One Woman’s Courage
Abstract
During a time of strife and turmoil in American history, one woman, Senator Margaret Chase Smith, extends herself by giving a speech on the moral and ethical failings of McCarthyism called “Declaration of Conscience.” Sen. Smith successfully approaches her audience using pathos and repetition of text to convey her message. Unfortunately, being the only woman in the Senate in 1950, her ethos is questionable when addressing a male dominant Senate floor.
One Woman’s Courage
During the Cold War of the 1940’s and 1950’s, Senator Margaret Chase Smith gives an emotional speech condemning the US Senate as being unjust and immature in dealing with potential communist traitors among the American people. Margaret Chase Smith, being the only female Senator, courageously addresses the Senate floor and President Truman, explaining the immoral and unethical approach of accusing potentially innocent people of treasonous acts. Senator Smith succeeds in being persuasive utilizing an emotionally evocative tone and repetition of text, yet her ethos is questionable in the eyes of a male dominate audience.
Smith effectively utilizes pathos when she addresses President Truman and the U.S. Senate in June of 1950. Smith calls to question the effectiveness of US leadership, which, coming from a woman, is offensive in a time where a woman’s place is in the home. She identifies “lack of effective leadership in either the Legislative Branch or the Executive Branch of our Government” (Smith, 1950). Senator Smith sets an accusatory tone when addressing both her peers and superiors. She continues her accusatory tone by chastising the immaturity of her colleges. “Surely we should be able to take the same kind of character attacks that we ‘dish out’ to outsiders” (Smith, 1950). As if she is addressing grade school children on the playground who won’t share, Smith effectively pushes her maternal tone to point out...