On September 11th, 2001, terrorists attacked The United States of America, killing almost 3,000 people. This event affected every person across the nation, and across the world. Citizens were lost and did not know what lied ahead. Later that day, then-President George W. Bush addressed the nation by giving a grieving, yet hopeful speech that revitalized the country through displaying the resilience of the United States.
By giving the speech the same evening as the devastating event, it is kairotic because the nation needed to convey a sense of unity and durability to outside attack. President Bush repeats throughout that “our military is powerful” and “our country is strong.” This repetition reaffirms that while the nation was attacked, the people will hold together even in the face of evil.
Additionally, President Bush uses an extended metaphor to portray the toughness that America can endure; “Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America.” This metaphor adds to the kairos of the piece due to its reaffirming nature that America is still America, meaning that we hold true to the same values as before.
One of these values highlighted in the speech is volunteerism. Throughout the introduction, President Bush identifies groups afflicted by the terrorist attacks. While initially, everyone was shocked, ordinary people became extraordinary. Firefighters, Police Officers, Nurses, Doctors, everyone who could help, came to help. From donating blood to giving to charity, volunteerism spurred across the nation. This unifying presence was symbolized throughout President Bush’s speech.
Ultimately, President Bush’s speech on 9/11 symbolized a turning point in American history. His condemnation was not just his, but the entire country’s. Additionally, the kairos of the speech disallowed The United States to become weakened, but to rebuild its already known strong ethos of unity, durability, and volunteerism.
I love reading your blog posts. The words you use almost direct the reader to your point, rather than have them look for your point. (For example, I never thought to use the word kairotic). Great Job!
The Bush speech after 9/11 is a perfect example of kairos being used effectively. I never would have thought to pick this as my civic artifact but I think it’s one of the most effective. I love how you went in depth about the feeling of the nation after the attack, it really helped tie it all together. It was also great to see you tie in ethos at the end of the post in conjunction with the kairos previously mentioned.