Speech is the vessel through which all language is transported. Without it, or its various forms, we would be stranded in a sea of our own interpretations, melded by silent language, but never through human interaction. So in many ways, verbal communication is as important to our mental stability as our conceived notions of happiness are; it grounds our world and brings us together to share in agreement, persuasion, humor, and a myriad of other interactions. It is by no coincidence then, that the changes that have impacted our history profusely, were often sparked by the speeches of great orators. Perhaps one of the most talented modern orators in the last century was, indeed, an actor. He was also our president for a lengthy bit of time, Ronald Reagan.
Say what you want about his politics or his ethics, (I can't tell if those are inter-related or poised against each other), Ronald Reagan could deliver words with the impact of a hammer, but utilized even, unwavering tones that suggested discipline and authority. Drawing extensively from frames of the Masculinity, Empiricism, and stoic Christianity, his speeches were ripe with metaphor. (Robbins page 86,98-99) A perfect example of this is his address to the nation after the space shuttle Challenger suffered a malfunction and exploded during takeoff. It resonated with strength, and somber understanding:
"We’ve grown used to wonders in this century. It’s hard to dazzle us. But for 25 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.
And I want to say something to the school children of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle’s takeoff. I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. 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……
The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honoured us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for the journey and waved goodbye and ‘slipped the surly bonds of earth’ to ‘touch the face of God."
The speech focuses on the merits of the crew lost, highlighting the idea of the American Pioneer. In our culture the pioneer is one to be cheered, for expanding our knowledge of the beyond and providing a first glimpse at what could possibly be dangerous. There certainly is a somewhat heroic connotation surrounding the pioneering spirit. Historically, however, our expansionism caused the near genocide of the Native American Spirit, so from a cultural context, not everyone might see this relationship between astronaut and pioneer so adherent. In classic American-Christian style, Mr. Reagan also incorporated a biblical reference. To reach out into space is to "Touch the face of God", a metaphor that is both cleverly written, and empowering to the seven people that were lost. In Christianity, God is untouchable and unequal to any human. To bring one's hand closer to him is to bring one's self closer to power, wisdom, and courage. This is but one example of Reagan's many spectacular oratory moments. Say what you want about the president, he was a powerhouse at the podium, utilizing speech in ways that connected or affected each and every American, creating much with only so many words.
