A Second Attempt

As was stated in class, rhetoric must be taken in the context in which it exists. Our group discussed that Bush’s ethos rested primarily upon this context, his second inauguration and his second presidency. He gains a certain amount of credibility simply in the fact that he was leading the United States during the devastating 911. The direction of his speech is, therefore, almost understandable or predictable as this ethos has established for him a reason to focus on such a topic as freedom. From these perspectives, this form of ethos seems to be strong enough to gain some merit.

From a completely rhetorical standpoint, I agree with much of what was mentioned in class. Bush’s speech seems to rely heavily on pathos, and he maintains his theme of liberty, freedom, and the American ideal throughout—though with very little detail or logical perspective. With all we have been reading in class, it’s hard sometimes not to compare rhetorical strategy. One of our initial readings for class was MLK’s "Letter from Birmingham Jail." His appeal was one that combined an honest rhetorical technique and a heartfelt passion to create a letter that serves as a valuable model for what, through rhetoric, language is able to accomplish. Logos, ethos, and pathos were clear and effective aspects of MLK’s letter, and his life examples added to and developed a sense of all three.

I guess a positive point to Bush’s speech was that it maintained a consistency. His steady urgings for freedom run throughout, and he knowingly mentions historical documents (The Declaration of Independence) and historical symbols (such as the Liberty Bell) to arouse a general feeling of this "American ideal." He regularly incorporates the pronoun "we" to establish an idea that America, united, will make important, perhaps the "greatest," strides to ensure and experience this freedom. All of these conventions would have been effective to arouse a valued sense of liberty among Americans, yet it seems more detail could have been incorporated to make his speech not only more memorable but also more meaningful.

Melody