On April 19, 1995, the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City was the target of a terrorist attack. A moving van loaded with explosives was parked in front of the building and then set off. This bombing was one the worst terrorist attacks this country had seen. Those responsible, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, were quickly arrested, tried, and punished for their crime. Just four days after the attack, President Bill Clinton addressed the nation. President Clinton’s speech showed several different propaganda forms, the most common being plain folks and transfer. The country was in a very emotional state in the days following this attack, making President Clinton’s plain folks technique the most logical, he made us feel as if …show more content…
In the very first line of his speech, Clinton thanked the governor of Oklahoma, he is appealing to “my fellow Americans.” He was including himself, as well as other leaders of the state and country that time. His reference to “all of you who are here as fellow Americans” can be seen as his way of grouping the nation together. It’s not uncommon for people to bond over a similar story or tragedy. In the case of the Oklahoma City Bombing, Americans were uniting under the fact that we are all citizens of this country. We couldn’t believe such a terrible act would be committed, and by a fellow American. I believe this example of bandwagon does unite the US population, at least for a …show more content…
His numbers in the polls were favorable to his work in the White House. I believe his use of various propaganda techniques, especially the plain folks and appeal to emotion, played a part in his success in leading this country, in delivering such a moving speech after the Oklahoma City bombing. In his final paragraph of the speech he mentions a little girl suggesting that a tree should be planted in honor of the victims. Clinton goes on to say that a dogwood tree had been planted at the White House. It is a tree with, “wonderful spring flowers and its deep, enduring roots. It embodies the lesson of the Psalms: that the life of a good person is like a tree whose leaf does not wither.” This tree is symbolic of both the United States and of the survivors and loved ones of those lost in the Oklahoma City bombing. The roots are deep and enduring. America’s roots are deep and strong. Many of our citizens are countrymen, willing to defend this country’s freedom at any cost, including death. The Psalm that he referenced are the people of Oklahoma. A terrible thing happened there. Lives were lost, many were hurt. But, that one moment in history will not define what happens in the future. The future of the city and the future of the individuals who were affected by this