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Writing Sample Context: Written for a communication rhetoric course. The prompt was to reflect
on the impact of a text from the perspective of a rhetorical critic. The text I chose was the 1969
apology from Ted Kennedy regarding the Chappaquiddick incident.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgL6BsLmyQ8
Youre Lucky Youre a Senator
An educated, wealthy, senator, Ted Kennedy had everything on his side. Just his last
name alone came with a reputation that no other family in America could acquire. With a legacy
like one of the Kennedys and high hopes for being a candidate for President, Ted Kennedy had a
promising future ahead of him, until one night that would change it all. July 18, 1969 on
Chappaquiddick Island, Mary Jo Kopechne would take her last breath resulting in Ted Kennedy
spending the rest of his political career rebuilding his credibility and legitimacy. Using a value
analysis, this essay will explain how Ted Kennedy relies on the values supporting a high status
politician to gain credibility and further support from his Massachusetts constituents. Ted
Kennedys formal elements, positive and negative language, and explicit and implicit values
reveal his true morals and show that they do not align with the morals a person of his position
should possess. Doing a value analysis on this appeal to the public is necessary because it reveals
how Ted Kennedys values, that he explicitly states and relies on, do not match his personal
actions. This conflict is a reason why his explanation is questioned and not as helpful for his
political career as he had intended.
Ted Kennedy gave an appeal to his constituents of Massachusetts regarding an incident
on Chappaquiddick Island when he was involved in a car accident where his passenger, Mary Jo
Kopechne, was discovered dead. Kennedy did not report the incident to the police until the next
morning after a series of events that lead him to only be charged of leaving the scene of an
accident. After pleading guilty to his charge, he appeals to his constituents of Massachusetts for

their support in his political career and advice in his decision if he should still remain in office.
After a legacy of successful politicians, Ted Kennedy was expected to run as a candidate for the
1972 Presidential Election. This event held true to the Kennedy legacy of success but also true to
the series unfortunate events that always followed the family. Teds case would lead him to not
be a favorable candidate for presidency. With a series of death and misfortunes, the Kennedy
family has had a dark cloud over them long before Ted Kennedys incident. After the death of
his two brothers, this incident was just added to the list of what is now known as the Kennedy
Curse (Lacayo, 1999).
The formal elements of Kennedys appeal show how he is embracing his status as a
respected politician to aid his credibility. Kennedy gave his speech in a prim blue suit, with a
clean shaved face, and well-kept hair. The speech was given in an office with shelves full of
volumes of nicely bound books. His appearance and the setting of the speech symbolize his
wealth and status that supports him. His established Harvard education was present physically
throughout his entire appeal (Ted Kennedy, 2013). The appeal being aired on every major
television station, during prime time, also showed his importance and stature in society.
Elements such as this are not just part of the context of Kennedys appeal; they are elements that
are the foundation to the underlying intent of the speech. Kennedy was fortunate enough with his
wealth, political position, and fame to have the opportunity to be seen by so many Americans
that evening to present his case and plead for advice. His appeal would not have the same effects
on his audience if he were wearing casual clothes outside of his elegant office that legitimizes his
wealth, but also his education. Being a Kennedy with an estimated worth of over 400 million at
the time, it was obvious that he had more factors working for him than against him (White, 1969,
p. 4). Since Kennedys appeal being aired on television for people to physically see, he

strategically played off of the physical formal elements to be the underlying foundation to the
words he was delivering, legitimate or not. Whether or not his appeal was believable or factual,
just seeing him in the context he is presented in is an instant reminder of his position in
American society and culture in 1969.
Kennedys careful use of positive and negative language reveal how he particularly wants
his side of the story told in such a way to gain understanding and forgiveness. How he tells his
story is a direct reflection of how he wants people to associate him and his morals with his
currently held political position with regard to the incident. In Kennedys description, he refers to
the women at the party as girls. Also, in all of his accounts, he refers to his actions to attempt to
save her (Nichols, 2014). When telling his story, it makes him seem like a positive figure that
tried to save a girl, rather than wording it in a way to make it seem like he killed a woman in a
car accident. Kennedy uses positive words such as devoted, loyal, and gentle kind to
describe Kopechne, and in return uses phrases such as making her a home with the Kennedys
in describing her relationship with the family and their reciprocated loyalty to her. He proceeds
to tell a story where he describes his accounts as confused, having lack of awareness, and not
being able to recall all events. The words he used and the way he delivered his story led the
public to have basic information but still more questions unanswered than answered (White,
1969). When describing the events of that evening, such as the car veering off of the road and the
water trying to drown him, his word placements seems to take the blame off of him and onto
circumstances that seem irrational (Nichols, 2014). The tone in his voice, him reading the
narrative from a scripted piece of paper, and his careful word choice all reveal how he wanted
the public to perceived what had happened, leading to more questions of what really happened
that July evening. The intent of Kennedys appeal was to clear the air, but by his vague

descriptions and lack of sincerity, confidence in his abilities would not exceed far past the
Massachusetts borders (Fritts, 1969). His language being backed up by his educated high status
was hoped to be enough to convince his people to advise him to uphold his position as senator,
and continue their political support of him aside from his personal life decisions.
Kennedy has obvious explicit values he wants his audience to keep in mind as well as
implicit values that are revealed through his delivery of the appeal. After Kennedy finishes
telling his recollection of what happened, he refers to God and asks his audience to pray in many
circumstances. He is using the values of God so his audience is under the influence that he still is
an honest, trustworthy man regardless of the events he had just described to them. Kennedy
explicitly describes the basis of human morality as a man does what he must, in spite of
personal consequences, in spite of obstacles, dangers, and pressures and that a man must suffer
consequences if it means following your conscious. His belief in the basis of human morality
shows his true personal values. He values the individual and conscience of that person, not the
effects of his decisions on society around him. Kennedy mentioning his familys history of
misfortune was a reminder of all that comes with death, grievance, sadness, and the lack of luck
his family has on their side. Mentioning this implies that his incident is part of the dark cloud his
family has over them, and he too needs the sympathy from his people that had been given before.
He implicitly relates the precedence and values of past political figures such as John Quincy
Adams, Daniel Webster, Charles Sumner, Henry Cabot Lodge, and John Kennedy. By
mentioning past senators before him and referring to them as inspiring of their utmost
confidence, he is relating himself to them so that instead of his constituents hoping he will
resign, they will remember past great senators in relation to Ted Kennedys position and his past
greatness. Kennedy is relying on the values of a senator, politician, an educated, white, wealthy

male, a Kennedy, and an American in faith that the people of Massachusetts will support him in
his further political endeavors, by seeing him as an honest, trustworthy, truthful, and admirable
man.
If Ted Kennedy were not a senator, would he only be pleading guilty to leaving the scene
of an accident? His family may have a tragic and long series of unfortunate events, but Ted
Kennedys decision on Chappaquiddick Island that night proved that he was fortunate to be a
respected senator in America during the time. In todays society, would the same standard be
applied, the standard that your status in the American government have precedence over legal
actions? Kennedys conflicting values revealed from the decisions he made versus the values he
should posses as an white, wealthy, educated, American senator do not equate: Kennedy should
consider himself lucky.
Geneva Harrison

References
Fritts, D. (1969, July 30). Tragedy for Ted. Bakersfield Californian, pp. 17.
Lacayo, R. (1999). Fortune and Misfortune. (Cover story). Time, 154(4), 44
Nichols, A. (2014, March 5) Discussion 5 :Value Analysis. Personal Collection of A. Nichols,
University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland.
Ted Kennedy. (2013). Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition, 1
White, F. and White, D. (1969, August 1). The hoosier daily. Valparaiso Vidette Messenger, pp.
4.