Lesson 9 A More Perfect Union (Part I)

Pre-readingQuestions1.Whendeliveringaspeech,howcouldyouimpressyouraudience?2.WhenandwherewasthespeechdeliveredbyObama?3.WhydidObamadeliverthespeech?4.CouldyougivesomebriefintroductiontoObama?1.Anamusingstatement，incidentorjoke2.Astartlingstatement3.Aquotation4.Astory5.Rhetoricalquestions6.SuspenseBarackObamaBarackHusseinObamaII(bornAugust4,1961)isthe44thandcurrentPresidentoftheUnitedStates,inofficesince2009.HeisthefirstAfricanAmericantoholdtheoffice.BorninHonolulu,Hawaii,ObamaisagraduateofColumbiaUniversityandHarvardLawSchool.HeworkedasacivilrightsattorneyinChicagoandtaughtconstitutionallawattheUniversityofChicagoLawSchoolfrom1992to2004.HeservedthreetermsintheIllinoisSenatefrom1997to2004,runningunsuccessfullyfortheUnitedStatesHouseofRepresentativesin2000.HewonelectiontotheU.S.SenateinNovember2004.Hebeganhispresidentialcampaignin2007,andin2008,afteracloseprimarycampaignagainstHillaryClinton,hewonsufficientdelegatesintheDemocraticpartyprimariestoreceivethepresidentialnomination.HethendefeatedRepublicannomineeJohnMcCaininthegeneralelection,andwasinauguratedaspresidentonJanuary20,2009.Ninemonthslater,Obamawasnamedthe2009NobelPeacePrizelaureate.Hewasre-electedpresidentinNovember2012,defeatingRepublicannomineeMittRomney,andwassworninforasecondtermonJanuary20,2013.TheJeremiahWrightControversyTheJeremiahWrightControversyisanAmericanpoliticalissuethatgainednationalattentioninMarch2008whenABCNews,afterreviewingdozensofU.S.2008PresidentialElectioncandidateBarackObama’spastorJeremiahWright’ssermons,excerptedpartswhichweresubjecttointensemediascrutiny.WrightisaretiredseniorpastorofTrinityUnitedChurchofChristinChicagoandformerpastoroftheU.SPresidentBarackObama.Obamadenouncedthestatementsinquestion,butaftercriticscontinuedtopresstheissueofhisrelationshipwithWrighthegaveaspeechtitled“AMorePerfectUnion,”inwhichhesoughttoplaceDr.Wright’scommentsinahistoricalandsociologicalcontext.Inthespeech,ObamaagaindenouncedWright’sremarks,butdidnotdisownhimasaperson.Thegovernmentgivesthemthedrugs,buildsbiggerprisons,passesathree-strikelawandthenwantsustosing'GodBlessAmerica.'No,no,no,GoddamnAmerica,that'sintheBibleforkillinginnocentpeople,hesaidina2003sermon.GoddamnAmericafortreatingourcitizensaslessthanhuman.GoddamnAmericaforaslongassheactslikesheisGodandsheissupreme.WebombedHiroshima,webombedNagasaki,andwenukedfarmorethanthethousandsinNewYorkandthePentagon,andweneverbattedaneye,Rev.WrightsaidinasermononSept.16,2001.WehavesupportedstateterrorismagainstthePalestiniansandblackSouthAfricans,andnowweareindignantbecausethestuffwehavedoneoverseasisnowbroughtrightbacktoourownfrontyards.America'schickensarecominghometoroost,hetoldhiscongregation.IssueofRacialDiscrimination•RacialDiscrimination•Inthe1800stheslaveswerefreedbyPresidentAbrahamLincoln.Afterthisstartinginaboutthe1870sJimCrowlawswereintroduced.Theselawspromotedtheideaseparatebutequal,meaningthattheracesalthoughhavingtobeindifferentareasandnotallowedtointerminglewereequal.TheJenaSixweresixblackteenagersconvictedinthebeatingofJustinBarker,awhitestudentatJenaHighSchoolinJena,Louisiana,onDecember4,2006.2004成名演讲稿:无畏的希望Theaudacityofhope2008.3.18费城演讲AMorePerfectUnion2008.7.24柏林演讲Aworldthatstandsasone2008.11.06胜选演讲：ChangeHasComeToAmerica2009.1.20就职演讲BarackObama’sInauguralAddress奥巴马在宾夕法尼亚州费城发表的演讲，也是他在参选以后第一次就种族问题发表公开演讲StructurePart1(P1-5):ThebackgroundleadingtoObama’scampaignin2008.PartII(P6-11):Bymentioninghisownstoryasablackperson,Obamapointsoutthatbiasedopiniononracedoesexistandalsobringmuchinfluence.PartIII(P12-16):Obamacondemnedsomedivisivediscussionofrace,includinghisformerpastorReverendWright’sopinions.PartIV(P17-23)ThegoodfeaturesofReverendWrightandtheTrinityChurch:loveforandbetweeneveryAmericanpeople.PartV(P24-26):Conclusion.Urgencyforperfectingtheunion.Part1(P1-5):ThebackgroundleadingtoObama’scampaignin2008.1.WhydoesObamabeginhisaddresswiththewords“Wethepeople,inordertoformamoreperfectunion.”?2.AreyoufamiliarwiththefirstsentenceofPara2?3.Thedocumenttheyproducedwaseventuallysignedoutbutultimatelyunfinished.Howtounderstandthesentence?4.AccordingtoObama,howtonarrowthegapbetweenthepromiseandreality?5.What’sthefunctionofP1-5?Wethepeople,inordertoformamoreperfectunion.AquotefromthePreambletoConstitutionoftheUnitedStates.“WethepeopleoftheUnitedStates,inordertoformamoreperfectUnion,establishjustice,insuredomestictranquility,provideforthecommondefense,promotethegeneralwelfare,andsecuretheblessingsoflibertytoourselvesandourposterity,doordainandestablishthisConstitutionfortheUnitedStatesofAmerica.”我们美利坚合众国的人民，为了组织一个更完善的联邦，树立正义，保障国内的安宁，建立共同的国防，增进全民福利和确保我们自己及我们後代能安享自由带来的幸福，乃为美利坚合众国制定和确立这一部宪法。Purposeforthequotation:Toshowwherethetitlecamefrom;ToappealtotheaudiencebecauseAmericanpeopleworshiptheConstitution,regardingitasasacreddocumentliketheBible.Twohundredandtwentyoneyearsago,inahallthatstillstandsacrossthestreet,agroupofmengatheredand,withthesesimplewords,launchedAmerica'simprobableexperimentindemocracy.improbable:notlikelytohappenImprobableexperimentin