Oklahoma City Bombing Rhetorical Analysis The Oklahoma City Bombing would be considered the worst terrorist attack on America prior to the 9/11 World Trade Center attack. Just outside of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, on April 19th, 1995 a truck exploded, killing 168 people. 19 of those 168 being children. The explosion caused damage to 300 surrounding buildings. Oklahoma City was going through a tragedy and needed guidance from a leader.
Who would be a better option to comfort the families and friends of the lost victim, than the current president of America, Bill Clinton, who had once resided in Oklahoma himself? Oklahoma City needed someone to soothe their pain and give them back their lost hope. Clinton uses rhetorical …show more content…
The hurt you feel must not be allowed to turn into hate, but instead in the search for justice. The loss you feel must not paralyze your own lives.” Clinton shares this to encourage his audience to not seek revenge, but to continue on in the way their lost loved ones would have wanted. Clinton also shares this knowing that this advice can be given to the parents that lost children in the attack. It is more helpful coming from someone who had previously dealt with all of the emotions, and learned how to channel them into something positive. Relating to the audience and making them feel more comfortable is a critical portion of Clinton’s speech. Clinton hits home by quoting the Governor and his wife to make the audience feel even closer to him, and more intrigued by the speech. The governor says “If anybody thinks that Americans are mostly mean and selfish, they ought to come to Oklahoma. If anybody thinks Americans have lost the capacity for love and caring and courage, they ought to come to Oklahoma.” Clinton uses others’ quotes to make the audience feel more unified and also to give the state of Oklahoma a better sense of togetherness.
One approach Bill Clinton uses to give a strong speech is his strategy of repetition, it makes his speech more structured and powerful. When talking about the lost lives, Clinton thanks them in remembrance: “Who worked