Valeria Cortez
Prof. Jewell
English 1101
Annotated Bibliography
Bush, George. “9/11 Address to the Nation on Terrorist Attacks.” Address To The Nation, 11 September 2001, Oval Office Address, Televised by NBC News.
In George W. Bush speech “9/11 Address to the Nation on Terrorist Attacks.” Bush began his speech with a concerned and serious, yet uplifting tone; stating that the American people and their way of life have been the victims of several terrorist attacks. He then portrayed the victims, stating that they were passengers of the airplanes hijacked by terrorists and workers in the buildings which were attacked. He reminded the audience that they were people from all walks of life. He was trying to call the attention of everyone so we can all get together as one nation. “This is a day when all Americans from every walk of life unite in our resolve for justice and peace” (Bush 6). The Audience of this speech is the American people. Bush used several methods of rhetoric appeals, for the purpose of trying not only to inform his audience but also for them to be aware of what could come in the future. He used ethos into the speech by asking the audience to pray for those who lament. “Tonight I ask for prayers for all who grieve” (Bush 5). And also to provoke unity in the county. He used logos by giving one main example of factual based information. This conveys the message surrounding the sense of urgency and suggests the little information that is available gives a sense of the unfolding tragedy.
Bush, George.“ Outlines Iraqi Threat” Address To The Nation, 7 October 2002, Cincinnati Museum Center, Cincinnati Union Terminal, Cincinnati, OH.
In George W. Bush’s speech “ Outlines Iraqi Threat”, Bush attempted to justify the invasion of Iraq. He claimed that al-Qaida possessed, “chemical and biological weapons.” (Bush 1). Through the whole speech Bush is dedicated as well as determined to protect his country in any way possible. He argued that the vulnerability of the United States following the September 11 attacks of 2001, combined with Iraq’s alleged continued possession and manufacture of weapons of mass destruction and its support for terrorist groups. The audience of this speech is the American people, when he was delivering his speech at the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal. Outside, approximately 3000 people gathered to were protesting against the upcoming war. To persuade his audience Bush used diction to harness fear to influence his viewers. The tone is consistently assertive and used reason to support the central points. Bush also used an appeal to emotion when he asks viewers why we were only facing the problem at that time. He continued to explain that if action was not taken, al-Qaida would engage in nuclear war. This is a huge statement, but Bush made it work through an appeal to logic, where the threat of nuclear warfare being only a year away felt more possible than ever. “America is a great friend of Iraq.”
Trump, Donald.“Congressional Baseball Practice Shooting” Address To The Nation, 14 June 2019, Televised Speech, White House, Washington, D.C.
In Donald Trump’s speech “Government Shutdown and Congressional Baseball Practice Shooting”, Trump informed the nation that a gunman opened fire on a congressional baseball practice, injuring Rep. Steve Scalise, the Louisiana Republican and House majority whip, along with four others. President Trump purpose of this speech is to inform and call for unity after the shooting. He provided all the information about the shooting by maintaining a calm and serene tone. He used rhetorical devices to convey the idea that the country has to stay together and calmed. He used pathos when he said “He will recover from this assault and, Steve, I want you to know that you have the prayers not only of the entire city behind you but of an entire nation and frankly the entire world,” by causing the audience to feel sorrow for the victims of the shooting. He also used logos by providing the audience with information of what happened to the gunman, “Authorities are continuing to investigate the crime, and the assailant has now died from his injuries. The FBI is leading the investigation and will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available.” this supports his desire to keep the nation calmed and together, because it assures the nation that the shooter is dead and would not be causing any other problems to the country.
Trump, Donald.“Government Shutdown and the Proposed United States-Mexico Border wall” Address To The Nation, 8 January 2019, Pressed Conference, Oval Office, White House, Washington, D.C.
In Donald Trump’s speech “Government Shutdown and the Proposed United States-Mexico Border wall”, Trump declared a “growing humanitarian and security crisis at our southern border.” He also stated that he had the authority to declare a national emergency to be able to build the wall. By using a determined tone, he implored Congress to take up immigration reform and asked citizens to press their lawmakers on the issue. President Trump strategically used rhetoric appeals to persuade congress and also american citizens. He used pathos by saying “Over the years, thousands of Americans have been brutally killed by those who illegally entered our country and thousands more lives will be lost if we don’t act right now” to convey the idea that illegal immigrants are guilty thousands of deaths, by causing the audience to feel sorrow and guilty of the deaths caused by illegal immigrants. Trump also used ethos by saying “To every citizen, call Congress and tell them to finally after all of these decades secure our border,””This is a choice between right and wrong, justice and injustice.” to make his audience reflect and reconsider their moral beliefs, what could be good and bad for the nation.
Obama, Barack.“Immigration Reform” Address To The Nation, 20 November 2014, Pressed Conference, Oval Office, White House, Washington, D.C.
In Barack Obama’s speech, “Immigration Reform” Obama stated that America was built by immigrants and that today we as a country are facing a broken immigration system (Obama 10). By using a respectful and determined tone, Obama claimed that this problem should be handled with a fix that is modern and one that works with the new era of immigration. Obama claimed that he was doing what he could to improve the immigration policies. President Obama was cautious in his speech, as he used ethos to seem relatable.”As my predecessor, President Bush, once put it: “They are a part of American life.” He quoted former President George W. Bush in an attempt to relate to the republicans who constantly oppose him, as an attempt to persuade the conservatives to consider his ideas. He also used emotional appeals when he stated, “For more than 200 years, our tradition of welcoming immigrants from around the world has given us a tremendous advantage over other nations.” (Obama 1). This line remind the audience that we Americans too, one day were immigrants. Also when he points out that “undocumented immigrants who desperately want to embrace those responsibilities see little option but to remain in the shadows, or risk their families being torn apart.” (Obama 1). The idea that people work hard every day and still are not respected for their labor brings a sense of heartbreak. Obama used pathos as his strongest tool to make his argument because he did not deal with politics and it is made of the issue just as a human being.
Obama, Barack.“The Killing of Osama Bin Laden” Address To The Nation, 1 May 2011, Pressed Conference, White House, Washington, D.C.
In Barack Obama’s speech, “The Killing of Osama Bin Laden” Obama announced the death of the person responsible for the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Osama bin Laden in a Special Forces operation. By using a determined and confident tone, Obama kept the details limited, focusing on the reasons for targeting bin Laden and the process by which he and his team assessed intelligence and found the leader’s compound. In his speech, the president used powerful rhetorical tools to effectively deliver different, yet equally powerful messages to multiple audiences. The main rhetorical appeal from this speech is ethos, while the title of President of the United States carries its own credibility, being known as the president who killed Osama Bin Laden greatly builds the man’s validity. He also used pathos by retelling of the destruction of 9/11, which is followed by a powerful summoning of the ghosts of the past: “The worst images are those that were unseen to the world: the empty…leaving a gaping hole in our hearts.” These images provoke all the emotions that every American felt on September 11, 2001. Obama does this so he can call the American people to unify and become “one American family”, as they did on that fateful day. He creates the feeling of hope as he calls the death of Osama Bin Laden the “most significant achievement to date” for the War on Terror.
