Analysis Of No Room For Heroes By Michael Burke

No Room For Heroes What makes something terrifying? Is it when you must face your fear or when you run away from it? Michael Burke shows how dauntless the firemen and first responders were at the attack on 9/11 in his article “No Firemen at Ground Zero This 9/11?” Why did he do this? Simply because the Mayor of New York City said that there was “no room” for the firefighters at the memorial, while politicians stood in their place. Burke directs his piece at politicians because he needed someone who had a good connection with the Mayor, this also puts pressure on the Mayor due to him needing support from others to stay in office. Burke convinces his logical audience to see his side through descriptive language, an aphorism, and structure. First and foremost, Burke uses descriptive language in his article. This works towards his purpose because most readers of this piece were at the attack on 9/11. What were most of them doing though? Running away. As these politicians read “their bodies charred” (Burke, para. 4), they start to remember the devastating day that they were remembering at Ground Zero. Burke also goes on to say things such as “And they still went up” (Burke, para. 5). These politicians then start to …show more content…
With descriptive language, he brings back memories of 9/11 and how the firefighters courageously went into the towers to save people. When using the aphorism he makes the reader realize how heroic the firefighters truly were, and with the structure, he ensured his purpose would be met. This piece is as compelling as it is tactful. Burke knew who he was speaking to and how to get what he wanted. 9/11 was devastating for all, and everyone old enough to remember knows exactly what they were doing when the towers were struck. He uses this to his advantage and makes it clear to everyone reading, not just the politicians, that firefighters deserve to be