A Paper Post II

Analysis: People do it everyday.  In this paper, I analyzed a speech by Hillary Clinton.  At first, I was going to show what a bad politician she was.  However, this speech was not about liberals or conservatives: It was about respecting human life, and how we are called to do so.  I felt inspired when I wrote about it, and realized that even though I may not agree with certain politicians for particular reasons, I can accept that fact that not everything they say is to be disregarded.

---

                                                      Stronger Families and Countries

     When the First Lady Hillary Clinton delivered her speech entitled “Women's Rights Are Human Rights” at the fourth United Nations Women's Conference in Beijing, the audience listened with rapt attention and approval.  Clinton desired to inform people across the world, not just the citizens of the United States, that women need to feel appreciated, loved, and respected in order to fulfill their roles to the best of their ability.  Carefully constructed, her speech reassured the audience with every word she spoke. Hillary Clinton’s speech demonstrated an exceptional and unique amount of persuasive oratory because of its appeal to pathos, its organization, and its credibility.
     During the autumn of 1995, trade and social relations between the United States and China were strained.  After various events, the United States took a step towards healing the relationship.  At the same time, however, China was hosting the United Nations 4th World Women's Conference.  One of the speakers participating in this event was Hillary Clinton.  As the wife of President William Jefferson Clinton, Hillary Clinton chose this time to promote not only the rights of women, but also her own ideas.  On September 5, 1995, Hillary Clinton presented a speech to hundreds of women, mothers, and daughters.  This speech  communicated that all are created equal and that women deserve the same human rights and respect as men.
      “By gathering in Beijing, we are focusing world attention on issues that matter most in our lives - the lives of women and their families: access to education, health care, jobs and credit, the chance to enjoy basic legal and human rights and to participate fully in the political life of our countries." Essentially, Clinton started her speech by telling women that she supported them no matter what.  She appealed to their emotions and told them that she wanted to see the women of the Asian and other countries thrive, not be cast down.  During this time period, women and girls in these countries were (and still are) being taken advantage of.  Clinton stressed the fact that though the world was coming upon the twenty-first century, people in many countries were still violating the rights of women.  She continued only to state how important it is for everyone to work together and ensure the progress of lesser developed countries in order to secure the safety of women.

     Clinton used a great amount of pathos as she displayed the various examples of violation of women's rights.  In the case of China, Bosnia, and India, citizens are afraid to speak their opinion lest they be convicted and thrown in prison.  Because of this, people would take advantage of others.  In China, women could be punished for giving birth to a girl instead of a boy, and in the worst cases, the baby would be aborted.  In India and Bosnia, men would set fire to their newlywed wives merely because the dowry was not large enough.  These drastic and horrendous deeds (among many others) are what Clinton spoke out against.  She stated, “Our goals for this conference, to build up families and societies by empowering women to take greater control over their own destinies, cannot be fully achieved unless all governments – here and around the world – accept their responsibility to protect and promote internationally recognized human rights.”  In this way, Clinton appealed to people and their morality. 

    Concerning organization, the speech upheld attributes of solidity and consistency; there was never a sentence out of order or a word without meaning.  Clinton was undoubtedly genuinely concerned about this topic because her heartfelt pleas to the public were carefully crafted.  This speech could have been all about using Ad Hominem attacks against countries that still do violate women.  Instead, Clinton decided to stress the fact that women need to be encouraged and loved to perform (as she stated) the sometimes mundane tasks of everyday life.

     While the First Lady gave her speech, the Chinese and other women were not only eager to hear the message, but earnest in their desire to make a change for the better.  To keep her audience alert and engaged, Clinton's ethos appeal incorporated examples from U.S. history that ran parallel to the countries she spoke of.  She spoke of the development of women's rights in America being the reason for her support of the issue today. Passionate about this topic, she informed her listeners about every activity she was involved in to better the lives of women around the world, which made her emphatic speech more credible.  Clinton did not proclaim that the government needed more funds for a program; she focused on the fact that every person has a duty to respect and cherish the women in their lives.

     The opinion on this subject could be questioned.  Some were probably skeptical, wondering if she spoke out against violators of women and their human rights merely to improve the image of herself and that of her husband.  Tactfully, Clinton addressed those who might think this speech unnecessary by encouraging them to listen to the voices of the women in their homes, neighborhoods, and workplaces, even if they thought that the roles of women and girls mattered little in the broad spectrum of economic and political progress around the world.  Clinton emphasized the fact that even though people may not think that women play an extremely important role in political and economic progress, women who are respected and treated properly become better people and mothers.  When that happens, families, which are the backbone of a nation, are strengthened, and when families are strengthened, countries are fortified.

     A moving speech, it encouraged not only women, but people around the world to edify their families, communities, and countries by ensuring the protection of the rights of their women and girls.  Though Clinton may not be the primary example of the best political leader, she made some excellent observations when she addressed this issue.  The rights of a woman are human rights. Though these rights should not be completely elevated in every aspect, they are important elements to consider.  Women with human rights make better families, which, in turn, create stronger communities and countries.

Works Cited

Clinton, Hillary R. "United Nations 4th World Conference Speech ("Women's Rights Are Human Rights")." American Rhetoric: The Power of Oratory in the United States. American Rhetoric, 2001. Web. 14 Feb. 2012.