john f kennedy address to the greater houston ministerial association
TRANSCRIPT
JOHN F KENNEDY
Address To The Greater
Houston Ministerial
Association By: Karen Rios
SOAPSTONE
SPEAKER :John F Kennedy
Age : 35
Candidate for USA Presidency
35th president
OCCASION September 12, 1960
John F Kennedy felt his duty to address to the Great Houston Ministerial Association in
Houston, Texas that the real issues of the 1960 campaign were not religious issues,
although the real issues has been obscured by the so called religious issues.
AUDIENCE
Houston Ministerial Association
Skeptical audience of Protestant clergy.
PURPOSE The purpose of John F Kennedy addressing this matter to the Greater
Ministerial Association was so he could demonstrate that he believed in an
America of religious freedom and tolerance.
He believed in absolute separation of church and state.
Believed that religion should not dictate political policy and politics should not
interfere with religion.
Kennedy also believed in religious tolerance
he believed in an American president who was
not limited due to his religious beliefs.
Kennedy did not think Americans should be intrigued with his religious views and
beliefs of others.
Should have been intrigued with the bigger issues such that he said” The
humiliating treatment of our President and Vice President by those who no longer
respect our power , the hungry children I saw in West Virginia, the old people who
cannot pay their doctors bills, the families forced to give up their farms, an America
with too many slums, with too few schools, and too late to the moon and outer
space.
These are the real issues which should decide this campaign. And they are not
religious issues-- for war and hunger and ignorance and despair know no religious
barrier.”
SUBJECT The subject of this speech was to inform the
Greater Ministerial Association and Americans that
the campaign of 1960 should not be about religious
issues but in stead of the real and serious issues that
were going around the world such as the cold war
tensions between the United states and the Soviet
Union.
TONEConcise
• “While the so-called religious issue is necessarily and properly the chief topic here tonight, I want to emphasize from the outset that we have far more critical issues to face in the 1960 election”
Clear • “These are the real issues which should decide this campaign. And
they are not religious issues”
Passionate • “ For without reservation, I can "solemnly swear that I will faithfully
execute the office of president of the United States, and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution, so help me God.”
ETHOS
Ethos• Candidate for presidency • “I ask you tonight to follow in that tradition, to judge me on the basis of
my record of 14 years in Congress”• “I am not the Catholic candidate for president. I am the Democratic
Party's candidate for president, who happens also to be a Catholic.”
PATHOS
• “This is the kind of America I believe in, and this is the kind I fought for in the South Pacific, and the kind my brother died for in Europe. ”
• ”The humiliating treatment of our president and vice president by those who no longer respect our power; ”
• America He believes in.• “Separation of churches and state is absolute”• “Finally, I believe in an America where religious
intolerance will someday end”
LOGOS
“The humiliating treatment of our president and vice president by those who no
longer respect our power; the hungry children I saw in West Virginia; the old people
who cannot pay their doctor bills; the families forced to give up their farms; an
America with too many slums, with too few schools, and too late to the moon and
outer space”
“This is the kind of America I believe in, and this is the kind I fought for in the
South Pacific, and the kind my brother died for in Europe. ”
when they fought for the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Virginia Statute of
Religious Freedom; and when they fought at the shrine I visited today, the Alamo. ”
CONCLUSION
John J Kennedy with this speech hoped to make the
Houston Ministerial Association understand that his
religion would not interfere with his presidency if elected.
“Solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of
president of the United States, and will to the best of my
ability preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution, so
help me God.”
http://youtu.be/mBNlS8Zg1WA