English 101
05/03/15
Response to President Obama's Speech
"Yes We Can"
After reading the speech quoted in the book, by WILL.I.AM. Watching the video of 'Yes We Can', I came to question who actually wrote those famous words. Like Martin Luther King Jr. those words became iconic. Celebrities were quoting and writing songs about just those words. I found my self very curious. Was it Will, was it Obama? Who wrote this speech?
Googling the question brought me to a number of links. One of which was all about a young 32 year old man who loved reading speeches so then decided to become a speech writer. He sat down with Barrack Obama and collaborated ideas until they came up with "Yes We Can". Jon Favreau is the actual writer and personal contributor to that famous speech. The words make you think. They put into perspective the hardships of the American people. The struggles some people have endured and how to positively defeat the possibility of an oppressive existence. In the video we witness many of our favorite celebrities idealizing the words and embracing the idea. It's based on exactly what we want our America to look like. I find myself fascinated by how many people fall right into the propaganda that is so evident in videos and speeches just like this. If we want change in the world and we want to have a say, it's all wonderful to sing songs about it, but a person must use their voice to ask questions. Why are these bad things even happening, Why do I care so much about them, What can we do to make a real difference? The ideals of the speech are wonderful, it's just going to take a little more thought to make an impact. Those words however did win the heart of the majority in America.
The lessons in this article defiantly make you think about your own writing and what it is that you want to contribute to your own legacy and how you want your words to impact other people.
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