Point of view: According to Mrs. Obama, it is the responsibility of a modern city to invest in programs that provide enrichment opportunities for young people in all parts of the city:
So the opportunities available to a child growing up in one neighborhood in this city might be vastly different than a child growing up just five blocks away. And that difference can shape their lives and their life prospects from the moment they’re born.
Reasoning: Mrs. Obama argues for renewed civic investment because the opportunities for young people are no longer as rich as they were in her youth:
Today, too many kids in this city are living just a few El stops, sometimes even just a few blocks, from shiny skyscrapers and leafy parks and world-class museums and universities, yet all of that might as well be in a different state, even in a different continent.
Because many of our children have never been to the Art Institute or Millennium Park. Many of them don’t even know that the University of Chicago exists, let alone dream of attending that university -– or any university for that matter. They haven’t strolled along Navy Pier. Some of them have probably never even seen the lake.
Evidence: Mrs. Obama demonstrates how investments in opportunities for youth worked well for her and her peers 30 years earlier:
Most folks weren’t wealthy. A lot of people never went to college. And we generally couldn’t afford things like private music lessons or tutoring.
But thanks in part to this city, our lives were still rich with opportunities. We had decent public schools. I am a product of our public schools. We attended the Chicago Park District summer camps. Got a lot of ribbons from those camps I’m quite proud of. Played basketball on city courts. Our churches ran programs to expose us to music and the arts. So we didn’t have to be children of privilege to get the opportunity to enrich ourselves.
Rhetorical Strategies
Ethos: Mrs. Obama gives her audience several reasons to trust her concern and analysis based on her own reputation:
I’m here today because Chicago is my home. I was born and raised here. I built my career here. Several of my bosses are here—former bosses are here. I met and married the love of my life here. I raised my children here, who, by the way, still refer to Chicago as home. They believe it gives them a little more credibility.
So let me tell you, when it comes to ensuring the health and development and success of young people in this city, for me, this is my passion, it is my mission.
Pathos: In her speech, Mrs. Obama uses emotional appeal by recounting the tragedy of a promising young girl named Hadiya Pendleton who was killed by gun violence:
And Hadiya? Oh, we know that story. Just a week after she performed at my husband’s inauguration, she went to a park with some friends and got shot in the back because some kid thought she was in a gang. Hadiya’s family did everything right, but she still didn’t have a chance. And that story—the story of Hadiya’s life and death—we read that story day after day, month after month, year after year in this city and around this country.
Logos: Mrs. Obama uses logical appeal by explaining the specific programs that will be put in place once the community commits to a certain level of investment:
As you’ve heard, this fund will help create those ladders of opportunities for all of our kids. It will give our children mentors who push them and nurture them. It will teach them the life skills they need to succeed. It will give them alternatives to gangs and drugs—safe places where they can learn something and stay out of trouble.