Rhetorical Devices In President Bush's 9/11 Speech

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On September 11, 2001, at 8:30 p.m. EDT, President George W. Bush delivered a speech to the American people in response to the horrific and heinous terrorist attacks of that morning. President Bush stated to the American people on CNN that freedom would be defended. President Bush urged the American people to be strong as they move forward in these trying times. As Bush strived to instill optimism and faith in the audience, Bush invoked his presidential authority, human ideals, worldwide shared values, and the American spirit. President Bush establishes ethos by telling the audience that he, as President, responded appropriately to the attacks, "Immediately following the first attack, I implemented our government's emergency response plans. …show more content…

Bush used a number of rhetorical devices in his address to the nation to secure the faith of the American people that their safety and freedom would be protected. In the opening phrase of his message to the country, he repeats the word "our'' three times. The repetition of the word "our" repeatedly reminded everyone listening to his speech that they are all in this together and that no one is waging this battle alone. President Bush used this phrase to ensure that he was standing with the American people and instilling bravery in the strong nation after its strength was tested on September 11th, 2001. Another rhetorical device used by President Bush in his statement was antithesis; one example from his speech stated, "Terrorist attacks can shake the foundation of our biggest buildings, but they cannot shake the foundation of America." This was done to demonstrate that America has been through upheaval before and has continually come out stronger. This was a wise message to send to the grieving and devastated Americans. This gave them hope and reminded them that we had dealt with national security crises and substantial loss previously, responded less, and still managed to restore the nation's strength and