Composition

Richard Nixon begins his “Silent Majority” speech by addressing the American people and by introducing the topic of interest – the Vietnam War: “Good evening, my fellow Americans: Tonight I want to talk to you on a subject of deep concern to all Americans and many people in all parts of the world — the war in Vietnam”. Nixon’s speech apparently attempts to clarify different issues related to the war and to gather support for his future plans regarding Vietnamization. Although Nixon never mentions it, the speech is considered an answer to the Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam, where people called for the immediate withdrawal of US troops.

In the first part of the speech, Nixon presents the reasons why America has become involved in the Vietnam ...