Summary of President Lyndon

Lyndon B. Johnson attempted to persuade his listeners to act in order to guarantee equal voting rights for all Americans by using the phrase â€Å"the American Promise. † He began his peech in a way that suggests his message would surpass the current constraint facing the nation. The current constraint, he felt, was a â€Å"turning point in man's unending search for freedom† and â€Å"equal rights. † It is part of the American Promise, which is to guarantee the freedom and equality of every man in America.Johnson suggested throughout his speech that denying equal rights to African Americans, illustrated by the violence in Selma, AL, signify a threat to the values our nation. To keep African Americans from enjoying the freedom and equality guaranteed by the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution would break our nation's promise, Johnson mentions throughout his speech. In short, the President held the dialect of democratic freedom and equality to h elp guarantee equal voting rights to African Americans.Johnson also argues that the issue confronting the county was of historic significance. He suggested that although the United States kept African Americans from enjoying the benefits of freedom and equality for many years, the nation had not broken its promise†yet; however destiny had crossed the nation's ath at this exact time, for the decision to be made, keep the promise or break it. The president stresses that such a moment came â€Å"rarely in any time. † Therefore, the nation must take hold of the opportunity.His speech helped deflate Southern resistance to equal voting rights by making racial discrimination at voting booth seem fundamentally un-American. By doing this Johnson directly put supporters of segregation on the losing side of an issue of principle. No one could argue persuasively that voter discrimination was in line with American values. Out of this peech President Johnson crafted a compelling Just ification for immediate passage of a strong federal voting rights law.His speech became the framework for public and congressional deliberations. At a time ot urgency and chaos, his speech to congress and to the nation provided focus and clarity on a very important and sensitive issue of that time. President Johnson's speech is remarkable because it made the idea of equal voting rights meaningful and compelling through shared interests, motives, and intentions in order to secure the passage of one of the most important civil rights laws for the country.