What Bush Really Means Essay -- Essays Papers

What Bush Really Means In light of the destruction of the World Trade Centers in New York, President George W. Bush delivered a speech to the nation on September 20, 2001. He spoke of our losses, our fears, our hope, and our plans for the future. We can use Sam Hamill's "The Necessity to Speak" to better interpret some of our President's ideas. Hamill states, "Nothing will change until we demolish the 'we-and-they' mentality. We are human, and therefore all human concerns are ours" (463). In his speech, President Bush clearly defines who the "we-and-they" are. This war is not Islam vs. the United States of America; it is the entire world, even civilization as we know it, vs. terrorism. In the beginning, Bush recognizes how this great tragedy has, in many ways, brought our country closer together as a whole. People everywhere are coming to the aid of those in need. Jews are working side by side with Christians. Millions are selflessly donating blood to save the lives of others. Men and women of every tongue congregate to offer up prayers of mercy and comfort. "We will not forget South Korean children gathering to pray outside our embassy in Seoul, or the prayers of sympathy offered at a mosque in Cairo. We will not forget moments of silence and days of mourning in Australia and Africa and Latin America" (Bush par. 9). This horrible act of terrorism has even broken the "unbreakable" bond between opposing political parties. "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'" (Bush par. 6). Our country suffered a tremendous loss on September 20th, but we have grown more as a nation this past mont... ...d disgust that the people who did this to our world must feel towards us. The incredible evil is hard to comprehend. But it is very real, and the fact remains that we must band together as a whole to win this battle. "Perhaps the NATO Charter reflects best the attitude of the world: An attack on one is an attack on all" (Bush par. 36). We, the human race, can overcome this and we will prevail. WORKS CITED Bush, Pres. George W. "President Bush's Speech to the Nation." International Television. The House of Congress. 20 September 2001. Hamill, Sam. "The Necessity to Speak." Writing As Re-Vision: A Student's Anthology. Eds. Beth Alvarado and Barbara Cully. Massachusetts: Simon & Schuster. 1998. 457-464. "Who is Osama Bin Laden?" BBC News 18 September 2001. 15 October 2001 .