Oliver North's Speech at Liberty

Written by Red Williams

As Lt. Col. Oliver North took the Stage at Liberty University in 1988 to give his commencement speech, he had two major tasks to accomplish. First, he had to prove that although his participation in the Iran-Contra scandal was against the law, he had acted in accordance with his own ethics and morals - something he would never apologize for. His strategy was to persuade the audience that he was a true American patriot who had acted in the best interest of the country. More importantly, North wanted to inspire the next generation to follow in his footsteps and serve the greater good of the United States. North's main goal in the speech was to motivate the college graduates to become patriots, and never forget what it means to be American. By utilizing ethos, pathos, and logos, North succeeded in accomplishing his two major goals in this speech.

Before North could accomplish anything, he had to do what all speakers must do in the public forum: invent himself. He had recently undergone the largest investigation in history, and thus his ethos was on shaky ground. North understood that the audience had to trust and admire him before they would listen to his message. His ethos building strategies were visible before he even muttered a word. As he took the stage, he walked in front of an enormous American flag symbolizing exactly what he stood for.

Page 1 of Oliver North's Speech at Liberty
Page 2 of Oliver North's Speech at Liberty
Page 3 of Oliver North's Speech at Liberty
Page 4 of Oliver North's Speech at Liberty