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Ballot or the Bullet Essay on Malcolm X's Speech

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Ballot or the Bullet Essay on Malcolm X's Speech
Colin Ransom
English 12A
Ms. Davis

The Ballot or The Bullet-Malcolm X

-Malcolm’s primary audiences were mainly African Americans.
- He addressed the whites and the white news media, because he felt that they played a very key and significant role in his discussion of the Ballot or the Bullet.
- He spoke of the whites in such an uncompromising fashion because he felt that the whites were to blame, of the oppression and struggle in the black community. Malcolm also had a very intriguing way of getting the listeners attention with his select speech and vernacular. By not flattering the audience Malcolm displayed that he was a very serious man and had no time for games in this particular discussion.
- He defined grounds of disagreement because he viewed the whites as the leaders of trouble in the black community. He did not agree on any decision made by the whites in the black community because he knew there was crooked and evil moral behind it that the common black man could not recognize.
- Malcolm was a very honest and veracious person, and because he strived to better his people in the African-American community he knew his straight forwardness and honesty had to be presented in order for them to receive the message thoroughly. They applauded him because they were all there to learn, to grown and begin on this new journey of Black Nationalism that Malcolm displayed, so when he made comments on their character that they all intended to destroy it gave them a sense of pride and joy to know someone was behind them.
-Malcolm knew he was a target by not only the whites, but also the world. Having a gun in his possession would only lead to more trouble his way. Malcolm preached that you shall not start any kind of trouble with the law or anyone, but if it was brought upon you, then do not turn the other cheek, but fight back for your rights as a human being. So having a gun only showed that you were looking for trouble and he in fact wasn’t.
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