Bush Response to 911

Attack. It’s not war, yet.
Surprise. Now, how do you respond?
How do you respond to a surprise attack?
What do you say to those who hurt you? Even more challenging, what do you say to those who have been hurt? Hurt directly, indirectly. Hurt solely on the basis that the place they call home, America, was attacked.
How do you lift the spirits of a society lost and confused? How do you answer the many questions shooting through their troubled minds?
How do you so much as begin to address these strenuous questions?
Unfortunately, 6 years, 3 months, and 3 days ago, our president had to answer. George W. Bush, or his speech writer, made deliberate choices when deciding how to phrase and compose the address he gave that Tuesday night, following the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington DC.
Bush tactfully relies on pathos throughout the beginning of his speech. From the onset, he clarifies how the terrorist acts affected the entirety of the American people when he states, “our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist attacks.” He wants the country, as a whole to be upset. This happened to us, all of us. He carefully chooses words such as attack, evil, and terror, to begin his speech. These words, coupled with references to the loss of “Moms and dads. Friends and neighbors,” evoke deep, vengeful passions. This leaves the listeners longing to hear what is to be done.
The viewers continue to hear alliteration, assonance, and consonance, which ring peacefully into their tortured ears. Phrases such as, “brightest beacon” and “strangers and neighbors,” provide hearty and catchy messages that lift the spirit. Following a day of such chaos and pain, the American people begin to feel their day have order.
Bush does this and so much more. As his speech goes on, he uses ethos and logos, while continuing to use tools of literature to keep his audience close to his message. He alludes to the Bible and cleverly revises the text of Psalm 23 to better appeal to the American people. He sets many images to hold onto the audience’s attention. His use of antithesis makes clear to all his listeners the extremes of the day’s situation.
There is so much to address about this historic speech. This analysis merely hints at all that is worked into Bush’s attempt to answer the questions of the American people. Stay tuned. Much more is to come.

Submitted by Kira Thompson