Lewis 1

Jordan Lewis
Professor Bevill
ENGL 1302-06
9 September 2015
Address the World
In September 2001 the United States was at shock from a devastating blow to its heart and soul,
New York City. The attacks of the hijacked planes that crashed into the world trade center or twin
towers were destroyed early on a peaceful morning. While in shock the country was looking for
answers, solutions and peace of mind. The country was flooded with emotions from confusion of
what was going on anger towards the group of terrorist that committed this act and sadness of the
innocent lost Americans. Nine days later on September the twentieth President George W. Bush
addresses congress about the attacks. He rode the countries emotion to deliver a speech that did
not only answer questions present a solution and give a better peace of mind but it appealed to
their emotions as leader of the United States President Bush used this emotion to bring unity to
the country in what became a successful follow up address to the events on September eleventh.
Tonight we are a country awakened to danger and called to defend our freedom.
(paragraph 4) Although there is not a clear thesis this line sets up the basis of President Bushs
speech. The idea that the group of terrorist that attacked the United States could destroy and take
the Americans freedom. Here he uses a straight forward punchline to reel in his audience the
main words danger and freedom both resonating in the hearts of all Americans at this time was
an immediate emotional trigger. Bush says They stand against us, because we stand in their
way in refuting that ideal to show superiority over the radical group (Page 3 pg. 3). This stance
of superiority is effective because it rallies the country is a unit and brings about a feeling of
patriotism. This emotion he sticks with throughout the speech to keep the audience.

Lewis 2
The problem identified from the beginning of the speech was that of the terrorist not of
the airport safety or the actions that the terrorist were doing this because but solely on the
terrorist, Al Qaeda. Bush wanted the country to separate them from regular conversation and
have Al Qaeda on a negative pedestal. This logic once again was used to bring unity to the
American battle front in order to gain support for a war on terrorism. To keep as much support as
possible in the U.S as well as abroad Bush made sure to stick to the facts that this Muslim radical
group stemmed away from the peaceful nature of the people in the Muslim religion he wanted
Americans to know this was not who their fight was against. This logic made the U.S battle seem
even more specific now informed of the people and nature of who they were going against.
In appealing to the audiences emotions Bush and his writers had to know what stance his
readers were coming from. They needed to know what they would be wanting to hear and why
they were listening other than obvious reasons. As president Bush is immediately informed on
certain things, he is emotionally prepared for things more so than the regular citizen. So when
preparing his speech he had to understand what the stance of the average American was. Bush
assumes the listeners are in shock as we have never seen war on our own soil but only seen it
abroad he addresses what has just happened saying Americans have known surprise attacks
but never before on thousands of civilians. All of this was brought upon us in a single day and
night fell on a different world, a world where freedom is under attack. (Page 2 pg. 2) He
addresses this shock by letting listeners know he understands this is something we havent seen
before as a country but doesnt change his demeanor because of it. President Bush also assumes
correctly that his listeners were confused an uninformed as in several instances says Americans
are asking and in page two paragraph two says Americans have many questions tonight
Assumptions of how the listener feels allows the writer to successfully to appeal to the emotions

Lewis 3
and connect to his reader more accurately and Bush was able to do this and elaborate on it
through his speech.
In his conclusion President Bush closes his speech making his point saying We will
meet violence with patient justice this statement follows along with the theme of the entire
speech. It sums up that yes there is violence against us and yes we will and are prepared to match
this violence with a plan of our own. But instead of saying we will meet violence with violence
he says we will meet violence with patient justice. Page three he touches on this saying Now
this war will not be like the war against Iraq a decade ago, with a decisive liberation of territory
and a swift conclusion. It will not look like the air above Kosovo two years ago, where no
ground troops were used and not a single American was lost in combat. Our response involves
far more than instant retaliation and isolated strikes. Americans should not expect one battle, but
a lengthy campaign, unlike any other we have ever seen In following he reveals there will not
be a dynamic war that we have seen before in wars past but a patient bringing of justice. In
closing Bush rides the audiences emotional state with an overall emotional biting speech that
unified informed and comforted his nation.