l Gentlemen you are now about to embark

l “Gentlemen, you are now about to embark on a course of studies that (will) form a noble adventure…Let me make this clear to you. . . nothing that you will learn in the course of your studies will be of the slightest possible use to you in after life – save only this – that if you work hard and intelligently, you should be able to detect when a man is talking rot, and that, in my view, is the main, if not the sole purpose of education. ” (British Prime Minister Harold Mac. Millan, quoting his professor of Moral Philosophy)

Public Speaking (Rhetoric) Learning to Talk Well in Public

The Importance of Speech n “If all of my possessions were taken from me with one exception, I would choose to keep the power of speech, for by it I would soon regain all the rest. ” Sen. Daniel Webster (1782 -1852)

l One of the first three true Liberal Arts - (Logic & Grammar) Ø L. A. frees and empowers people Note 1: Training ≠ Education Note 2: LA education ≠ (necessarily) “Liberalizing”

Contemporary Definition l For our purposes, "Rhetoric is the art, practice, and study of human communication. ” Andrea Lunsford (prof. of Rhetoric, Stanford U. )

Rhetorical Situation Defined l A situation in which peoples understandings (values, beliefs, actions) can be changed through messages.

Notice suit, shirt and tie color – why these colors?

Free speech is not “Right Speech” l “Right Speech” is based on the Rhetorical Situation.

Jeremiah l http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=jc 2 FC J 7 z. WEQ

Rhetorical Rectangle Audience Occasion Speaker Message

Determinates l Occasion n Specific (and purpose) setting, circumstances n Exigency - urgency, situation that needs prompt action/remedy n Audience has expectations of what is appropriate.

Determinates l Audience n Who are they? n Analyze them n Identification (connection)

Good & Goofy

Dukakis Debate l http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=DF 9 g Syku-fc

Determinates [cont’d] l Speaker n Some things speaker must establish Ethos – credible and ethical l Pathos – emotional connection (heart) l Logos – compelling reasoning (head) l l Speech/Message Invention – content development n Arrangement – how the content is put together n Style - delivery n

Back to Jeremiah

Jeremiah Wright and the Rhetorical Situation l Speaker n 6 - Wright year Military Service (volunteered) l 2 years as a Marine l 4 years as Navy Corpsman n Letter of Commendation for helping provide critical care to President Johnson n Delivered approximately 205, 711 minutes of preaching over 35 years

l Occasion n Black as l The Church historically sees the church Social/religious/political center of the culture l Prophetic - calling society back to an understanding and implementation of divine desire and intent.

l Audience n Different than “Mainline White Church” l Martin Luther King, Jr. once said that the most segregated place in America is the Sunday morning church sanctuary. l Remains true l White mainline churches tend to focus on individual salvation and personal morality l Black churches consider these but also look at social salvation, changing social structures that harm people, and accountability for such.

l Message n Statements about how government lied l As the link below shows, Wright was right, though we typically don’t want to know l http: //www. informationclearinghouse. info/article 3511. htm l Speaking to issues such as this is part of the prophetic responsibility Black Churches place on their pastors. n “God Damn America” l Draws on language from the prophets who said the same to Israel l Not a statement of his desire for the U. S.

So, was it “Much Ado About Nothing? ? ” l Well, in one sense, yes. The Loudest opposition and expressions of hatred and disgust came both from white people and religious white people. l Given the explanations previously, while Wrights words would not be part of the Rhetorical Situation in mainline white churches, they were appropriate to the Rhetorical Situation in his church.

l So what is your next Rhetorical Situation? n Your Informative Speech

l So, what do you need to consider?

IGNORE SLIDES BELOW

l Really! There is nothing else you need to view. l So stop it!

The Avoidance of Speech n "All this sounds fine, O Lord, " replied Moses, "but I am not a public speaker. When I get up before a crowd my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. ” (Ca: 1500 -1200 BCE; EX 4: 10)

Tisias and Corax Let’s spend some time with them.

"KAKOU KORAKOS KAKON OON" l Corax: Your Honors, I, too, stand humbly before you. I, too, recognize, in years far more experienced than that of my adversary, your outstanding record of prudent and just decision making on behalf of those whose cause is just. We are indeed fortunate to gain a hearing before you. This, then, is my case. l I have given Tisias the very best education in rhetoric of which I am capable, on the condition that he would at some point in his career pay my tuition. This he has not done. Now, if you rule against me -- that is if Tisias does in fact win his case -- it serves to show that I taught him Rhetoric well, in which case he should be required to pay my tuition. If, however, Tisias does not win his case, that would show him to be a poor, or rather bad, student. (We already know he is poor. ) Those who are wise well know that a teacher is not to be faulted if, in discharging his services well and faithfully, the student is simply too stupid or too lazy (or too both) to take advantage of those services, expertly rendered. l But even this is unnecessary to my case. For a ruling against Tisias is a ruling in favor of me. Such a ruling would, of course, mean that Tisias must pay my tuition. In either case, then, my tuition should be paid. http: //www. americanrhetoric. com/corax&tisias. htm l

Relevance?

l http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Zt. BB gn 0 I 34 E

Pres. Hugo Chavez (Venezuela) U. N. Speech (Sept. 20, 2006) “The devil is right at home. The devil, the devil himself, is right in the house. "And the devil came here yesterday. Yesterday the devil came here. Right here. " [crosses himself] "And it smells of sulfur still today. “Yesterday, ladies and gentlemen, from this rostrum, the president of the United States, the gentleman to whom I refer as the devil, came here, talking as if he owned the world. Truly. As the owner of the world. http: //www. commondreams. org/views 06/0920 -22. htm

l Perry's hiding record behind angry rhetoric

Classical Definition “[T]he faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion. " Aristotle (384 -322 BCE) [Rhetoric] is the "art of enchanting the soul. ” Plato (ca. 424 -328 BCE)

l "Rhetoric is the art of speaking well" or ". . . good man speaking well. ” Quintillian (35 -100 CE)

Two Controversial Examples l NRA (Wayne Lapierre) on Newton tragedy l Out of respect for those grieving families, and until the facts are known, the NRA has refrained from comment. While some have tried to exploit tragedy for political gain, we have remained respectfully silent.