the ear.”
If I, being white, were to attend a service at his church, this behavior would make me uncomfortable because it is not a part of my culture. My church is geared towards a younger, white, crowd. It has a more casual tone and most of the service consists of contemporary Christian music. The dancing and shouting that Obama is so accustomed to would never be seen in my church.
These two churches are opposites. While one behavior is accepted and even expected in one church, it is frowned upon in another. There is no way to “integrate” churches because of the wide spread beliefs in America. It is the only place that cannot be legally integrated by the government; therefore, it will stay segregated not by law, but by the people. Because of this fact we will never truly be a unified nation.
Smorris O___o
On March 18, 2008, at the Senator Barack Obama gave a speech on the issue of race. He states that the past isn’t dead and buried. In fact, it isn’t even past. Senator Obama’s quote meant that the events that occurred in the past have not ended are still occurring day to day. Also it means that we still have to deal with the issue of race even though it was an important issue many years ago.
Not only was the speech given by Senator Obama an extremely important speech, but also the quoting of Faulkner made it even more important. The quote given by Senator Obama from Faulkner had a great impact of rhetorical effect. The rhetorical effect of the quote had an eye opening effect. It had an eye opening effect because he used a quote from the past that still related to the issue of race today.
Also it had an eye opening effect because it affected the people that have ignored the issue of race. The quote also had another rhetorical effect. For example, by quoting Faulkner’s quote shows the audience that Senator Barack Obama does not want to become complacent. Also that he is willing to take examples from the past and prevent them from happening in the present
T. Hearst ™
I choose to do question #2 for this week's blog. The question is what is Obama trying to equate when he says "The church contains in full kindness and cruelty" and "the most segregated hour in American life occurs on Sunday"?
I believe that Obama is trying to say, in the first quote, that church contains good and bad. That church has good aspects and bad aspects. For example, you go to church on Sunday and that is great, but when you are asked you affiliation with the church, it gets bad; no matter what your connection to the church is.
In the second quote, Obama says "the most segregated hour in American life occurs on Sunday." I believe that he means that on Sunday whites, blacks, and even other races are seperated from one another due to their race, but by de facto segregation. People seperate on their beliefs, but subsequently seperate by their race as well, even if they didn't mean to. If you go to a straight Wesleyn church, you probably won't see any African Americans; however, if you go to a deep south Baptist church, you might not see any whites. That is just how church in the United States works.
On March 18, 2008, Barack Obama made a speech about one of the most controversial topics in our history: Race. Race is an important topic to him, being that he is mixed because his father is a black man from Kenya and his mother is a white woman from Kansas. In his speech, Obama states two quotes. First he says “The church contains in full kindness and cruelty”. Later he states “the most segregated hour in American life occurs on Sunday”. He has many meanings to each of these quotes.
In the first quote he states that “The church contains in full kindness and cruelty”. First of all this is a trope that is clearly an oxymoron. What he is trying to explain to America is that there is both cruelty and kindness in church. There are many people that love and show appreciation toward their fellow brothers and sisters. This is one example of kindness. However, cruelty, in some cases, is shown with ignorance. There are many people in churches that know that everyone should be treated equally but they don’t practice what they believe or what is said in the bible. One example of this is Father Charles Coughlin. He was a person that opposed the New Deal by Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression. He was Anti-Semitic, meaning he was against the Jewish race. If the Bible calls for equal treatment toward everybody then why should any preacher be against any race?
The second statement Obama makes is that “The most segregated hour in American life occurs on Sunday”. This is a valid statement. In very rare occasions do you see different races in one church. Usually this doesn’t only refer to Blacks and Whites but it refers also to Asians, Hispanics, etc… We can see that every Sunday, each race goes to their own churches with their own people. They praise differently and preach differently. It doesn’t mean that they don’t believe in the same God because most do, but there generations and their cultures are different. Many people want to do the same things as their past generations have done. These racial traditions are the cause of Sunday being the “most segregated hour” in America.
-§Cindy Flores§-
In his "Speech on Race", Obama quoted Falkner's statement,"The past isn't buried. In fact, it isn't even the past." Obama uses this quote to say that race, although more notorious in the past, will always be an issue.
The rhetorical value of this quote used in this way is that it helped open people's eyes to the fact that race is, and always will be, a major issue in any and every aspect of life as we know it. Many people ignore the issue of race as it doesn't "affect" them.
He says that in America we need not repeat the racial injustices of the past, but that we need to remind ourselves that, while what happened in the past is wrong, the past helped shape the African-American community.
~W. Horne~
Obama mentions that race shall be overcome by America working together and people following the golden rule. “We do unto others as we would have them to do unto us.” Using that statement, something taught to us at an early age, he reached many with the basics of life. Obama believes that “we” as a whole could have an impact on race just by changing the way “we” look and respond to race.
“For the African-American community, that path means embracing the burdens of our past without becoming victims of our past.” Before the issue of race can be changed the people first have to define what race is and embrace it. Race is not a burden or a crutch. Embracing the differences in one’s self and taking pride in who “we” are.
“In the white community, the path to a more perfect union means acknowledging that what ails the African-American community does not just exist in the minds of black people; that the legacy of discrimination - and current incidents of discrimination, while less overt than in the past - are real and must be addressed.” Another example of embracing and addressing the history of one’s self. Knowing where “we” originated and at least acknowledging the differences and the issues is a step toward the change that is greatly needed. Working together for the change and progressing as a nation is the first step to developing a new beginning for America.
{(♥!S.Thomas!♥)}
The pasted election has spurred emotions out of people about race that you would never imagine. With the election of black president you see how open people are about race and how some people are still living in the past. In Barack Obama’s speech on race that he made on 3-18-08, he quotes Faulkner's statement, "The past isn't dead and buried. In fact, it isn't even past”. This quote has great rhetorical effect because it demonstrates the close connection between the past and the present that many people wish to ignore.
Before 1865, majority of African Americans that lived in America were slaves. After they were emancipated from slavery they were supposed to be equal and have equal opportunity but that is not what happened. In Faulkner’s quote the first line is, “the past isn’t dead and buried.” Many people believe that since slavery was suppose to have ended over 100 years ago that there is still not inferiority between races. Today we see more inferiority then they possibly had 100s of years ago because of how diverse America has grown to be. The issue of the election and the first Black president magnified the underlying problems in America.
The second line of the quote says, “it isn’t even past”. This is referring to the fact that today is what we call the past. When Barack Obama used this quote he is explaining why certain things occur to day that most Americans think, is in the past. Barack Obama states in his speech, “Understanding this reality requires a reminder of how we arrived at this point”. The reality is that race is still an issue and we have arrived at this point because it never stopped being one. Obama used Faulkner’s quote to help grasp empathy from the American people
--Sharlese Hall
In Barack Obama's Speech on Race, given on March 18, 2008, the issue of race was discussed in an attempt to make Americans aware of our current problem. Although there has been great improvement since the days of slavery, and even since the Civil Rights Movement, America is still a very divided nation when it comes to race.
Senator Obama says that we need to work together to overcome racism in our country. Instead of resenting other races for our own incompetence, we must all unite in order to prepare future generations for a more perfect union. In his speech, Obama states that the path to this more perfect union "requires all Americans to realize that your dreams do not have to come at the expense of my dreams; that investing in the health, welfare, and education of black and brown and white children will ultimately help all of America prosper."
By working together to reach common goals, Americans will be able to improve our lives as individuals. He believes that if we all contribute to our country as a whole, each and every one of us will benefit. By paying for health care, welface, and education for others, we will prosper as a nation.
--E. Styers!
Our President Elect, and soon to be President, Barack Obama, has come a long way with the issue on "race," already. Given that he has already become President, shows Americans, we can overcome the worlds negative view on race.
During this weeks reading on "Obama's Speech on Race (March 18, 2008)," I have chose to talk about question number three, because the issue on race has been greater so now, then it has been in previous years.
Obama has many goals, he wants America to achieve while serving his term. As one of those being race, he states: "But it is where we start. It is where our union grows stronger. And as so many generations have come to realize over the course of the two-hundred and twenty one years since a band of patriots signed that document in Philadelphia, that is where the perfection begins." Although, there are Americans out there that would have wished a different outcome of the Presidency, Obama has strongly advocated for peace in America.
By doing so, he has not only come from a 'different' back ground with his dad being an African-American, and his mom being white but also growing up, not so 'wealthy' but still conquering what he had, to what he has become now. However, its not only up to Barack Obama for the world to become one, it takes time, and Americans to say, "Yes, we can do this." In doing so, American can become a "more perfect union."
ashley bayse. :)
When Barack Obama referred to William Faulkner’s quote, “The past isn't dead and buried. In fact, it isn't even past," he meant to compare the African American’s history to the present. The African American’s history was overflowed with many inequalities. In such cases, those inequalities still exist. For instance, the lack of opportunities for African Americans could create a “cycle of violence, blight, and neglect.” If not offered the same opportunities as other people, what can be known of an individual’s actual capabilities?
Also, there exists a “wealth and income gap between black and white.” From statistics, it is noticeable that whites earn more money than blacks. This can support the reason as to why there could be a lack of opportunities for African Americans. The inequalities that existed back then, still exist now.
Overall, with this quote being mentioned by Obama, it brought up attention to the audience. Most times, people just leave the past behind and move on. Unfortunately, not all lessons are learned from past experiences. Working towards a progressive way to rid of these inequalities, may one day be accomplished. Therefore, the past can stay in the past without any unfinished task.
-Tang Xiong @_@
I chose to write about number two in this week’s blog entry that deals with the speech our new president Barack Obama made. Barack Obama delivered a speech back in March in the city of Philadelphia addressing the big issue of race. In this speech he made two key statements the first being "the church contains in full kindness in cruelty," the second one being “the most segregated hour in American life occurs on Sunday."
"The church contains in full kindness and cruelty," in this statement I believe he's making this statement to transition over to Reverend Wright. Reverend Wright was known for the racial comments he made that offended many. I believe that Obama did not distance himself any from Reverend Wright like other people might be drawn to believe. This statement is more in line of showing people that the statement Reverend Wright made was wrong but the fact of the matter Reverend Wright is his minister and has taught him so much he will not try to disown him.
In the statement “the most segregated hour in American life occurs on Sunday,” Obama talks about the church differences. He talks about how we are not separated anymore by schools, what places we can and cannot eat, etc. but church is still a place that separates races. Although there are no rules like there was for schools that whites and blacks not being able to attend the same church but it just happens. I have never personally been in a church so I’m not sure about the different experiences there are whether you’re in a predominantly black church or a predominantly white church. I believe that it is a personal choice, I guess African Americans like the atmosphere the way it is in there churches and same for Caucasians.
I chose to write about number two in this week’s blog entry that deals with the speech our new president Barack Obama made. Barack Obama delivered a speech back in March in the city of Philadelphia addressing the big issue of race. In this speech he made two key statements the first being "the church contains in full kindness in cruelty," the second one being “the most segregated hour in American life occurs on Sunday."
"The church contains in full kindness and cruelty," in this statement I believe he's making this statement to transition over to Reverend Wright. Reverend Wright was known for the racial comments he made that offended many. I believe that Obama did not distance himself any from Reverend Wright like other people might be drawn to believe. This statement is more in line of showing people that the statement Reverend Wright made was wrong but the fact of the matter Reverend Wright is his minister and has taught him so much he will not try to disown him.
In the statement “the most segregated hour in American life occurs on Sunday,” Obama talks about the church differences. He talks about how we are not separated anymore by schools, what places we can and cannot eat, etc. but church is still a place that separates races. Although there are no rules like there was for schools that whites and blacks not being able to attend the same church but it just happens. I have never personally been in a church so I’m not sure about the different experiences there are whether you’re in a predominantly black church or a predominantly white church. I believe that it is a personal choice, I guess African Americans like the atmosphere the way it is in there churches and same for Caucasians.
Danish S.
I chose to write on topic number one. In our reading of Obama’s speech on race, Obama uses of Faulkner’s quote, "The past isn't dead and buried. In fact, it isn't even past" in order to explain certain events that occur today that are similar to ones that have happened in the past. When Obama uses this quotes he uses the rhetorical trope of comparison.
I believe he choose this quote to show that many things that happened in the past, though they were thought to be resolved and done with, will show up again in the future in some way or another. He uses that quote to show how African-Americans in the past had suffered many injustices and were stripped of the rights and how today, though African-Americans have their unalienable rights, they still suffer, in some instances, injustices and discrimination, even though it may not be as severe as it previously was they still exist.
Also related to Faulkner’s quote is this excerpt from Barack Obama’s speech, it says, “….if we simply retreat into our respective corners, we will never be able to come together and solve challenges like health care, or education, or the need to find good jobs for every American.” This excerpt accompanied by Faulkner’s quote stress the need to come together. That means that still our country is not one, we are still segregated in some ways. “The past isn’t dead and buried….,” we still have discrimination in our country, it is not “dead and buried” there for “it isn’t even past.” Using Faulkner’s quote Barack stresses his point by comparing the past and the present.
-L. Gonzalez
In this weeks blog i chose number one,the explanation of the rhetorical effects of Obama's quoting Faulkner's statement,"The past isn't dead and buried. In fact, it isn't even past?" I believe that Obama's rhetorical effect of this statement would be that he is trying to show people that the past is still occurring in today events and the past is showing the way things are today.
To me this statement is a very complex statement in fact it perceives how we saw the past during civil war time and during 9-11 time and how its coming back also how its the past, but things are happening the same as of right now.
An example of this statement is race, racism is an occurrence of the past, but also it is an occurrence of the present. Obama has opened the eyes of many people today. He has made differences in racism also. Many people will always be racist so the statement is true regarding the past will always be brought up and the past will always be the present.
--danielle fivecoat.
For this week's blog entry we were supposed to read President Obama's Speech on race and then answer one of these questions. I chose to answer question number 1.
I think that when Obama quotes William Faulkner "The past isn't dead and buried. In fact, it isn't even past?" means that we may be in a new era when times and conditions have changed so much, But history repeats itself. I think that the rhetorical effect of this quote is to place an emphasis and maybe find a better logic or meaning for why things that happen or have happened.
In one part of his speech he quotes "...there were many who didn't make it - those who were ultimately defeated, in one way or another, by discrimination. That legacy of defeat was passed on to future generations ." I think that this is very important in explaining why he feels that we are still going through the things that people have gone through in history because even with all the progress our country has made we are still living through an era when discrimination and racism have a crucial role in our society.
More than 250 years aggo, the first group of African Americans were brought into out country as slaves. Over the course of the next 100 years these AA's had to suffer and overcome many obstacles and eventuially they were granted teh right to vote. People think that just because laws were passed in favor of them, that conditions changed. But teh fact of the matter is that even after all these years there isnt equal oppurtunities and and everyone isnt treated the same way wether peopel admit to it or not. So I think that William Faulkner was right when he said "the past isn't dead and buried. In fact, it isn't even past?"
-Uroosa Naveen Haider
****my blog entry is five minutes late baecuse my computer froze but i really had it ready to post before 12. so i hope that it doenst count off for 6 minutes.
-rose
#2 for this week's blog ask's, "What is Obama trying to equate when he says "The church contains in full kindness and cruelty" and "the most segregated hour in American life occurs on Sunday"?"
I believe that Obama, in the first part of the quote, is trying to explain that church contains positive and negative meaning. For example, although many people go to church and believe in God there are many different types of churches like Methodist and Baptist. It is to be known that these two churches somewhat disagree with the others views. This causes controversy between the two.
In the second quote, Obama says "the most segregated hour in American life occurs on Sunday." In this quote I believe that Obama is trying to state that the churches throught the United States are segregated due to the type of church. Although people go to seperate churches because of their beliefs they also go to churches with people of their own race sometimes without even knowing it. For example if you go to a United Methodist church you would very rarely see any blacks, on the contrary, if you go to a Southern Baptist church you would very seldom see any whites.
-Sam Everhart-
When Barack Obama stated "The past isn't dead and buried. In fact, it isn't even past", he is relating to many things.
First and formost he is relating his comment to the issue of racism. Just because he was elected does not completely solve the issue of racism. In fact segregation still goes on today.
For example in most school there groups of people who hang with their specific group of people. This can cause race issues in that they can exclude a person of a different race or backgroud.
When Barack Obama stated "The past isn't dead and buried. In fact, it isn't even past", he is relating to many things.
First and formost he is relating his comment to the issue of racism. Just because he was elected does not completely solve the issue of racism. In fact segregation still goes on today.
For example in most school there groups of people who hang with their specific group of people. This can cause race issues in that they can exclude a person of a different race or backgroud.
-J.Baranowski
(oops)
Barack Obama has recently orated a speech on race. This speech is one of the most powerful speeches in American history because America's first black president is talking about race equality and inequality.
In the speech, Obama quotes William Faulkner by saying "The past isn't dead and buried. In fact, it isn't even past." This is a very powerful statement because it shows that Barack still hasn't seen much change from the past. By stating this quote, Obama has made it clear that America is far from forgetting slavery and unequal treatment of african americans.
Barack Obama stated this because he wanted America to realize that many blacks in our community can be traced back to direct ancestors who were treated unfairly, and these people are still being treated with many inequalities.
--Ralph woods--
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