Tuesday, March 6, 2012

I will not retreat from it. I will not compromise.

Here is a speech that I quoted in class.

"My friends,

"I had not intended to discuss this controversial subject at this particular time. However, I want you to know that I do not shun controversy. On the contrary, I will take a stand on any issue at any time, regardless of how fraught with controversy it might be. You have asked me how I feel about whiskey. All right, here is how I feel about whiskey.

"If when you say whiskey you mean the devil's brew, the poison scourge, the bloody monster, that defiles innocence, dethrones reason, destroys the home, creates misery and poverty, yea, literally take the bread from the mouths of little children; if you mean the evil drink that topples the Christian man and woman from the pinnacle of righteous, gracious living into the bottomless pit of degradation, and despair, and shame and helplessness, and hopelessness, then certainly I am against it.

"But;

"If when you say whiskey you mean the oil of conversation, the philosophic wine, the ale that is consumed when good fellows get together, that puts a song in their hearts and laughter on their lips, and the warm glow of contentment in their eyes; if you mean Christmas cheer; if you mean the stimulating drink that puts the spring in the old gentleman's step on a frosty, crispy morning; if you mean the drink which enables a man to magnify his joy, and his happiness, and to forget, if only for a little while, life's great tragedies, and heartaches, and sorrows; if you mean that drink, the sale of which pours into our treasuries untold millions of dollars, which are used to provide tender care for our little crippled children, our blind, our deaf, our dumb, our pitiful aged and infirm; to build highways and hospitals and schools, then certainly I am for it.

"This is my stand. I will not retreat from it. I will not compromise."


This speech was given on April 4, 1952 by Judge Noah "Soggy" Sweat. He uses only three pieces of punctuation, the period, comma, and semi-colon; each for specific reasons:

Semi-Colon - helps steady the pace because the pause created by a comma would be to short and that of the period too long. It also helps to separate the lists with lists. It also gives the meaning a sense of less permanence.
Comma - shows distinct but short pauses in the flow of speech. They are what separates the mini-lists held within the larger larger lists. These also have a sense of forgiveness and lack of permanence.
Period - Used sparingly and only for emphasis and to finish thoughts and lends a sense of permanence to the statements it is applied to.

He also makes effective use of euphony and cacophony with in the speech. Cacophony emphasizes the chaos the evil side of whiskey makes; euphony on the other hand lends itself to the flowing nature of the good contained by whiskey.

Within his last two sentences he makes use of great tacit persuasion; "I will not retreat from it. I will not compromise." are repetitive phrases and while I had not heard of this speech prior to being shown it in class I know those lines or lines similar to them. They are memorable and they make a clear statement about his argument.

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