Remaking Transitional Justice in the United States by James Edward Beitler III

Author:James Edward Beitler III
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer US, Boston, MA

The theme of Finca’s remarks on this occasion was solidarity—a term that Finca used no less than three times in this passage alone. But he did not simply mention solidarity; he also helped constitute it between the GTRC and the people of South Africa.

He did so by calling attention to the shared practice of tintinnabulation between the Greensboro commissioners and South Africans. Then, as if to construct some permanence for this solidarity, Finca sugg‑ested that the one-time practice of bell ringing was insufficient. As indicated by the verbs that Finca employed in the last sentence (e.g., “maintain,” “continue”), he suggested that a symbolic gesture indicating continuity and duration was needed: a candlelit vigil. Moreover, he framed the relationship between South Africans and the Greensboro commissioners as increasingly intimate. At the beginning of the passage, Finca had used passive constructions to describe South African action (e.g., “there was an activity of bells which were ringing”; “Those bells were meant to indicate…”). By the end of the passage, however, he had shifted to the active voice and used the modal verb “should” to express obligation. The trajectory of this passage culminated in the following pledge to the Greensboro commissioners: “I just wish to pledge to you, on behalf of the fellow commissioners in South Africa and indeed in other parts of the world, our solidarity, our support, and our prayers.”

Like Finca’s address at the Swearing In and Seating Ceremony, the rhetorical situation at this event was complex. While Finca ostensibly directed his remarks to the Greensboro commissioners, an audience made up of Greensboro citizens was present to witness the comments. What they witnessed might accurately be described as a public pledge of allegiance—that is, an endorsement.

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