9/11: Mourning, Outrage & Giuliani's UN Address - Essay Sample

Introduction

9/11 was a disastrous day for the United States and other countries across the world. The act of terrorism, which saw the bombing of the twin tower in New York, stirred mixed reactions that were expressed in various art forms. Some artists mourned the victims of the attack through songs and poems, whereas others called for immediate actions through letters and speeches. Rudy Giuliani's address to the United Nations General Assembly is one specific reply to this terrorist attack. Giuliani employs certain techniques in his speech that is effective when applied in spoken rhetoric. These techniques help in establishing human connections with the possible audience. At the start of the speech, Giuliani uses ethos to create a long-term relationship with the audience. Ethos is a strong influence on attitude listener and influences the willingness to fathom the message. The reason for selecting Giuliani's speech is because it calls for immediate reaction on the September 11 incident. The speech not only urges the General Assembly and the United States to take actions against the terrorists, but it also mourns the victims of the tragedy. Most importantly, Giuliani's speech condemns terrorism since it violates fundamental human rights.

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Giuliani delivered this speech at the UN General Assembly held in New York on October 1, 2001, after the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center. The primary theme of the speech was to address the incidence of the 9/11 to the General Assembly and demonstrate that the attack was a threat to the world's peace and unity. The speaker said that the act was an attack on the idea of a free, inclusive, and civil society. He says, ''It was a direct assault on the founding principles of the United Nations itself'' (Giuliani, 2001). The speaker also stated that the attack aimed at destroying the mission of the UN: - To maintain international peace and security.

Further, Giuliani mentioned that this massive attack intended to break the spirits of the member states, but it strengthened them and prepared them in the fight against terrorists. From an individual perspective, the speaker presented his speech in an organized way. He began by recognizing the presence of the Secretary-General and the President of the General Assembly. The speaker went ahead to explain the content of his speech by reminding the General Assembly of the 9/11 attack, consoling the victims, condemning the incidence and informing the Assembly of the necessary measures put in place to prevent other deadly terrorist attacks. Indeed, I liked the arrangement of the content of the speech. The speaker arranged his speech clearly and concisely that is simple to understand.

Although the speaker talked much about terrorism, I think he should have improved on recommendations. Towards the end, the speaker should have provided possible options that can be implemented to counter-terrorism. Verbally, the speaker used language perfectly to get his points across. He also chose his words correctly to describe the scenario. Additionally, Giuliani used figures of speech, such as hyperbole in his presentation. For instance, He stated, ''Thousands of people were visiting from all parts of the United States and all parts of the world'' (Giuliani, 2001). The speaker used a non-verbal strategy to make the speech persuasive. This can be seen in his tonal variation and body movement.

Regarding body movement, the speaker maintains eye contact with the audience throughout the speech. He also nodes when making a contradicting statement, and makes a lot of gestures in some sections of his speech. For tonal variation, the speaker raises his voice when explaining some important facts or emphasizing on various issues.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the speech on Rudy Giuliani's 9/11 address to the United Nations meets various requirements of good communication. The speaker organizes his points chronologically to maintain the flow of the speech. He uses verbal and non-verbal cues, as well as various stylistic devices to persuade the audience. Therefore, the speech can leave the audience demand for more due to its simplicity and conciseness.

Reference

Giuliani, R. (n.d.). American Rhetoric. Retrieved January 10, 2019, from https://americanrhetoric.com/speeches/rudygiuliani911unitednations.htm