The True Leader of a Nation under Fire | Teen Ink

The True Leader of a Nation under Fire

March 12, 2011
By cmccray@CBA SILVER, OLD BRIDGE, New Jersey
cmccray@CBA SILVER, OLD BRIDGE, New Jersey
6 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Life is a ticket to the greatest show on Earth"
-Martin H. Fischer

"The fireworks begin today, each diploma is lighted match, each one of you is a fuse"
-Mayor Ed Koch


The day could not have seemed more ordinary. Just a couple thousand people traversing the “City that Never Sleeps” to get to work and put food on the table for their families. Some typed at computer screens while others took their first sip from an enlivening cup of coffee, when, suddenly, the most calamitous event in the 234 year history of the United States of America occurred. Two swooping silver bullets flying at an incomprehensible amount of speed crashed into the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers and put a spell of pure aghast upon the United States. A sense of pandemonium spread throughout America that, thankfully, would not last for long. The leader of the free world at the time, George W. Bush, took the nation under his wing and brought it to tranquility and repose once more. Throughout the time period in which the egregious and terroristic acts of September 11th, 2001 occurred, President of the United States George W. Bush mollified the American people with a sense of unyielding sangfroid, a sense of sound judgment, and a sense of impenetrable security in the lives of the American people.

The sense of unyielding sangfroid George Bush presented to the American people when first informed of the terroristic attacks played an essential role in keeping Americans calm and assured during the chaotic moments of September 11th, 2001. On the morning of September 11th, 2001, shortly after the second plane had crashed into the Twin Towers, Chief of Staff Andrew Card unexpectedly interrupted Bush’s storybook reading to school children in Florida with news of the attacks. After the revelation of the current American situation, the president remained composed and implied the situation was under control by finishing his readings to the children before dealing with the attacks on hand (“September 11th”). The president’s poised way reacting to the first revelation of the terroristic attacks of September 11th depicted to Americans that the situation was under full control. By finishing his readings to the children before dealing with the attacks, Bush proclaimed to Americans that United States of America was more than prepared to overcome such a flagrant act. His composed reaction, opposed to a worried and dubious reaction, provided mollification to American citizens due to its strong implication that soon the United States would return to its state of tranquility and repose without fear of terrorism.
George Bush’s illustration of a sense of unyielding sangfroid also unified Americans individually and nationally. Shortly after the attacks, the president pronounced to American people that they should live their lives, take care of their children, and uphold America’s values even after the heinous occurrences of September 11th. The president continued by reiterating that Americans must always remember who they are and what they represent and concluded with this demand from American citizens, “I know many citizens have fears tonight and I ask you to be calm and resolute even in the face of a continuing threat” (Bush). With these soothing words, Bush assured Americans that worry should have no part in their lives and life should continue as if nothing ever happened. These words also manifested in the guaranteed by the president to Americans that the principals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness will always be prevalent in the United States of America, principals no terrorist can take away, and principals that assuredly mollified the American people and eradicated uncertainty.
The president’s depiction of a sense of unyielding sangfroid lastly aided in the creation of a meticulous plan to serve justice to the terrorists. In a televised remark, George Bush orated that the result of this war, which will take every resource and legal authority in possession to win, will set a course for the upcoming century (Bush). The president’s proactive plan to use all resources in possession to serve justice to the terrorists formed largely due to a composed mind working behind the scenes for the best interest of the American people. If the president felt overwhelmed or dubious about his actions in response to the attacks there is no way he would have been able to sit down and establish a plan as potent as using every resource in his possession to take down the enemy. With the disclosure of this meticulous plan, George Bush did a sublime job in mollifying the American people and assuring them of the direction this war on terror was taking.
George Bush communicated a sense of sound judgment during the attacks of September 11th, 2001 through his decision to pass the Patriot Act. The Patriot Act, put forth by the Bush Administration, brought up the failings of the intelligence community of the United States and removed barriers that blocked communication between the police, FBI, and CIA (Pearson). In the president’s passing of this act, he brought up various intelligence and security issues that greatly detracted from American security. This act clearly made the U.S. a safer place, which contained a less flawed security bureau and a more proficient way of communication between security agencies. These new elements of security represented the essential tools needed to mollify the irresolute people of the United States.
The president also conveyed a sense of sound judgment to the American people in his expeditious decision to declare war on the terrorists. On September 11th, 2001, George Bush made one of the most important decisions of his presidency. Bush asserted to his staff that the United States was now at war with the terrorists. Under Bush’s control, terrorism would not be treated as a matter of law enforcement (Murphy 831). The responsive way in which the president handled these actions played in essential role in keeping America under control. With the notion that the terrorists were being searched for, the stress and worry of Americans was practically alleviated. The United States was not going to become an unsafe haven by no means.
Bush lastly delineated a sense of sound judgment in his successful invasion of the terrorists in Iraq. On October 7th, 2001, American forces led by General Tommy Franks invaded Iraq and attacked Bin Laden and the Taliban regime. Shortly after, in December, the Taliban’s government collapsed, and Bin Laden’s terrorist infrastructure stood partially destroyed (Murphy 832). One can safely say the collapse of a government and the destruction of an infrastructure stand as extremely successful results after an invasion. With these two facets of the enemy weakened the United States gained an advantage in the war, which expunged any feelings of doubt from American citizens. Overall, these triumphant results mollified the American people and declared to them that the war terrorism had begun and stood immediately in the favor of the United States of America.
The president’s passing of the Patriot Act also rendered a sense of impenetrable security in the lives of Americans. The passing of the Patriot Act also gave investigators a warrant to use roving wiretaps, which tracked terrorists who decided to quickly change locations and phones (Pearson). With this act in effect, technological society advanced and secured areas of American society that still remained vulnerable. Roving wiretaps could now be used to outsmart the cunning terrorists and bring them to justice. With this knowledge of an impeccable security bureau, Americans stood mollified and felt more secure than ever before.
Bush’s calm and reassuring addresses to the American people fabricated a sense of impenetrable security in the lives of Americans. The president declared in a televised address to the American people that, “Five years after 9/11, our enemies have not succeeded in launching another attack on our soil.” In a different address, shortly after the attacks, the president asserted at Ground Zero that, “ America today is on bended knee, in prayer for the people whose lives were lost here… I can hear you! The rest of the world can hear you! And the people—and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon” (Bush). In his reminder of the fact that there have been no terroristic attempts since September 11th, the president emphasized how safe America stood from evil. In addition, Bush’s proposition that the world will soon hear from the United States poses an inspiring and reassuring feeling to Americans. When one receives a guarantee as comforting as the destruction of terrorists that killed thousands in America, one can undoubtedly say that is enough to engender mollification

George Bush lastly generated a sense of impenetrable security through his revelation of the Bush Doctrine. President George W. Bush revealed his Bush Doctrine, which stated that the U.S. would work with allies from all over, promote democracy throughout the world, and attain military superiority throughout the war (Murphy 833). The president’s doctrine spelt out the plan to quash terrorism to American people. This doctrine illustrated a straightforward plan to serve the proper justice to the appalling actions of these malefactors. With the promise of the use of various allies and the promotion of democracy to subdue terrorism, the American people felt mollified and alleviated of all doubt and uncertainty concerning their safety.

When those two silver bullets rammed into the Twin Towers the American people brooded over a nation that would be changed forever. Americans mulled over a possible life without freedom and liberty. In spite of that, under the resilient and sanguine wing of George W. Bush, the United States bounced back once again, quashing various plots of terrorism and putting the nation at ease once and for all.




Works Cited
Bush, George. “Address to Joint of Staff and the American People.” The White House, Washington D.C. 20 September 2001.
Bush, George. “Bullhorn Address at Ground Zero.” Ground Zero, NY, NY. 14 September 2001.
Bush, George. “Televised Remarks on 9/11.” The White House, Washington D.C. 11 September 2006.
Murphy, Daniel. “George W. Bush.” American Presidents. Ed. Frank N. Magill. Third ed. 2 vols. California: Salem Press, 2006. Print.
Pearson, John. “Points of View: Homeland Security and Civil Liberties.” Points of View: Homeland Security and Civil Liberties. 2009. Points of View Resource Center Powered by EBSCO Host. Web. 29 September 2010.
“Sep. 11th, 2001: Bush learns of attacks on World Trade Center.” History.com- History Made Everyday- American and World History. Web. 29 September 2010.

The author's comments:
September 11th, 2001 was a day in America's history that will never be forgotten. The lives of thousands of innocent people were taken on that horrific morning, and many were forever endowed with a palpable sense of trepidation. In my various research of the egregious event, I have written an essay concerning the actions of the one man who held the nation together under his sanguine wing during the time period of the attacks: George W. Bush. Throughout the aftermath and the actual time of the attack, George W. Bush, the President of the United States of America at the time, was the true leader of a nation under fire.

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