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Matthew Pilkington
Mrs.Bevill
ENGL 1302.06
3 October 2016
President Bushs speech on Recovering from Terror
Throughout American history wars and battels were rarely fought on American soil. One
of the only attacks on American soil was at Pearl Harbor in 1941. That all changed on September
11, 2001. When a terrorist group known as Al Qaeda crashed multiple planes into United States
soil. On September 20, 2001, Former President George W. Bush gave a speech on regards of the
attacks on 9/11. The terrorist attack was an atrocity and an absolute kick in the face to America.
George Bush presented his views on the attack and acknowledge the United States had
confirmed on the attack. He also presented ideas on plans for eliminating terrorist groups and
providing safety not only for the United States, but other countries as well. The speech was
delivered to let Americans know the problem would be solved and the terroristic actions would
not go forward without being punished. President Bush delivered an informative speech that had
pride, a sense of security, and a plan for the United States.
President Bushs speech rallied citizens around the concept of American pride and
dignity. He came out and told people not to worry, that they could go to bed tonight and feel safe.
He also delivered the speech very calm, he didnt come out in a panic or shock he came out to
inform the American citizens how we would stand up as not only 1 Nation, but as allies with
others to defeat the problem. Americans just wanted to know who was behind the terrorist attack,
So Bush delivered. Osama Bin Laden, was a middle age Muslim man who worked for the CIA in
the 1980s he also knew many national secrets and worked undercover. The terrorist directive
commands are to kill Christians and Jews, to kill all Americans, and make no distinctions among

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military and civilians (Bush 2). This statement by Bush acknowledge the American citizens that
the terrorist group had no feelings for others and only worked to kill. Osama was described by
Bush as someone who exposes their radical beliefs everywhere. Bush also continued on the fact
that terrorism would be brought to an end.
George Bush, addressed the White House was on what was the biggest terrorist attack
ever in America. President George W. Bush kept his emotions properly together to make sure no
citizens were in discomfort over their safety when he delivered the speech. He just came out and
reminded Americans that they were the elite and unstoppable and that this attack was not
penetrable to our living standards. That they were not going to let anyone get in the way and the
situation would be handled. He also stated that the Muslims were not to blame, he said that
millions of Muslims are respected around the world and that the fault lays within the Al Qaeda.
Bush states The terrorist practice a fringe form of Islamic extremism that has been rejected by
Muslim scholars (Bush 2).
President Bush really went into information about the events before the terrorist attack
and the event itself, and what actions would be taken by the United States. The terror attack of
9/11 had no apparent motive. I was just that the Taliban believed in Jihadi, and no democracy or
freedom of speech, religion, and very little press. President Bushs speech informed Americans
of all of this including the fact that Osama Bin Laden had tried to blow up the World Trade
Center before in 1993. Bush still really couldnt give the answer of how the terrorist made it
through security at the airports. But he did inform us that 19 terrorist hijacked 4 planes from
California from both United Airlines and American Airlines. He did address on how the United
States was going to follow up on not only National security but his plans to end the spread of
westernized Islamic government.

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President Bush ultimately launched the War on Terror during his speech. The terror attack
on 9/11 was brutal and not understood, Americans had caused no harm to western civilization, oil
fields, or economy. The Taliban ultimately got back what they deserved, an ongoing war on
terror to make sure Islamic Government didnt spread. They decided to attack our country
because of our ideas, so we launched a war on terror on their own soil. Bush said that we would
Starve terrorist funding, turn them against one another, drive them from place to place until
there is no refuge or not rest. (Bush 4). Many innocent people were harmed for no such reason on
9/11 and President Bush delivered a speech that made Americans proud to stand up and protect
their country. His speech was such a meaningful speech, he let Americans know that we still are
strong, that nobody could take us down, and that terror would not be tolerated. During the attacks
of 9/11 President Bush was at an Elementary school in Florida reading to kids, he received the
info in the middle of his reading but being the leader he is he remained calm and finished before
leaving. He used these same exact tactics on his speech. He remained calm yet he knew what
actions would have to be taken, that we had to be aggressive and take charge of this war.
Presidents Bushs call to action in his speech was his say so on launching a War on Terror in the
Middle East.
President Bush showed ethos, pathos, and logos in his speech. His ethos being the way
he established his thoughts in how our country would handle to situation, and that there would be
no waiting or negations to fix the problem. The pathos he used was his grief and sorrow for all
the innocent people hurt and killed, on 9/11 and estimated 10 billion in property damage and
2996 innocent lives were taken. The logos he showed were the hard core facts. The driving
motive behind the Al-Qaeda and the exact accessions leading up to the event. If you put all this
information together you will come up with the conclusions that President Bush gave a speech to

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rid Americans of their fear, the idea of National security, and that we would run terrorism into the
ground at all cost.

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Works Cited
Bush, George W. George W. Bush: Address to a Joint Session of Congress on the 9/11 Attacks.
20 Sept. 2001, Washington D.C, White House.

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