Rudy Giuliani's Role In The Aftermath

Global Healing: Rudy Giuliani’s Role in the Aftermath of 9/11
When the American founding fathers etched the first words into the Constitution, they formulated the timeless document around three basic principles: logos, ethos, and pathos. Essentially, the Framers envisioned a society and country where free speech allows people to utilize these core fundamental principles as a symbol of American freedom following secession from the British. In fact, these core principles were first operated in a political scheme by the Athenians and Romans. But over many centuries, these principles finally gained recognition in a revolutionary setting when they were first employed by social theorists such as John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, Jean Jacques Rousseau, and Voltaire. Following the Humanist Revolution, these same principles

became the core values that the Constitution was created upon.

And to this day, these values hold up and serve as the basis for all aspects of our country, whether it range from politics to social issues. But on September 11, 2001, these fundamental principles that stand for freedom were put into serious jeopardy by maniacal terrorists who refused to accept the progressive role that America played on a global scale. But as America slowly began to recover from this tragedy, the responsibility to lift the American spirit was left to the hands of the politicians who we ironically know to cause so much chaos and bipartisan gridlock. Nonetheless, world leaders such as Rudy Giuliani eased the pain for the American populous in a manner that called for reform in order to prevent an attack like this from ever occurring on American soil. Ultimately, in his address to the United Nations General Assembly following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Rudy Giuliani makes effective use of tone, rhetorical devices, and logical and emotional appeals to soothe the wounds that the

American people faced on the most tragic day in American history.
First, tone serves as a prima facie aspect of Rudy Giuliani’s speaking given that the sole purpose of his speech was to comfort the American public through the eyes of the United Nations. Essentially, Rudy Giuliani directs his speech towards the UN General Assembly as a symbol to adopt more counterterrorism measures in order to prevent attacks like 9/11 from occurring in the future. Despite him addressing the UN General Assembly, it seems as if he uses the United Nations to channel his message to the exterior world as a comforting measure to help America put an end to the period of grieving that followed the terrorist attacks. An example of this is clearly evident in the quote, “This was not just an attack on the City of New York or on the United States of America. It was an attack on the very idea of a free, inclusive, and civil society”, where Giuliani channels his message to the public, rather than just to the UN. But amidst all of this, Giuliani’s tone plays a crucial role throughout the course of his speech. In the beginning of his captivating oration, Giuliani utilizes a somber, yet cogent tone that serves as a coping mechanism for the audience, which in this case is served by the American people through the eyes of the UN representatives. In turn, this establishes a sense of sympathy that Giuliani seems to have for the American people, as revealed through the quote, “The bravery of our firefighters, our police officers, our emergency workers, and civilians we may never learn of, in saving over 25,000 lives that day, and carrying out the most effective rescue operation in our history, inspires all of us.” This quote serves as a perfect example to reflect on the sympathetic tone Giuliani displays given that he refers to himself as part of the New York constituency that shares the same sentiment towards the terrorist attacks. Nonetheless, Giuliani’s tone quickly morphs from sympathetic to more of a patriotic and reassuring tone where he unveils the true nature of the American people in persevering through this crisis. A perfect example of this nationalist tone is expressed in the quote, “We're defined as Americans by our beliefs, not by our ethnic origins, our race or our religion. Our belief in religious freedom, political freedom, economic freedom -- that's what makes an American”. In essence, Giuliani is trying to convince the American populous that pain is temporary, but healing leads to a greater sense of cohesion amongst the American people. Moreover, Giuliani serves as a social and political lubricant in order to facilitate the healing process through his tone in order to help the American public come to a greater sense of understanding and solidity.