Challenger Disaster Speech Analysis

Appeal to Pity

Throughout the entire speech, President Reagan gives his condolences by emphasizing the tragic loss that had struck the nation.

This device works strongly because it correctly matches the emotion of the atmosphere and the mood of the country.

Appeal to Loyalty

In the sixth paragraph, Reagan describes NASA's urge to continue and his belief that they will succeed. President Reagan explains that nothing can hold the United States back, showing loyalty to the nation, the space program, and the people of America.

" I've always had great faith in and respect for our space program, and what happened today does nothing to diminish it. We don't hide our space program. We don't keep secrets and cover things up. We do it all up front and in public. That's the way freedom is, and we wouldn't change it for a minute. We'll continue our quest in space. There will be more shuttle flights and more shuttle crews and, yes, more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers in space. Nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue. I want to add that I wish I could talk to every man and woman who works for NASA or who worked on the mission and tell them: 'Your dedication and professionalism have moved and impressed us for decades. And we know of your anguish. We share it.' "

Plain Folks

" We don't hide our space program. We don't keep secrets and cover things up. We do it all up front and in public. That's the way freedom is, and we wouldn't change it for a minute. "

President Reagan makes the people of the United States feel like they are a part of it all using the plain folks method.

Claim

"We mourn the seven heroes: Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe."

(page 1, lines 10 and 11)

Reasons

5) "There's a coincidence today." (para 7)

2) "We've grown used to wonders in this century. Itś hard to dazzle us."

(para 4)

3) "I know it's hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen."

(para 5)

1) "For the families of the seven, we cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy, But we feel the loss, and we're thinking about you so very much." (para 3)

4) " I've always had great faith in and respect for our space program. And what happened today does nothing to diminish it." (para 6)

Evidence

1) "Your loved ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says, 'Give me a challenge, and I'll meet it with joy." They had a hunger to explore the universe and discover its truths. They wished to serve, and they did. They served us all." (paragraph 3)

5) "On this day 390 years ago, the great explorer Sir Francis Drake died aboard ship off the coast of Panama. In his lifetime the great frontiers were the oceans, and a historian later said, 'He lived by the sea, died on it, and was buried in it.' Well, today we can say of the Challenger crew: Their dedication was, like Drakes's, complete.

4) "We don't hide our space program. We don't keep secrets and cover things up. We do it all up front and in public. That's the way freedom is, and we wouldn't change it for a minute." (para 6)

2) "But for twenty-five years the United States space program has been doing just that. We've grown used to the idea of space, and, perhaps we forget that we've only just begun. We're still pioneers. They, the members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers." (para 4)

3) "It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons. The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them." (paragraph 5)