Lauren Boyes

Rhonda Jackson Joseph

English 1302

13 February 2017

Rhetorical Analysis over George W. Bushs 9/11 Address

Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, we as Americans, tend to be very racially scared of Muslims

and what they could do to our country. George W. Bush shows throughout his speech the terrors

of the future America has with all the attacks going on. He explains that we have to act upon this

terror immediately without any question to try to stop this craziness from going on. Bush does a

fantastic job relying his message on trying to tell us that we have to do something about it not

just our law enforcement. Throughout his address to the nation, George W. Bush uses

argumentative appeals, as well as, diction techniques to persuade his audience.

The purpose of George W. Bushs speech about 9/11 is to inform the world of the terrors that

America faced on that day. He explains throughout his speech how we should always remember

those who got their life taken by the people who made this terrorist attack occur. Throughout his

argument speech, he explained all the terrors that happened on that day. The victims were in

airplanes or in their offices: secretaries, business men and women, military and federal workers,

moms and dads, friends and neighbors. Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil,

despicable acts of terror (Bush 1).

The former president of the United States, George W. Bush, was held in office 2001-2008. He

was in office also when the 9/11 terrorists occurred. He has graduated from Yale University in

1968 and Harvard Business School in 1975. Therefore, he has the credentials to be able to hold

office and to host a speech of that caliber.

Lauren Boyes

Rhonda Jackson Joseph

English 1302

13 February 2017

George W. Bush is intending to tell his speech not only to the people of America, but to

everyone in the world to show how much that terrorist attack affected our lives emotionally and

physically. He is trying to draw the attention of everyone so we can all band together as one

nation to be against these terrorists. This is a day when all Americans from every walk of life

unite in our resolve for justice and peace (Bush 6).

George uses numerous methods of all three argumentative appeals, in order to try to not only

inform his audience but to also to be aware of what to come in the future. Also, he used these

appeals in order to grasp his audience into what just have occurred. He uses the logistical to

explain all the details of what happened during 9/11 and also the terrors of whats to come. In

addition, he uses ethical appeals of gearing towards the correlation of Muslim people and 9/11

attacks and terror. In the journal of Muslim Health, they explain how theres little to none
evidence to consider the correlation between Muslims and terrorist attacks but peoples

opinions are still relevant in todays society. He exclaims how we should be passionate towards

that race but also argues that we should be careful of them, while also tying in biblical

references. And I pray they will be comforted by a Power greater than any of us, spoken

through the ages in Psalm 23:

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil for you are

with me (Bush 5).

George also uses appeals to the emotional standpoint by touching on sensitive subject to all of

America at the moment he did this speech. The former President also had numerous diction

techniques that he used to push to his audience to grasp the importance. For example, he used
Lauren Boyes

Rhonda Jackson Joseph

English 1302

13 February 2017

multiple long complex sentences to show the importance of how we should all band together to

fight against all the madness that went on. Also, he started to use the word I to implement that

he was trying to do everything that would benefit the United States of America in a time of rough

patches.

With all of these sources, since 9/11 occurred, we still know that we as Americans are still

flustered with the attacks. We have to be the ones to make the change in America and not rely on

our government to do so. Bush relays his messages to make us want to be calm but also want to

act upon these new dangers we face going into a new set of leadership. In addition, he wanted us

to be aware of everyone around us so we can treat everyone as an individual not as a criminal.

The Daily Beast, explains in their article that peoples opinion is that there is a negative

connotation towards Muslims, however, there is no true facts. Finally, with these attacks he

wanted us to be one united country to fight this hardship we are going through. George W. Bush

uses argumentative appeals to make his address to the nation persuasive to the audience, to

reassure the people that we will be okay.

Lauren Boyes

Rhonda Jackson Joseph

English 1302

13 February 2017

Works Cited

"George W. Bush - Address to the Nation on 9-11-01 - The Rhetoric of 9/11." George W.

Bush - Address to the Nation on 9-11-01 - The Rhetoric of 9/11. N.p., n.d. Web.

13 Feb. 2017.

Khan, Mussarat, and Kathryn Ecklund. "Attitudes Towards Muslim Americans Post

9/11." Journal of Muslim Mental Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb 2017.

Obeidallah, Dean. "13 Years After 9/11, Anti-Muslim Bigotry Is Worse Than Ever." The

Daily Beast. Andrew Burton, 11 Sept. 2014. Web. 15 Feb. 2017.