Rhetorical Analysis Of Giuliani Speech On 9/11

On September 11, 2001, al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four passenger airliners in an act of terror against the United States of America. One plane went down in a field in Pennsylvania, another crashed into the Pentagon. The two remaining planes flew into the World Trade Center buildings in New York City. Cited as the deadliest incident for law enforcement officers, this day struck fear into the hearts of people around the world. On October 1, 20 days after the attacks, New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani addressed the United Nations during a session about terrorism and how the attack impacted not only the city of New York, but also the world. In such a delicate time, it was important that Giuliani’s speech reach out to every person in the diverse …show more content…
Throughout the entire speech, Giuliani seeks to unite the audience against the terrorism due to the fact that it is trying to destroy a sense of patriotism. In one instance, he tells his audience, “You’re either with civilization or with terrorists.” This is a bold thing to say in a room full of people from around the world, however the ways Giuliani immediately follows it up softens the blow: “On one side is democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human life; on the other, it’s tyranny, arbitrary executions, and mass murder. We’re right and they’re wrong.” Giuliani is purposefully distancing the United States from the terrorists by listing things that make the country great. He is proud that he lives in a country where the individual is valued, such as the fact that it is the people who chose who is in power and the fact that rights of the individual are protected by laws. He has no patience for those who believe otherwise, and he is telling the United Nations representatives that if they have patriotism for their own countries, they will do the …show more content…
New York City is one of the most diverse cities in the world. It is home to people from all walks of life whether it be different religious backgrounds, different countries, or even different financial situations. When the attack first happened many people were blaming people from different countries and targeting them when they actually had no part in it. Giuliani saw this happening and he addressed it right away. He did not want New York City to become divided among its people. Because New York City is home to such a large group of diverse people then that means there is an even greater chance of helping each other out and becoming stronger after such a tragedy. “I 've told the people of New York that we should not allow this to divide us, because then we would really lose what this city is all about,” Giuliani