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Kaitlyn Breese

Prof. Sally Lahmon

English Composition 1101

October 22, 2020

A Moment that Changed the World Forever

On September 11, 2001, an event occurred that changed the world forever. An Islamic

terrorist group hijacked four airplanes and flew them into high profile buildings in the United

States. Two planes crashed into the Twin Towers in New York City, a third plane crashed into

the Pentagon, which is outside of Washington D.C, and the last plane crashed into an empty field

in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. This terrorist attack killed nearly 3,000 people and injured 6,000

more. United States of America president George W. Bush’s “Address to Joint Session of

Congress Following 9/11 Attacks” speech had a purpose to address the attacks of 9/11 to a

targeted audience, fellow citizens of the United States and the United States of America

Congress. The use of ethos, pathos and logos made this speech powerful and truly had an effect

on Americans during this traumatic time for the United States.

Ethos, or credibility, was displayed in George W. Bush’s “Address to Joint Session of

Congress Following 9/11 Attacks” speech. As president of the United States during 9/11, George

W. Bush was very credible, knowledgeable, and qualified to speak about this event. He delivered

his speech with great confidence and composure. During a time that was heartbreaking,

shocking, and traumatizing for citizens, George W. Bush came out and delivered an impactful

speech honoring those who died. He also honored the heroic Americans who risked their own

lives on that terrible day to save others. “​We have seen it in the courage of passengers, who

rushed terrorists to save others on the ground -- passengers like an exceptional man named Todd
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Beamer”(Bush). ​This speech displayed George W. Bush as a courageous, capable,

compassionate, and competent leader. By establishing his credibility, Bush successfully gained

the confidence of his audience, which is very crucial when delivering a speech, especially during

such a sensitive time.

Without the use of pathos, a speech is not able to fully capture the audience. I believe that

pathos has the largest impact on the speaker and the audience. Pathos is used to evoke emotions

from the audience, a very principal quality of a speech. Throughout George W. Bush’s “Address

to Joint Session of Congress Following 9/11 Attacks” many emotions were touched. “I​t is the

police shield of a man named George Howard, who died at the World Trade Center trying to

save others. It was given to me by his mom, Arlene, as a proud memorial to her son. It is my

reminder of lives that ended, and a task that does not end”(Bush) and “After all that has just

passed -- all the lives taken, and all the possibilities and hopes that died with them -- it is natural

to wonder if America's future is one of fear”(Bush). Before Bush even began his speech,

emotions were at an all time high. As George W. Bush honored all of the innocent lives that were

lost while he addressed the recent terrorist attack, emotions such as anger, sadness, grief,

frustration, and even patriotism regarding the attacks of 9/11 emerged.

The way George W. Bush incorporated the use of logos, or logic in his speech was very

apparent in George W. Bush’s speech. “All of America was touched on the evening of the

tragedy to see Republicans and Democrats joined together on the steps of this Capitol, singing

"God Bless America." And you did more than sing; you acted, by delivering 40 billion dollars to

rebuild our communities and meet the needs of our military”(Bush). Stating the fact that there

were 40 billion dollars donated to rebuild communities after the 9/11 attacks helped readers and

listeners truly understand how greatly moved individuals were by this horrific terrorist attack. It
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helped us understand how united Americans were following the attack and how they all worked

together to grow and rebuild the communities that had just been destroyed. “Nor will we forget

the citizens of 80 other nations who died with our own: dozens of Pakistanis; more than 130

Israelis; more than 250 citizens of India; men and women from El Salvador, Iran, Mexico, and

Japan; and hundreds of British citizens”(Bush). This was another use of logos. These were the

facts and numbers that showed us how many people outside of the United States were affected

and that Americans were not the only ones who suffered a loss of innocent lives. The use of

logos in this speech was very powerful and helped us understand the issue and how much

damage was caused.

The presence of ethos, pathos and logos brought awareness to people all around the world

concerning the attacks of September 11, 2001. By using ethos, George W. Bush was able to

establish his credibility and ensured us that he was knowledgeable enough to address the country

with his speech. Using pathos during the speech, George W. Bush was able to bring out various

emotions from his audience and had a profound impact on them. Lastly, using logos, George W.

Bush made the audience aware of the effect this event had on everyone who was affected and

how it brought the country together. Without the use of ethos, pathos, and logos, President

George W. Bush’s “Address to Joint Session of Congress Following 9/11 Attacks” speech would

not have been as powerful and impactful as it was to the audience. To this day, 9/11 has not been

forgotten and never will be. We are continuing to honor those who were affected and those who

lost their lives, and they will forever remain heroes.

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Works Cited

Bush, George W. “Address to Joint Session of Congress Following 9/11 Attacks.” ​American

Rhetoric,​ 20 Sept. 2001,

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/gwbush911jointsessionspeech.htm.