On the early morning of September 11, 2001 business men and women walked into the World Trade centers while others boarded planes, none of them knowing today was their day on earth. Thousands of Americans lost their lives during a terrorist attack on United States soil. This evil act shook the American people, and in their time of need President George W. Bush moved and united the nation with his words. He brought together every man, woman, and child residing under the stars and stripes using patriotism.  Along with compassion and a plan of action President Bush gave the country what it needed following that tragic day.

Every corner of the United States was touched by tragedy following the events that fateful day, but in George W. Bush’s “Address to the nation on the terrorist attacks” he chooses his words very carefully to make sure to include everyone affected bringing the country together. Starting off the speech saying, “Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. (53)” In this short remark President Bush used the word “our” to make everyone understand that we as a nation are all in this together. He does this to bring everyone together against one central cause, terrorism. Throughout the address to the nation President Bush talks about the American military, government, and economy. At the same time President Bush shows courage in the face of terror when he says, “Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve. (53)” This very patriotic image of the foundation of America being unbreakable shows the American people listening that even the greatest of evils from foreign soil cannot break the will of America. The use of the words steel and foundation show the strength of America and that any damages can be and will be resolved.

President Bush showed enormous amounts of compassion throughout his famous address. While most of his speech he speaks about the terrorism endured and how we must combat it with action and prayer there is one paragraph devoted to prayer alone. Towards the end of his speech President Bush uses God and the Bible to comfort the American people affected directly by the events of September 11, 2001. “Tonight I ask for your prayers for all those who grieve, for the children whose worlds have been shattered, for all whose sense of safety and security has been threatened. And I pray they will be comforted by a power greater than any of us spoken through the ages in Psalm 23: ‘Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me.’ (54).” The quote above in my opinion is where President Bush removes himself from the position of President of the United States and becomes just another American citizen expressing his true emotion to the world. In saying “And I pray they will be comforted by a power greater than any of us spoken through the ages” George W. Bush shows that he is a man of religion, faith, and God. The Bible Verse Psalm 23 backs up everything President Bush says, even in our darkest times and during our toughest battles we mustn’t fear evil because God is with us. Through God and the resolve of the American people George W. Bush believes that we can win the battle against terrorism. President Bush’s demonstration of faith is able to make a connection with the American citizen and show that he shares traits with them such as faith in God. 

This terrorism came in the form of four planes crashed, three buildings destroyed, and a field burned in Pennsylvania. Even in the eyes of a terrorist attack on domestic soil President George W. Bush remained calm and immediately initiated a plan of action. In his address to the nation President Bush said, “Immediately following the first attack, I implemented our government's emergency response plans. Our military is powerful, and it's prepared. Our emergency teams are working in New York City and Washington, D.C., to help with local rescue efforts. (53)” These two sentences explain clearly and with strength that our nation is acting to respond and protect the “the beacon of freedom” that is America. It was significant to Americans to hear that there was a plan being acted upon in response to the attacks. Along with that he also made sure to mention the acts were terrorist acts and that it would not be tolerated by us or by any allies of America. This effort to fight terrorism became one of the largest issues in our nation, sending us to war overseas. “The search is underway for those who are behind these evil acts. I've directed the full resources for our intelligence and law enforcement communities to find those responsible and bring them to justice. We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them. (54)” This proclamation reassured all of the families who lost a loved one on 9/11 that everything is being done to bring the terrorists to justice, by showing how much of a priority it was to find the people responsible for the attacks and hold them accountable. 

On September 11, 2001 the largest terrorist attack on United States soil shook not just the nation, but the entire world. The commander and chief George W. Bush addressed the country the night of 9/11, and through the patriotic and compassionate tone of his speech he comforted a hurting country. Besides that he also stood his ground and stood up to terrorism, implementing plans of action to achieve justice and peace. On one of the darkest days in American history President George W. Bush captured the hearts of the American people and solidified his place in history with this address. 