On September 11, 2001, at 8:45 a.m. on a clear Tuesday morning, an American Airlines Boeing 767 loaded with 20,000 gallons of jet fuel crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. Soon after, the south tower was hit by another jet. The horror in New York took a catastrophic turn when the south tower of the World Trade Center collapsed in a massive cloud of dust and smoke. At 10:30 a.m., the north building of the twin towers collapsed. Only six people in the World Trade Center towers at the time of their collapse survived. Almost 10,000 others were treated for injuries. Immediately after this terrible tragedy took place, President George Bush gave his speech at the ruins of the World Trade Center, as they called Ground Zero. The speech occurred in a way that was very different from many other presidential speeches. President George W. Bush gave his speech by wearing a civilian jacket and holding a bullhorn, next to one of the fire fighters. Throughout the whole speech, the president and the crowd had interacted. Pathos and ethos were largely used in this particular speech. The speech gave all the people who were involved in it, a strong spiritual power that somehow help the workers at the scene to have more emotional support and the rest of the nation the courage to face the tragedy. In his speech, he mentioned all the workers, victims and their family from all the places around New York City to make them feel the deepest respect from him.
The speech uses logos, ethos and pathos. As the President of United States, he is willing to come to the actual scene and wrap his arm on a fire fighter’s shoulder. This shows the ethos he uses. Throughout the whole speech, with the passion of the workers there, pathos is used Although it seems that at this very emotional moment, it is hard to use logos as one of the persuading tools in the speech. “Logos is an appeal to logic and reason.” (Introduction to Ethos, pathos and logos). Aristotle’s concept of rhetoric explains the logical way to build a connection with the readers, in this case the people who are watching the news and working at the scene. When he mentions that: “This nation stands with the good people of New York City, and New Jersey and Connecticut, as we mourn the loss of thousands of our citizens.” (Speech at Ground Zero). Because of where the tragedy takes place, he automatically thinks about the people who works at the World Trades Center and their family are from the nearby places. He uses his logic to connect himself to the local victims as well as their family members in the most efficient way. One of his main points in this speech is to comfort the family members of those who lose their lives and also the survivors. After losing the loves ones, they need the leader of the country to give them response on how they continue to live their lives. That is where President Bush said: “And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon.” (Speech at Ground Zero). It is a promise from the federal government that the terrorists will pay the price as justice is on the side of United States. After he finished with this line, the crowed gives him a round of applause as their best response to President George Bush’s promise. It is the combination use of both logos and ethos. He uses his authority as a President to promise the public to find the evil backstage manipulator. This builds the trust and brings the bravery to the general public. He knows that the thing that the people desire the most right now is a secure environment and justice. The strategies he uses is to first connect himself with the audience and then give them the words that they truly want by using both logos and pathos, as well as the combination of the two. By repeating the many easy words like “thank you”, “all” and “America”, his speech has a deeper and stronger voice which represents the certainty to bring justice, and deliveries his thoughts to everyone who are listening to him in the most efficient way. His way of address the audience on how the nation should response is easy and direct.
The style of President George Bush, which his use of many pathos, in this speech is especially significant to the workers at the scene. In order to bring out the energy in side of them, he gives his speech at the ruins of the buildings where most worker are located. By using a bullhorn rather than a fancy microphone, the unclear voice that comes out from it is more powerful as it sounds like a leader who is not at a clean stage with suite but a heroic figure that is leading everyone to keep saving souls from those collapsed walls. This act gives the audience encouragement to feel like they are working as a united team. “I can hear you. (Applause.) I can hear you.” (Speech at Ground Zero). His response to those people who are too far to hear him is very important. He wants everyone to know that he can hear the voice and he would try everything to embrace the thoughts of every citizen. By saying that multiple times, the audiences are satisfied as their voice is being heard. The importance of being heard is far beyond the actual words of the speech. Pathos is widely used in his speech. The interaction between the speaker and the audience creates the connection to feel the emotional power. After he says he can hear the voice of the people, he follows: “The rest of the world hears you. (Applause.) And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon. (Applause.)”. (Speech at Ground Zero). This line expresses his message very clearly is that America has the support from others who admire justice and punish those who disrespect it. He influenced the audience to wake up the patriotism in their heart which is the reason why the crows start to yell “USA, USA” together. His speech is successful and brings the nation together once again. It was George W. Bush’s “bullhorn moment,” one of the most riveting and important points in his presidency.
In my opinion, President George W. Bush’s speech is one of the greatest presidential speeches. The reason why I admire this particular speech is because he gives the speech at the scene which all the workers, witnesses, and survivors are around. The ruins and dirt on his jackets symbolized his determination of sanding with the people. As a President, he not only arrived at the ruins and stranded right next to one of the fire fighters but also deliveries many important massage that people desire the most in a short period of time. His speech was clear and loud that inspired people to once again pick up the patriotism and the faith of God.
In summary, as the symbol of national unity, the President lived up to his billing by being the first and only high-ranking government official to talk to the victims of the tragedy and the whole country at this trying moment. He gave them hope by promising to stand by them and all those affected and the entire country felt that he was together with them in the sorrow. He was personally affected and promised that the blood of the innocent that was shed in the attack would not go in vain this is the speech that everyone was looking forward to and the President did not let them down.
- “Ethos, Pathos, and Logos Applied: George W. Bush Speaking at ‘Ground Zero’.” Bush 911 Analysis, www2.bc.cc.ca.us/jgiertz/Speech%205/Rhetoric/Bush%20911%20analysis.htm.
- Eidenmuller, Michael E. “Bullhorn Address to Ground Zero Rescue Workers.” The Rhetoric of 9/11: Bullhorn Address at Ground Zero ( 9-14-01), 14 Sept. 2001, www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/gwbush911groundzerobullhorn.htm.
