Running

head: RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND PUBLIC MORALITY

Rhetorical Analysis: Religious Beliefs and Public Morality

Kelsey Von Gunten
Kent State University

RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND PUBLIC MORALITY

Introduction
Mario Cuomo served as Governor of the state of New York for three consecutive
terms, from 1982-1994. Known as an honest politician with a political career focused in
public service, Cuomo, a devout catholic, was in favor and defense of freedoms for all.
On September 13, 1984 Cuomo made his stance on the importance of maintaining secular
freedoms clear, with his speech Religious Beliefs and Public Morality, at the
University of Notre Dame; arguing in-favor of abortion rights.

Historical Context
In 1984 the United States was in the final year of Ronald Reagans first term as
President, and had largely begun benefiting from a time of great economic prosperity.
Reagans domestic agenda largely involved dis-involving the federal government from
the everyday lives of American citizens, especially in terms of economics, focused on
the deregulation of small businesses, and tax cuts, known as Reaganomics, to create
swift economic growth ("Ronald Reagan"). Although some, such as Cuomo himself at
the 1984 Democratic National convention, have said the economic growth Reagan
provided was merely a short-term solution, and largely focused on benefiting the rich
ignoring the plight of the everyman and the deeply impoverished urban areas, this
creating some underlying hostilities among the lower classes ("Mario Cuomo Delivers
Keynote Address to Democratic National Convention"). While economics may have
improved at large during Reagans first term, foreign affairs certainly did not. Within the
first two years of Reagans presidency, 241 American Marines were killed as part of a
peace keeping mission in Lebanon, hostilities of the Cold War had escalated, there was

RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND PUBLIC MORALITY

mass increase in U.S. troops and weaponry, and the Reagan Doctrine was created as a
plan to fight the Soviets, or the evil empire as Reagan referred to them, these efforts
included support for anticommunist movements in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In
addition to the Reagan Doctrine, Reagan introduced the Strategic Defense Initiative in
1983, as a means to develop space-based weapons as protection against Soviet nuclear
missile attacks. ("Ronald Reagan")
While there was undoubtedly controversy among the public on Reagans plans for
both economic and foreign affairs, controversies over human rights, particularly those
regarding abortion, were a major focus of the public in 1984. This was not only an issue
on the minds of the American public, but following the announcement of the United
Nations that it would no longer provide monetary support to any group that provided
abortions or abortion related counseling or education at the conference on World
Population in August of 1984, it was a topic on the minds of the world at large. (A War
on the U.S. War on Abortion)

Rhetorical Situation
With religious rights on the rise in 1984, the U.S. War on Abortion, as it would
come to be called, had escalated immeasurably in the recent years, with the 1980
formation of the extremist groups the Pro-Life Action League and the Pro-Life Action
Network by Joseph Scheidler a former member of the National Right to Life Committee,
the United States largest anti-abortion organization, whom was removed from the NRLC
for his advocacy of violence as a means of protest and change. In the years following the
formation of this group there were multiple violent attacks, annually, on womens clinics

RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND PUBLIC MORALITY

across the country. With tactics such as this being utilized regularly by extremist pro-life
groups, pro-choice advocates were on the defense and neither party was winning.
("Context of '1984: Florida Womens Clinic Firebombed by Anti-Abortion Activists'")

Speaker
Mario Matthew Cuomo was born in Queens, New York, the youngest of three
children, on June 15, 1932 to lower-class Catholic immigrant parents from Salerno Italy.
While he did not come from privileged roots, it was clear that Cuomo had great potential
from a young age. Although he started his academic life facing a bit of adversity,
speaking only Italian until he entered public schools, by high school Cuomo was a stand
out in the classroom transferring to St. Johns Preparatory in pursuit of a more rigorous
education. Cuomo showed great promise in athletics as well, at age 19 he was recruited
by the Pittsburg Pirates to be groomed for a career in professional baseball, though this
pursuit was short lived; after receiving a head injury, while still playing for the Pirates
minor league team, Cuomo returned to his studies on scholarship to St. Johns University.
In 1953 Cuomo received his Bachelor of Arts with high honors and then, directly
thereafter, enrolled St. Johns Law School. In 1954 he married fellow St. Johns Student,
Matilda Raffa with whom he had five children, and in 1956 he graduated valedictorian
with his law degree. ("Mario Matthew Cuomo Facts")
Shortly after graduation Cuomo began his law career as a clerk for a New York
state Court of Appeals judge. However Cuomo soon realized his passion for representing
community groups, and in 1958 he began private practice focused on the representation

RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND PUBLIC MORALITY

of the legal rights of community groups. The deep sense of civic obligation("Mario
Matthew Cuomo Facts") Cuomo discovered through legal representation of community
groups is what inspired his entrance to the political scene. Although he first gained public
attention as a result often his resolution of the Forest Hills housing controversy in 1972
("Mario Matthew Cuomo"), it wasnt until 1974 that he decided to run for a political
office, lieutenant governor of New York, though he lost in the Democratic Primary
("Mario Matthew Cuomo Facts"). However, Cuomo did not have to wait long after his
1974 defeat for his political career to truly begin, in 1975 he became New York secretary
of state and in 1978 he was elected to the position that eluded him three years prior
lieutenant governor of New York ("Mario Matthew Cuomo").
In 1982 Cuomo was elected to his first of three consecutive terms as Governor of
New York ("Mario Matthew Cuomo"). It was in this role that Cuomo really established
the Ethos that he maintained to his death on January 1, 2015, of going all the way as a
public man ("Remembering Mario Cuomo"). Cuomo was not a supporter of the
personal interest pursuits of politics, as demonstrated by his rejection of his nomination
for Democratic presidential candidate in 1992; rather his focus was in public service
("Mario Cuomo, former New York governor, dies at 82"). Known as an honest man
incapable of faking conviction ("Remembering Mario Cuomo) and an introverted
academic who spent a great deal of time with works of literary greats and his journal, it
wasnt until the 1984 Democratic National Convention, with his key-note speech
highlighting Reagans failures, that he burst onto the seen as a great politician and
speaker as well ("Mario Cuomo, former New York governor, dies at 82").

RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND PUBLIC MORALITY

Exigence
As the aforementioned hostility between pro-life and pro-choice activists
continued to grow in correlation with the rising of religious ideals on political view points
in America, Cuomo, a devout Catholic and pro-life supporter himself, felt it necessary to
address the growing need for the reaffirmation of religious freedoms and the separation
of church and state in the nation; yet again proving his positive ethos maintaining his
commitment to public service and American ideals over personal held convictions. It was
during this time that he was asked to deliver a speech to the Department of Theology at
the University of Notre Dame. In his speech Religious Beliefs and Public Morality: A
Catholic Governors Perspective, delivered on September 13, 1984, Cuomo addressed
his growing concerns with the escalation of the War on Abortion by conveying his
belief that the desire for abortion to be an illegal practice is one made from religious
beliefs not American ideals, and that the same freedom that grants him the ability to be a
Catholic and hold personal beliefs needs to be granted to everyone. (Marcotte, "The Time
Mario Cuomo Went to Notre Dame to Make the Catholic Case for Abortion Rights")

Audience
Cuomos primary Empirical Audience was the, largely Catholic, faculty and
students of Notre Dame, a Catholic University, in attendance. The Target Audience of
Cuomos address were all members of his Empirical Audience as well as political
officials in support of allowing personal convictions to create laws affecting each
individual of the general American public.

RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND PUBLIC MORALITY

Goal/Purpose
Cuomos goal was to convey the importance of secular law making to a primarily
Catholic audience, by creating an understanding that freedom from persecution and
personal restriction of beliefs need be granted to all for any American, of any faith to
truly have freedom. Cuomos ultimate purpose was in his proposal, that rather than
having laws that constrict some Americans personal freedoms based on others beliefs, we
should be focused on providing programs to expectant mothers to make carrying a baby
full-term more viable and the more appealing option. (Marcotte, "The Time Mario
Cuomo Went to Notre Dame to Make the Catholic Case for Abortion Rights")

Rhetorical Problem
The audience of Cuomos speech, both Empirical and Target, were those devout
of faith whom had strong personal convictions on the morality of the issue being
addressed, such convictions were largely in opposition of the message Cuomos was
attempting to convey. Additionally the subject of Abortion is on that holds a complex
societal history, with those in opposition making the point that the act is nothing short of
murder, a crime reprehensible to any moral person of any faith; this makes approaching
the acceptance of the subject a taboo and emotional issue for many involved. The purpose
of Cuomos speech also has a high cost for lawmakers, requesting the creation funding
and implementation of a system creating an entirely new approach to reproductive rights.
Finally, while Cuomos is making a point for the importance of secular lawmaking his
personal beliefs are in opposition with the subject at hand which may only further drive
home the point of immorality to an audience already in opposition.

RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND PUBLIC MORALITY

Rhetorical Strategies
Cuomos very heavily relies on identification as his primary rhetorical strategy.
This strategy is utilized through greeting the audience by saying hello fellow Catholics,
and goes on to strengthen that identification and creation of in-group by referring to
himself, the audience, and all Catholics as us and we; and further drove home
identification through the use of pathos, in identifying the love he has for his faith as well
as the responsibility given by his faith to love all others as well. However, he then further
utilizes identification in support of his purpose by including those of all other faiths, the
seemingly moral general public of the United States, whom may be in favor of abortion
due to their personal held convictions in the already created in-group of himself and all
Catholics. This strategy allows the audience to connect with those they previously viewed
as an enemy. Cuomos utilization of making the identifiable out-group those in
opposition of ensuring freedom for all due to personal beliefs, stating Thus, the same
amendment of the Constitution that forbids the establishment of a State Church affirms
my legal right to argue that my religious belief would serve well as an article of our
universal public morality. I may use the prescribed processes of government -- the
legislative and executive and judicial processes -- to convince my fellow citizens -- Jews
and Protestants and Buddhists and non-believers -- that what I propose is as beneficial for
them as I believe it is for me; that it is not just parochial or narrowly sectarian but fulfills
a human desire for order, peace, justice, kindness, love, any of the values most of us
agree are desirable even apart from their specific religious base or context, further drove
home his points of the need and responsibilities Catholics have to support secular
government, not only in support of the freedoms of others but also of themselves.

RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND PUBLIC MORALITY

Evaluation
Given the setting of this speech, a theological discussion at a University it is hard
to truly measure its affects, however the strong opposing view points have remained
strong directly following Cuomos speech and even today. While the effects of the speech
may not have resulted as Cuomo desired, he remained truthful throughout his speech
identifying his own personal religious beliefs as well as his belief in secularism despite
his religious convictions. Additionally, he approached a largely opposing audience with
great aesthetics, utilizing identification and pathos to drive home, what he felt was an
ethical dilemma, to a primarily Catholic audience a faith largely based on community and
guilt, in a very ethical manner.

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10

Works Cited
Context of '1984: Florida Womens Clinic Firebombed by Anti-Abortion Activists' (n.d.).
Retrieved from
http://www.historycommons.org/context.jsp?item=a1874ladiesbombed#a1874ladi
esbombed
Kim, J. (1988, October 8). A War on the U.S. War on Abortion. Retrieved from
http://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/09/weekinreview/ideas-trends-a-war-on-the-uswar-on-abortion.html
Marcotte, A. (n.d.). The Time Mario Cuomo Went to Notre Dame to Make the Catholic
Case for Abortion Rights. Retrieved from
http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2015/01/02/mario_cuomo_a_catholic_stoo
d_up_for_abortion_rights_at_notre_dame_in_1984.html
Mario Cuomo Delivers Keynote Address to Democratic National Convention. (n.d.).
Retrieved from http://www.history.com/speeches/speeches-mario-cuomodelivers-keynote-address-to-democratic-national-convention#speeches-mariocuomo-delivers-keynote-address-to-democratic-national-convention
Mario Cuomo, former New York governor, dies at 82 - CNN.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/01/us/mario-cuomo-dies-new-york-governor/
Mario Matthew Cuomo Facts. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://biography.yourdictionary.com/mario-matthew-cuomo
Mario Matthew Cuomo. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governorsbios/page_new_york/col2-content/main-content-list/title_cuomo_mario.html
Remembering Mario Cuomo - The New Yorker. (2015, January 1). Retrieved from
http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/remembering-mario-cuomo
Ronald Reagan. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.history.com/topics/uspresidents/ronald-reagan