Of course such a call to arms does not come without sacrifices. I understand the suffering caused by this threat. Some have themselves been threatened by invasive or abusive actions. Citizens have become paranoid on the basis of skin color or religion. Others have been victims of unfair discrimination at airports. Such actions cannot be tolerated within our beautiful country. We are members of the same nation, with the same rights and the same freedoms. Inter-citizen conflict of this kind is unacceptable. Instead, let us focus on the actions that will bring us closer to eradicating the real threat of terrorism from outside the country. Let us focus on building our relationships as American citizens, rather than members of different ethnic nations and groups. Let us reconcile our differences and build the strength that we know can be ours.
My fellow citizens, let us take up arms against real threats. For some this will mean taking up physical arms. For some this will mean making sacrifices. Some will sacrifice their time, while others will make concrete sacrifices in the form of services, loved ones or financial input. In terms of this last, I have to inform you as citizens of this beautiful country that some tax input will be channeled towards the war effort in Iraq. I also want to place emphasis on the important work that our young soldiers are doing in this country. They are at the very frontlines, curbing the power and the evil of the terrorist force that has invaded our country. As such, these soldiers deserve our full support.
A therefore ask support in terms of prayer, friendship to family members - wives and children who are left behind - and your tax input. I am happy to say that much of the war effort has been successful. We have made great progress in helping innocent Iraqi citizens to themselves taste the beauty of freedom and democracy. Many young soldiers have made the ultimate sacrifice to achieve this, and for this we thank them and their families....
I personally thank you, my fellow citizens, for your understanding and your support.
Analysis:
Generally, this speech relies heavily on emotional appeal. Reminding the citizens of the events on 9/11 has particular emotional appeal, as this day lives in the cultural consciousness as a very painful and very poignant memory. This is then used as the basis for the rest of the speech that attempts the citizens that the war on terrorism, and particularly sending troops to Iraq, is a viable action to curb terrorism.
The speech is organized in such a way that emotional appeal takes precedence over factual statements. Indeed, few statements in the speech are purely factual. In fact, the speech frequently includes emotional elements such as including the audience in terms of their relationship to the President as "fellow Americans" or "fellow citizens." This reference places them on a perceived equal basis with the leader and is aimed at making them receptive and more open to the rest of the speech.
The negative elements of the war receives less attention than the positive elements. In turn, the negative consequences of terrorism are elevated above all else in status of importance. As such, the focus of this is on the threat from abroad and what should be done to keep this threat from crossing into the United States. The fact that prejudice and suffering within the country are often the direct result of Government policy regarding the war on terrorism is not mentioned at all. Furthermore, the suffering of American citizens themselves are justified as "sacrifices" made for the cause of the American way of life.
Political discourse involves certain limitations in terms of disclosure, especially in terms of persuasion. In a speech like the one above, it is important to emphasize the points and elements that would promote the persuasion element of the main points of the speech. In this, the speech is estimated to be fairly successful.
