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On The Morning Of September 11, 2001, The Bedrock Of American

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On the morning of September 11, 2001, the bedrock of American society was shaken as two airlines flew into the Twin Towers in New York City. The first plane crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center at 8:45 in the morning. Less than 18 minutes later, the second plane flew into the south tower, and shortly thereafter both towers were in ruins, covering the streets of NYC. In total, four airliners were hijacked by terrorists who planned to carry out attacks on important targets in the United States. Of the two other planes, one flew into the Pentagon and the final one crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. The attacks on 9/11 claimed almost three thousand lives and spawned a war. The effects of these events can still be felt…show more content…
Bush was not particularly known for his oration skills, but his address atop the rubble of the downed towers struck American’s right where it mattered most. “I can hear you!” Bush declared. “The rest of the world hears you! And the people – and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon” (Eidenmuller). The crowd responded with repeated, loud chants of “USA! USA!” which, in many ways, could be heard across the globe. The crowd’s patriotism and pride transcended the scene. Right away, Bush established an environment of emotional union; when one man from the crowd shouted that he could not hear Bush speak, Bush responded, “It can’t go any louder.” The crowd laughed, thereby bringing people together in a lighthearted act, without diminishing seriousness of the situation. Bush also thanked the workers for their service during such a crucial time and in dangerous conditions. When he did this, a sense of heroism could be felt moving through the crowd. Sentiments such as this dramatically demonstrate the power of rhetoric. Bush appealed to the raw nerve of the crowd, especially when he told them “I can hear you” and followed that up by telling them we would retaliate. In this, Bush motivated the crowd not to lose faith but maintain their brave and valiant efforts. The subsequent cheers and chants were an outpouring of emotions from the hearts of the onlookers, a kind of patriotic passion ignited by the President 's
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