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| Steel Foundry, Coatesville, PA, Ralston Crawford (1936-1937) |
On April 10, 1962, President Kennedy held a news conference in which he attacked the steel industry for raising prices by 3.5 percent. America was emerging from a recession, and Kennedy believed that stable prices and wages would help further the nation's economic recovery. His speech vilifies "a few gigantic corporations" for their "ruthless disregard" of public responsibilities. Kennedy skillfully depicts how steel industry executives were motivated by self-interest and greed, exhibiting callous disregard for the welfare of their country. Using a series of rhetorical techniques, Kennedy's speech successfully outlines the reasons why the actions of the steel industry are unreasonable and more importantly, unethical.
