On the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, Barack Obama spoke of the dreams that Martin Luther King Jr. and the thousands of people who marched with him had for the future of the United States, but he also recognized what we Americans must do to realize them. that dream. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." So much for To begin, Obama alludes to the Emancipation Proclamation written by Abraham Lincoln, the first man among many to have the “flame” burning within for freedom. Obama goes on to say that “in 1963, almost 200 years after those words were put on paper , a full century after emancipation was fought for and proclaimed, that promise – that truth – remained unfulfilled.” Even though Lincoln had said those words, not much was done to actually make it happen. Second, Obama evokes images by illustrating the trip to Washington DC: “Across the country, congregations sent them off with food and prayer. In the dead of night, entire blocks of Harlem came out to wish them well.” Those with less money did the same. hitchhiked or walked with the group of protesters while others headed to Washington. The protesters were a host of people: seamstresses, steel workers, teachers, students, waitresses and more. At the march there were not only blacks, but also whites who supported the blacks throughout the march. “And then, on a hot summer day, they gathered here, in our nation's capital, in the shadow of the Great Emancipator.” Obama once again recognizes Abraham Lincoln as “the Great Emancipator” who without them would not have been there that day. “But we would like to remember that that day also belonged to those ordinary people whose names never appeared in history books, nor were they ever on TV.” Obama doesn't shy away from the fact that some people are still angry about the way they were treated. Many had gone to segregated schools and segregated lunch counters. They lived in cities where they couldn't vote and in cities where their votes didn't count. They were couples of lovers who could marry, soldiers who fought abroad for the freedom that they felt denied to them at home. “They had seen loved ones beaten and children hit by fire hydrants, and they had every reason to lash out in anger or resign themselves to a bitter fate.” Another rhetorical strategy used by Obama is repetition throughout the speech. The first sign of repetition is when he says "Why did they march" to make it clear that if this march had not happened not only blacks, but also women, Jews, Asians and others would still be treated as second class citizens until Today. . Damn! Obama wouldn't even be president. Another example of repetition is towards the end of the speech where Obama explains what we can do and what people are already doing to help make MLK Jr.'s dream come true. He says, "The tireless teacher who gets to class early and stays until late and reaches into his own pockets to buy supplies because he believes that every child is his responsibility - he is marching." And further: “All who realize what those glorious patriots knew that day – that change comes not from Washington, but from Washington: that change has always been built on our willingness, We The People, to take on the role Of.”