In December, New York suffered with the loss of two cops that were gunned down by a man protesting the killing of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. Since those two situations, people have been protesting policeman and saying that the police aren't there to help and people should just be afraid of them. That is why when Mayor Bill de Blasio delivered a eulogy at fallen Officer Wenjian Liu’s funeral, NYPD officers turned their backs to him as a sign of disrespect. In the past, he announced that he told his son to be careful of the police. This isn't a very good rhetorical situation to be in, especially holding the position of Mayor of New York. The main motives for the officers turning their backs to him was the betrayal that they felt from de Blasio. NYPD officers felt that he wasn't supporting them when it came to protests against the police in New York City.
Even though de Blasio can’t do much to help the current situation he is in, he uses a lot of pathos in his speech to make it sound more genuine and like he was truly sorry. He sends his condolences to each of Liu's family members, the NYPD officers that worked with him, and New York City as a whole. The Mayor even presents the speech in a way that shows he cares about what has happened. His voice shakes and there is a look of sadness and stress in his eyes. He even commemorates Liu’s life by saying that “he walked a path of courage, path of sacrifice, and a path of kindness.” This repetition summarizes Liu’s career as a police officer and almost makes him look like a martyr in the NYPD’s eyes.
Even though de Blasio can’t do much to help the current situation he is in, he uses a lot of pathos in his speech to make it sound more genuine and like he was truly sorry. He sends his condolences to each of Liu's family members, the NYPD officers that worked with him, and New York City as a whole. The Mayor even presents the speech in a way that shows he cares about what has happened. His voice shakes and there is a look of sadness and stress in his eyes. He even commemorates Liu’s life by saying that “he walked a path of courage, path of sacrifice, and a path of kindness.” This repetition summarizes Liu’s career as a police officer and almost makes him look like a martyr in the NYPD’s eyes.