George Bush 9/11 Ethos Pathos Logos

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This is a day when all Americans from every walk of life unite in our resolve for justice and peace.” Those are the inspiring words of president George W. Bush in his 9/11 address after the horrific terrorist attacks on the American citizens. The address was given on 9/11/01, and Bush was assuring the American people that something is being done about the attacks and that they were not left unnoticed. Bush’s address was highly effective even though it relied predominantly on the aid of ethos and pathos, and logos was primarily overlooked. Bush’s 9/11 address was essentially to inform Americans about the attacks that occurred and what was going to happen next as a country. Bush put an emphasis on how the attacks would not tear our country apart and how we would stand strong. He assured the American citizens that the terrorists were being tracked down. He showed empathy toward the families that lost someone …show more content…

In the address Bush says, “today our nation saw evil- the very worst of human nature- and we responded with the best of America.” In this statement, Bush uses the pronouns our and we. This implies that the attacks not only affected the American citizens but also their leader, President George W. Bush. People are more likely to take into account what your saying when they see that you are in the same position they’re in. This creates the sender-receiver relationship Bush needed to appeal to ethos. Through the assistance of emotional strategies, Bush appealed to pathos. He uses weasel words to generate anger toward the terrorists. Some weasel words from the address include: deadly, victims, mass murder, evil acts, deliberate, acts of terror, and attacks. These words induce vexation toward the terrorist and the acts they caused. The anger caused the American citizens to want to stand up and fight against the terrorists. This is the reaction Bush intended to receive and caused him to appeal to