Franklin Delano Roosevelt delivered his famous speech in regards to Pearl Harbor on December 8, 1941. Following the day after the dastardly attack on American soil, Roosevelt implanted in the minds of his American people that the Japanese Empire was fully responsible. Sixty years later, America became the target for another act of terrorism, but this time it was much closer to home. On September 11, 2001, the Twin Towers in New York City were targeted by al-Qaeda suicide bombers. President Bush was placed in a similar situation and acted most appropriately. While both speeches were filled with portions that elicit powerful emotional responses, Bush's speech was more aimed at letting the world know that America would stand strong, even after a terrorist attack. I believe that Bush's speech was more appropriate at the time because of his assurance that America was still alive and functioning, the confidence he placed in the American military forces and how the forces were strong and ready to fight, and also putting emphasis on the emotional tragedy, reminding American people of the horrors that occurred in New York City on September 11, 2001.  

Former President George W. Bush heard the news of the second tower falling while sitting in an elementary school classroom, reading to children. Even while being told the devastating news, Bush's face remained stoic and determined. While sitting in the Oval Office the night of September 11th, President Bush remained determined and reassuring towards his audience. While delivering his speech in such a calm demeanor, Bush told the viewers essentially that America would thrive no matter the condition it was placed in. He said "terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America." (Bush 468) Bush used this line as a way to reassure both the Americans and the terrorists responsible for 9/11 that America would not be conquered that easily. The message acted as a beacon of hope for the Americans, and a warning to the Radical Islamic people. The American people depended on a strong and brave leader to help in times of need, and Bush realized this and built his speech around the concept of safety. He wanted to assure his people that even throughout all of the chaos, the American government was working together to ensure everything returned to normalcy. 

Throughout his Pearl Harbor speech, FDR's attitude was more aggressive and motivated. He laid out to his people that although America had been targeted, there was no way that America would back down from the attack without a fight. However, unlike Bush, FDR didn't really focus on appearing to be the strong and brave leader like Bush. Instead, FDR cut right to the point of his speech. He assured his audience that America would win triumphantly in the end. He said "With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph -- so help us God." FDR didn't have to persuade his people in the thought of engaging war with Japan and their allied forces:  his people were outraged enough about the attack and were willing to fight for their country. Directly after this passage, FDR asked Congress to declare war against the Japanese Empire, and his announcement was received with heavy cheers and applauding. 

Advanced technology allowed Former President Bush to broadcast his message not just his people residing in America, but to people all over the world, and especially targeting the Radical Islamic people in al-Qaeda to send a message. FDR's speech being delivered in 1941, the technology was not advanced enough to deliver his message world wide. This would affect what the different presidents said during their speeches. Bush had to appeal to a much larger audience spectrum and his word choice had to be precise. America's allies needed to be on board with what was happening because America would surely need them if a war was declared. Bush was also specifically speaking to the audience associated with the terrorists. He had to assure them that the attacks had failed, and America is stronger and ready to fight. FDR's limited audience allowed him to speak more openly about attack plans and he didn't have to consider attracting the attention of the Allied Forces at the time; the Allied Forces were relying on America's help.

Both Bush and FDR played on the role of emotions in their speeches. However, the two presidents accomplished the usage of emotions in different ways. FDR used America's anger towards the Japanese to sway and word his speech. Also, FDR systematically listed the various string of attacks on small islands along the way. This was a tactic used to frighten the people and it also put into play the real and possible danger that America was in at the time. In contrast to FDR, Bush spent a little more time in his speech laying out the various tragedies that the American people faced. Bush placed heavy emphasis on sympathizing with those affected by this tragedy, and even stated that "Our first priority is to get help to those who have been injured, and to take every precaution to protect our citizens at home and around the world from further attacks." (468) Unlike FDR, Bush did not instantly try to implement war plans, instead his main focus was of his people because he knew that without the support of his people, his future plans of declaring war would not go through. 

The wording and content play an important role in both speeches. How each president specifically articulated his speech was carefully planned as to both send a message but also prove a point. FDR's speech was less careful in regards to wording because FDR didn't have to worry about the thought of offending his listeners because he knew that his people would be on board with what he was saying. Bush, on the other hand, was trying to appeal all of his listeners, American or foreign. His word choice was much more particular and he was careful in avoiding offensive terms regarding the radical Islamic group because of the Allied groups who closely related to the Islamic people. For example, FDR openly spoke of Japan and its Empire being fully responsible for Pearl Harbor, which implanted in the audience's mind that Japan and its people as a whole were fully responsible for this act of terror instead of focusing on the fault falling on Japan's military and government. 

Bush did not follow this tactic, partly because it was not known at the time the full details regarding the Towers falling, but also, if Bush worded something inappropriately, it could've have possibly interfered with our alliances with countries around the area of Iraq and Iran. Bush used cautious tongue throughout his speech, and it appeared to be the most appropriate response considering the tragedy that had just occurred merely hours before. The reader realizes there was a large gap in the time between FDR's speech and Bush's speech that it becomes easier to see the reasoning behind both president's wording and content because of the norms from the different era. 

America has faced many tragedies in its day, but none seem to stick out as much as both the attack on Pearl Harbor and 9/11. FDR's speech is memorable, especially his opening statement "December 7th, 1941 --a date which will live in infamy-- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan." Clearly, FDR is emphasizing his and the American people's obvious rage towards the Japanese Empire. In contrast to FDR's speech, Bush utilized more aspects to appeal to his larger audience base. He had to appear comforting and sorrowful for the American people directly affected by 9/11, form a belief of strength and courageousness to America's alliance groups, and also send a warning to the members of al-Qaeda, warning them for what was yet to come in the near future as an act of retribution for the terror brought on the nation. 

