In this assignment, you will submit your final paper. Your final paper must be 57 pages of text, plus a title page and APA-formatted reference page. You may include properly cited graphics, such as pictures, maps, and graphs if you like. You must use and cite at least 5 scholarly sources; Wikipedia, encyclopedias, and websites that are intended for a general audience are not scholarly sources. You may supplement the 5 scholarly sources with news articles. You will need to research not only the event, but also the historical figure, and write the paper \”in character.\” Your final paper must be 57 pages of text, plus a title page and APA-formatted reference page. You must include properly cited graphics, such as pictures, maps, and graphs if you like. You must use and cite at least 5 scholarly sources; Wikipedia, encyclopedias, and websites that are intended for a general audience are not scholarly sources. You may supplement (not replace) the 5 scholarly sources with news articles.
911 Through President Bushs Point of View
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course
Instructor’s Name
Date
911 Through President Bush’s Point of View
Introduction
The chosen topic for this project was 9/11 from President Bush’s Point of View. This topic describes the event that occurred on September 11, 2001. The Historical figure whose point of view is examined is President George W. Bush (Alkhawaldeh & Ladiqi, 2021). The 9/11 event was a terrorist attack in the United States of America that left Americans and the rest of the world terrified. During this time, the United States was attacked by the Islamic group known, the Al-Qaida. The world watched as the New York trade center and the Pentagon were attacked. This event led to the death and injury of many people. The event compelled President George. W. Bush released a press statement that declared war against terrorists (Ferguson, 2022). In that regard, the purpose of this paper is to discuss President Bush’s point of view as it relates to the 9/11 event.
Summary of The 9/11 Event
The September 11th, 2001 attack also known as the 9/11 attack/event, was a series of airline hijackings and suicide attacks committed by the Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda. The attack was coordinated by Osama bin Laden, who was the leader of the militant group, Al-Qaeda (Iskenderian, 2022). On September 11th, 2001, a group of attackers boarded four domestic aircraft, and soon after takeoff, they disabled the crews. The hijackers took the control of the planes. AT 8:46 AM that morning, the first plane crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York. The airliner carrying about 10,000 gallons of jet fuel was traveling at hundreds of miles per hour (Ferguson, 2022). The second plane struck the south tower at 9.03 am. There was smoke billowing upwards and, steel, glass, and bodies falling. The Twin Towers carrying up to 50,000 people collapsed less than 90 minutes after the crush (Alkhawaldeh & Ladiqi, 2021). At this point, it was obvious that the United States of America was under attack.
The third plane struck the western face of the Pentagon at 9.37 am. The third plane was American Airlines flight 77, which took off from Dulles Airport near Washington D.C. The fourth aircraft was crushed at 10.03 am in southern Pennsylvania (Gregg, 2017). The plane was planned to hit the United States White House or the Capitol but was forced down by passengers who already had the knowledge that America was under attack. More than 2,600 people died in the World Trade Center. Furthermore, 125 people died at the Pentagon and 256 passed on in the four planes. This attack was therefore planned to paralyze America (Alkhawaldeh & Ladiqi, 2021). Before discussing the President’s point of view as it related to the 9/11 event, it is important to first understand the event.
The President’s Speech
The 9/11 event compelled President George. W. Bush to make a historical speech that declared war against terrorists. The President’s speech started by talking about the event and everything that transpired that very day. President George. W. Bush summarized everything, however, he did not give details of how they happened. For instance, President Bush said, “The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings fire burning, huge structures collapsing has filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness, and a wave of quiet, unyielding anger” (Bush, 2021). Bush confirmed to Americans that the country was under attack. He stated that America was attacked because it was a good example of freedom and opportunity to the whole world.
Bush reiterated that the United States is a great nation and that would never give up, but instead will do everything to bring the attackers to justice. President Bush ended his speech with a prayer for the people affected and an encouraging passage. He said, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil for you are with me” (Beshara, 2018). Bush was right to some extent because America is known for its freedom over the world. The American people value opportunity which is why everyone can work to be anybody they want. During his speech, President George. W. Bush portrayed Americans’ fine qualities, including their stance on promoting freedom, something that make them hated by Al-Qaida.
America as A Religious Country
During the speech, President George. W. Bush perceived that America is a religious country and that is where its strength lies. President George Bush stated that “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” (Bush, 2021). The bible says that God is the protector of nations. He fought for Israelites as a nation during their Journey from Egypt and during the war with other nations. Bush also portrayed the essence of America being a religious country when he says s God bless America (Gregg, 2017). George. W. Bush places the American experience in a Biblical context by quoting psalm 23. This verse shaped the meaning of 9/11 as a temptation that is passing by stating that passage through the valley of the shadow of death while at the same time assuring the Americans that the Lord was with them.
America is indeed a religious country, made up of majorly Christians. About 48.9% are protestants, 23% are Catholics, and 1.8% are Mormons, who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The President’s religious point of view provided comfort to the majority of Americans who prefer religion as a source of hope. The President stated that “We are here in the middle hour of our grief. So many have suffered so great a loss, and today we express our nation’s sorrow” (Gregg, 2017). The president depicts empathy and love and shaped everybody’s understanding of the event. Bush expressed the courage and sacrifice that other Americans showed to help the victims of the 9/11 attack.
Americans as Brave and Determined to Fight Against Terror
The President’s speech hinted at America as brave and determined to fight against terrorism. Bush said what Americans needed to hear and understand at that very time and period. The President promised the Americans that the government would do everything to retaliate for the damages the enemy had caused Americans. He promised the fight had just begun “This conflict was begun on the timing and terms of others; it will end in a way and at an hour of our choosing” (Beshara, 2018). This speech provided the typical Americans with the zeal to fight for their country. Americans believe in sustaining, protecting, and achieving their mission and strategy. Bush acknowledged citizens’ effort to save and help the victims of the attack. He showed that Al-Qaida had wrong motives that include not only ending lives but also overthrowing governments.
When asked by one of the journalists about what is expected of Americans, the President reiterated that Americans should live their lives normally. This statement showed strength and bravery. It assures the Americans that they should not worry because the government will act on their behalf (Ferguson, 2022). He did not just promise but showed how the fight would be fought. For instance, he assured Americans that there would be financial assistance and military moves to curb the war with the terrorist. Additionally, President. W. Bush described victims of the 9/11 attack as heroes. The president’s speech appreciated the 83 passengers who stormed the cockpit to ensure the plane did not crash on either the White House or Capitol Hill (Iskenderian, 2022). The victims were described as heroes who showed the bravery of America.
Bush uses words of bravery by saying that the war just began and will end at their hour of choosing. President George. W. Bush condemned the act as barbaric by calling the terrorists as barbaric criminals. Bush characterized the terror planners as cowards. He said if they were brave enough they would come out of their hiding places (Bush, 2021). If the terrorists were brave, they would not be hiding in the caves after flying U.S. airplanes into innocent citizens and killing them. The Preside Bush’s speech portrays the bravery, strength, and capability of the United States to fight and defeat terrorists who try to cause agony and destabilize the nation.
America Is a Free Nation with A Strong Sense of National Socialism, And That Is Why Al-Qaeda Hated Our Nation
The President’s speech also portrays America as a free nation with a strong sense of national socialism. The president reiterated in his speech that Al-Qaida hated America due to its values. In his speech President George. W. Bush perceives Al-Qaida as a terrorist group whose main agenda is to spread anarchy (Beshara, 2018). Al-Qaida’s main aim is not merely to kill but to over through the government. The sense of nationalism and socialism is depicted by the heroes who tried to act in the best of their country’s interest. These heroes are the victims who stormed the terrorists in the plane. According to the President, the terrorist group is trying to sabotage the country to ruin the American traditions and foundations that have kept them close and united for a long time. Bush stated that Al-Qaida’s main aim is to disrupt and end the American way of life (Iskenderian, 2022). Based on the President’s speech, Bush’s point of view is clearly understood.
Conclusion
The topic discussed in this paper is President Bush’s Point of View as it relates to the 9/11 attack. The 9/11 event was a terrorist attack in the United States of America that left Americans and the rest of the world terrified. During the attack, four planes were hijacked. Two of them crashed on the Twin Towers in New York. The third plane crashed at the Pentagon and the fourth one crashed in southern Pennsylvania. This paper provided a summary of the President’s speech, as well as the President’s point of view as it relates to the event.
References
Alkhawaldeh, A. M., & Ladiqi, S. (2021). The United States of America’s Foreign Policy towards Jordan during (George W. Bush) Administration (2001-2009) (Case Study of the Events of September 11, 2001). International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 11(3), 1270-1277. http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v11-i3/9219
Bush, G. W. (2021). 9/11 Address to the Nation. In Finding Freedom (pp. 145-155). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003235217-11/9-11-address-nation-george-bush
Beshara, R. K. (2018). A critical discourse analysis of George W. Bush’s “war on terror” speech: The rhetoric of (counter) terrorism and the logic of Islamophobia. Journal of Language and Discrimination, 2(1), 85-112. https://doi.org/10.1558/jld.34307
Ferguson, N. (2022). Applying history in real time: a tale of two crises. Journal of Applied History, 1(aop), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1163/25895893-bja10021
Gregg, G. L. (2017, July 10). George W. Bush: Foreign affairs. Miller Center. https://millercenter.org/president/gwbush/foreign-affairs
Iskenderian, B. (2022). Naming the Enemy: An Analysis of How Presidential Rhetoric and Foreign Policy Contributed to American (Doctoral dissertation, University of Colorado Boulder). https://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/6682x507b