JFK's Cuban Missile Crisis Address

Blog #4: Introduction of Analysis Speech
The speech I have chosen to analyze in my paper is John F. Kennedy’s October 22nd, 1962 address to the nation regarding the Cuban Missile Crisis. This speech comes on the heels of the United States discovery of what Kennedy calls “offensive” Soviet nuclear weapons sites on the island of Cuba, less than 100 miles off the coast of Florida. He details the plan of action the US has taken in response to this threat, as he “feels obliged to report this new crisis to [the American public] in fullest detail.” In his explanation of the threat, he shows that this problem is not only an American issue; since these weapons are located in the Western Hemisphere, nations such as Mexico, Panama and even Canada should be on alert to this new threat. Kennedy goes on to directly attack the Soviet Union for its violation of international treaty, its numerous lies to the American government, and its “capture” of the peaceful population of Cuba for their own aggressive intentions. He lists many examples which are used to not only put the Communists in a bad light, but also to better the image of the United States. Often when attacking the communists, Kennedy follows with a point of the American’s peaceful initiatives, furthering the idea that America has the moral high ground in this conflict. Kennedy then moves on to lay out seven plans that the United States will pursue immediately, everything from putting much of the military on high alert, to working directly with global organizations such as the UN and OAS, to talking directly with the Russian government to “search for peaceful and permanent solutions.” In closing his speech, Kennedy directly addresses the “captive people of Cuba,” as he tells them that their government is simply a “puppet” in the communist world, and that the United States wishes to free them as a people. In what I thought was a memorable closing line, Kennedy states, “Our goal is not the victory of might, but the vindication of right.”

Submitted by Kit Neuman