Thursday, February 19, 2009

Well Known Speaker - Dr. Martin Luther Jr.

The well-known speaker that I would like to consider is Dr. Martin Luther King. In my opinion Dr. King’s strongest characteristic as a speaker was the influence he had on public opinion. He also had credibility not only with his parishioners but the public in his plight for equality. As for attractiveness, yes he was an attractive man, which made it easier for people to acknowledge and pay attention to his message which attributes to his effectiveness as a speaker. In my opinion Dr. King demonstrated a power of not giving up and a determination that he recognized may not happen in his lifetime but would one day become reality of equality for all not based on race or gender. Of the three characteristics, credibility, attractiveness, and power; I believe that the strongest characteristic, if I had to choose one, would be credibility. I believe this because of the values that he demonstrated not only in his speeches but in his actions with the public. In my opinion Dr. King did not need to build ethos with regards to credibility, attractiveness, or power. This is probably why he is known as one of the greatest civil rights speakers.
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4 comments:

  1. haivannaFebruary 20, 2009 at 12:38 AM

    I can see why you say Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s strongest characteristic was the influence he had on the public opinion. Anybody who is confident about what they are saying and is in to the cause and has that much compassion for what they are saying can do that. He truly believed every word of what he was saying and it was basically his soul speaking for him. What i mean is that every syllable honestly came from his heart. If you just write a speech about something you couldnt care less about, that is what will show. What Dr. King cared about truly showed.

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  2. The Blogging ProfFebruary 21, 2009 at 9:24 AM

    Hello sjsueducatedfool! Do you think that his "I have a dream" speech would have been just as effective had he not already been known? Why or why not?

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  3. sjsueducatedfoolFebruary 21, 2009 at 10:48 AM

    Hey Blogging Prof.

    The fact the Dr. King was well known before he delivered his "I have a dream" speech lead to his crediablity of a civil rights leader who wanted peaceful demonstrations and equal rights for all. So yes I do feel that his speech may have been less effective at the time it was delivered if he was not well know.

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  4. janejolieFebruary 21, 2009 at 11:02 PM

    I agree with Haivana on the comment you made on MLK's strongest characteristic. The very fact that he is a speaker from a long time, yet is still famous today is evidence enough to prove that he is an effective speaker.

    To go along with our professor, I think his speech would still have been moving. The presence that he had is remembered throughout history and although his credibility may not have had the same effect, I think it would be safe to say his "I have a Dream" speech would still have been talked about.

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