Question

In this excerpt from President Kennedy's 1963 Civil Rights Address, he included the examples of American troops in Vietnam and West Berlin for what purpose?
"Today, we are committed to a worldwide struggle to promote and protect the rights of all who wish to be free. And when Americans are sent to Vietnam or West Berlin, we do not ask for whites only. It ought to be possible, therefore, for American students of any color to attend any public institution they select without having to be backed up by troops."

A: To explain the need for peace in Asia and Europe
B: To expand the meaning of the word American to include all people
C: To explain the need for peace in all nations
D: To expand the efforts of American troops abroad

Answer 1

Answer: B: To expand the meaning of the word American to include all people.

In these lines, Kennedy addresses the question of civil rights, and in particular, the rights of black students to attend white institutions. He implies this in the sentence: "It ought to be possible, therefore, for American students of any color to attend any public institution they select..." The reason why he mentions the troops in his speech is because he wanted to make an analogy between the troops and the students. He argues that if black soldiers are considered American enough to fight abroad, then black students should be considered American enough to attend any college they desire.

Answer 2

Answer:

B is the correct answer, I'm just verifying the other persons answer.

Explanation:

I earned 5/5 points for this question.