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| Joe Biden Speaking from Cross Hall |
So, speaking from Cross Hall, the White House’s entrance hallway, Biden said less about the cold, hard data that Democrats adore, and instead appealed to people’s hearts:
“For God’s sake, how much more carnage are we willing to accept? How many more innocent American lives must be taken before we say “enough”? Enough.”Although Biden offered arguments to support his position, the linguistic trope - “enough” - drove his speech. “Enough” conveyed his frustration and impatience. For, how can we persuade people who resist persuasion? By calling “enough” Biden moved away from his usual tactic of reason and compromise toward a rhetoric of pleading. “Enough” is what we say to a child who won’t stop misbehaving. It usually works. “Enough is what we say when we are tired of giving reasons and try to appeal to people's conscience. That might work—if people have a conscience. But Biden’s trope evolved during the speech: enough gun violence. Enough bad pro-gun arguments. Enough delay. Enough waiting for people to vote for gun control. One step led to the next.
After memorializing the Uvalde massacre and commemorating the victims, President Biden reminded us how far we have traveled as the nation transitions from a peaceful state to a coast-to-coast armed camp:
“A few years ago, the family of the inventor of the AR-15 said he would have been horrified to know that its design was being used to slaughter children and other innocent lives instead of being used as a military weapon on the battlefields, as it was designed — that’s what it was designed for.Biden then pointed out what he saw as the absurdity that ordinary people would need to carry powerful rifles with large-capacity magazines:
“Enough. Enough.”
“The damage was so devastating in Uvalde, parents had to do DNA swabs to identify the remains of their children — 9- and 10-year-old children.Biden continued the trope of “enough” as he refuted a common pro-gun argument:
“Enough.”
“Look, I know some folks will say, “18-year-olds can serve in the military and fire those weapons.” But that’s with training and supervision by the best-trained experts in the world. Don’t tell me raising the age won’t make a difference.A basic principle of persuasion teaches that people will only act if they think the problem has a solution. Biden's solution was the ballot box. Since polls frequently show that most Americans favor some degree of gun control, Biden recommends the ballot box as the solution to the mass killings:
“Enough.”
“I’ve been in this fight for a long time. I know how hard it is, but I’ll never give up. And if Congress fails, I believe this time a majority of the American people won’t give up either. I believe the majority of you will act to turn your outrage into making this issue central to your vote.With that in mind, “enough” no longer only meant that we have tolerated the violence too long. “Enough” meant that Biden has tired of the gun lobby's unwillingness to compromise. It means more than that, as well. “Enough,” at the end of Biden's speech, also said that it was time for every voter to stand up and vote for candidates who will address the gun problem. it meant that we have waited too long:
“Enough. Enough. Enough.”
“My fellow Americans, enough. Enough. It’s time for each of us to do our part. It’s time to act.”Biden said “enough” more than a dozen times during the short speech. Yes, he also presented evidence and reasoning. However, cold, hard facts don't always persuade people. Every parent learns that sometimes you need to pound a point home. Likewise, sometimes a speaker needs to pound a point home. One word, “enough,” repeated, to drive home the enormity of mass murder, the horror of school shootings, and the need to act. Biden uttered a rhetorical pounding. Did we listen?
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Earlier Posts about Gun Control Rhetoric:
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