September 11th, 2001 is one of the saddest days in American history. The day started off beautiful, not a cloud in the New York sky, but it ended in disaster. Grief was spread across the nation as we stood behind our President for support. On September 13th, 2001 President George W. Bush addressed the nation over the phone from the Oval Office. This image shows Bush talking over the phone and in the background you can see the American flag proudly waving. Although this image was captured during the saddest time in American history, it shows how strong our country is by being able to stand by our President and proudly wave our flag.

At first glance one can easily assume that this picture was taken shortly after 9/11. The facial expressions on President George W. Bush’s face are grim yet serious. He is wearing a navy jacket, white button down shirt, and a red tie. You are first drawn to Bush because he is the focus of the picture. He is on the phone addressing the nation after this tragic incident. Even though Bush is the focal point you can spot light shining on an American flag in the background. This symbolizes strength in our nation because even after this horrific attack on our nation, we were able to get back up and show the world that we are still and will always be proud to be Americans.

This visual text evokes an emotional response, sadness, and loss. You can tell that Bush is sad by his face. When you think of 9/11, you also think of loss. This nation lost 2,996 innocent people, most of who were just going to work. Many families lost their loved ones. Moms, Dads, Aunts, Uncles, and children were all lost this day. Just by looking at this photo you can sense the grief and loss from this horrible time. There is a common ground from this photo. Every American can relate to this photo. If you ask someone what they were doing when the plane struck, they will most likely be able to tell you in clear detail. The face Bush makes in this photo reminds, of the face my father makes every year. As many other people in this country can relate to, I lost my Uncle Chris on 9/11. I’m so proud everyday to be an American and be apart of such a strong nation. I love that I am able to stand proudly next to the American flag for my Uncle Chris and the rest of the 2,996 innocent lives lost on this horrible day.

 This picture is very selective because even though it is never shown or stated, you can tell that this is taken around the time of September 11th. The photo is directed towards the American people. It represents strength, loss, family, country, and pride. Our country is so strong that we were able to come together as a nation and show how much pride we have. It is after hard times that you can really tell how strong something or someone is. Although September 11th is one of the saddest days in American history, it showed us and the rest of the world how strong we are. They may have broken our buildings, but they woke a spirit that brought our nation together in support and love.

Although this picture is one that represents sadness, there is also a shine of hope with the light reflecting on the American flag. This shows that we, as Americans, are able to come together and overcome even the hardest of times. We are able to come together as Americans, under the leadership of our Commander in Chief. Having the light shining on the flag shows that there is a “light at the end of the tunnel” for America.

Many icons are represented in this image. The first icon, George Bush, being our Commander in Chief and the face of the Nation. He is the reason why we were able to overcome our grief and sadness. The Oval Office is an icon of our nation as it can be seen as the “center of our nation”. Bush is photographed addressing us from the Oval Office, where he spends most of his time working to make America a better place. The American flag is another icon because although this was a horrible time for our nation, we are still able to proudly wave our flag. 

This visual text is one that hits close to home because not only did I lose a loved one on 9/11, but I am also from New York. The loss and grief shown in Bush’s face is how it was on 9/11/2001 and every year since. Not being in New York this year for the first time since the planes crashed was bizarre. Seeing this picture makes one have so much pride for our nation. It gives me so much strength knowing that our whole nation was able to come together and proudly wave the American flag just two days after one of the saddest days in American history. The American flag symbolizes our strength and love for this country. It also waves proudly in the background of this visual text for the lives of the 2,996 innocent lives lost on this horrific day. The light shining on the flag symbolizes the lives of the 2,996 lives that are showing us that there is indeed a “light at the end of the tunnel” and to stay strong. It can be seen as the lives wanting us to stand by our nation and by our Commander in Chief. The American flag is a symbol of our nation and it shows the attackers and the rest of the world that we will not back down. They might have knocked down our buildings but they didn’t and will never knock down our pride and love for this nation. This visual text is a perfect representation of September 11th, 2001 as it shows us that we will always stand by our country and that we will never forget one of the saddest days in American history. 
