The bombing of the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001 brought tremendous pain and hardship to the residents of the city as well as the entire nation. On September 23, 2001 former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, hosted a “Prayer Service” to memorialize and honor those New York City residents who died from the attack on the city. The Prayer Service was held at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Reverend, Dr. Calvin Butts was one of the keynote speakers asked to address the audience during this memorial ceremony. I will analyze the speech given by Reverend,Dr. Calvin Butts. This six minute speech is an example of how ethos, pathos, logos structure, genre, place and delivery can help articulate the ideals of a nation and its citizens, while symbolically using the “pulpit” to remind the gathered attendees of the values that have framed this country.

Before I begin an analysis of this speech, it is important to ask, “Why Rev.Butts was asked to address the audience during this memorial ceremony?” Rev.Butts has been one of New York City’s spiritual leadersand head pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem since 1989. He has also been aCivil Rights advocate since the late 1960’s. He has served in the role of President of the State of New York College at Old Westbury since 1999. Rev. Butts and the Abyssinian Development Corporation, a non-profit community-based housing and commercial development organization, are committed to providing housing for senior citizens, homeless and moderate income residents for the citizens of New York City. It is due to his dedication to the residents of New York City that gives credence to the ethos or ethical appeal he provided as one of the keynote speakers during the 911 Prayer Service. Having an ethical presence from a leader who personifies New York City values during this memorial service was extremely important. Rev. Butts is well known even to those who are not members of his church and to those who are not Baptist. He has been featured in New York City newspapers as well as hosting a weekly radio talk show. Since this was a memorial specifically for New Yorkers (not the nation) it was vital to have a representative with strong ties to New York City. Rev. Butts was seen as moral and trustworthy.

In addition to the ethical appeal Rev. Butts provided, he was able to evoke emotional appeal from his presence and words. The pathos or emotional allure that spiritual representatives bring to ceremonies can typically conjure up, just from their presence, memories from the audience of Sunday church services, weddings, baptisms, christening or even images of their Deity. This was an emotional time for the residents of New York City and the pathos that Rev. Butts could deliver had to be strong not only to the attendeesbut also tothose listening from around the world watching on television.

Lastly, Rev. Butts was able to utilize logos (facts). Although he did not specifically use statistical data, he did reference texts on the plaque of the Status of Liberty to give even more creditability to his message. By reciting the words, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores. Send these the homeless tempest tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door,” at the beginning of his speech, it provided the audience with reassurance that he was a gifted orator who could expertly enumerate well known and comforting phrases that represent the moral values of New York City.

Ethos, pathos and logos are valuable tools that speakers should possess. However, other key elements are equally important for speakers and speeches, such as structure - especially when the type of speech or genre play a critical role during the presentation. The Prayer Service for New York City was a public eulogy for its residents. Since it was also being broadcast around the world it also had to resonantwith multiple viewers in various countries. Like with most eulogies, speakers typically give praise to the deceased. They also attempt to comfort the families of the departed with words of hope and comfort. Rev. Butts’ words eloquently provided both honor to the fallen and consolation to the surviving family members. One of the key words he used during his eulogy was battlefield. This is important because it reminds the audience that those who died as a result of the World Trade Center collapse died in war. He skillfully incorporates United States battles in the past like those at Tripoli and Normandy (World WarII). By using these conflicts it creates images of US Marines going off into war singing their battle hymn, “From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli.” These were also battles where the United States defeated the enemy and saved the country from destruction. By comparing the bombing of the World Trade Center to battles in World War II, Rev Butts is attempting to show the audience that the United State then and now has the strength of defeat any threat to the lives of its citizens. This was also clearly articulated when he uses the phrases “We’ll get through this and we came through it,” throughout his speech. These phrases wereused at the beginning of the speech when he asked the audience to take the hands of the person next to them and tell them that “We’ll get through this.” It was used again when he told the audience that “We came through it” when the United States was in battle during World War II. At the end of his speech these words were used yet again as a final reminder that the United States is strong and “We will get through it” as we battle and ultimately defeat those who took down the World Trade Center towers. Besides referencing battles that the United States has fought and won, the words “We’ll get through this” helped to unify the audience. The key word in the phrase is “we.” The overriding goal of the speech was to bring New Yorkers together. This was also aided by the joining of hands at the beginning of the speech. The message of unity was also addressed when Rev. Butts stated to the audience, “Get back on the airplanes. Go back to work. Rebuild America. We are not afraid today. We are not afraid.” This conveys a united front to the world and says New Yorkers are standing together as one and together will rebuild, and heal the City.

Along with the genre of this speech, how it was structured played a key role in its effectiveness. William Shakespeare is credited for writing that “Brevity is the soul of wit.” Rev. Butts’ six minute speech, while condensed to allow time for the many speakers who followed him, deliveredpulse and depth. In breaking down the speech, readers easily see a beginning middle and natural end. His speech contains unforced pauses that allow the audience to take in the message, applaud and cheer. Rev. Butts introduces the speech by identifying the nature of the event. In his first sentence he tells the attendees that “This memorial service is for you.” Since he is a reverend the gathering of hands exercise is reminiscent of what takes place at the beginning of many church services. Reverends typically ask the congregation to hold hands together in prayer prior to beginning her or his message. The middle of the speech helps to hold the audience together by quoting the words on the tablet of the Statue of Liberty. These words along with the reference to the statue provide the audience with verbal as well as visual imagesthat cements the need to memorialize. As the reverend moves his speech along, the audience is provided with a brief history lesson about the various U.S. wars that have been fought in order protect its values. The closing allows the audience time to reflect on the message and provides a rallying call for them to express their appreciation of New York City, its values and the values of America. Each part of the speech ties back to unity, togetherness and strength while focusing on memorializing the fallen. Like most memorials the message delivered to the attendees reminds them that thebest way to remember the deceased is to carry on and live strong. Rev. Butts’ biggest challenge was to deliver this message in a format that would be effective, that flowed logically and adhered to any time restraints, especially since this was a televised event and had to hold the attention of attendees as well as home viewers.

The place that the Prayer Service was held played one of the most significant roles of the speech. This is a prime example of how the location of an event, especially a public memorial, matters. Yankee Stadium holds great reverence for New Yorkers. It is the location for world champions and victory. The stadium is the home of New York City heroes such as Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, Reggie Jackson, Mickey Mantle and the legend, Babe Ruth. The New York Yankees represent the best of New York City, winning 40 division Pennants and 27 World Series. They are the most successful sports franchise of any sport. In addition to housing winners, Yankee Stadium is the home of some of the greatest performances ever made. These include Lou Gehrig’s farewell speech, Reggie Jackson’s three home runs to win the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers and a concert performed by one of the most influential musical groups of the 20th century, The Beatles. Along with the mystic that the Stadium holds in the minds of New Yorkers, it is also a venue that can accommodate thousands. It is also an outdoor venue which creates an atmosphere of openness that allows the audience to “look up the heavens” for hope while mourning the loss of loved ones caused by the tragedy of 911. Where else but Yankee Stadium could this event take place? It wasn’t by chance that Yankee Stadium was chosen as the most appropriate place for the Prayer Service and Rev. Butts’ speech had to echo its stature. For any speaker these are very large shoes to fill. Rev. Butts’position in the New York City community was a great match for thissite. It was also extremely important that the words in his speech were worthy of such a location and event. What was most successful about his speech was the rhetorical use of the phrase, “We will get through this.” These words mimicked Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s“Free at last, free at last” from his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, which was also held at an outdoor venue, the National Mall in Washington D.C. I don’t believe this was a coincidence. These words were also reminiscent of the Negro Spiritual song, “We Shall Overcome Someday.” Once again, I don’t believe this was coincidental.

Rev. Butts’ delivery of his speech was also critical. As stated earlier brevity was needed due to a large number of speakers that would follow the reverend. These also included representatives from the Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, Sikh, and Hindu faiths. This meant that his speech had to be inclusive. His words also had to be resounding and its delivery dramatic. It had to reflect the moment. His use of voice fluctuation, highs, lows;fast and slow were all indicative of the moment and event. The repeated use of “We will get through this” told the audience to stand tall to resemble the Twin Towers. Referencing World War II battles in Normandy and Tripoli was used to provide a history lesson reminding the audience that the United States had previously defeated tyranny around the world. The effective use of symbolism in a concise, emotional and riveting speech seemed carefully crafted to have maximum impact in the time frame allowed. Ministers of Baptist churches, especially in the African-American tradition, are used to this type of format. It wasn’t by happenstance that Rev. Butts was selected as one of the keynote speakers and he was well prepared for the task.

Delivery, venue, structure, and genre were all influential elements of Rev. Butts’ speech. Another, less obvious presence loomed in the air during the Prayer Servicethat of exclusivist and racism and subliminally, I believe the reverend successfully addressed these issues. We must remember that the Prayer Service took place on September 23rd less than two weeks after the tragedy that killed 2,606 in the World Trade Center and in the surrounding areas. These bombings known as terrorist attacks by the Islamic group al-Qaeda were orchestrated by its leader, Osama bin Laden as a declaration of a holy war on the United States. The residents of New York City as well as the nation were on edge. Political commentators on the radio and television were shouting that the United States must close its borders, tighten our immigration laws, and deport those with ties to the Middle East. During this time U.S. citizens like myself were repeatedly taken off airline and traffic security checkpoints (during this period in my higher education career I traveled extensively as a sales representative for a student loan servicing corporation) and interviewed to ensure the safety of the traveling public. Based on my experiences during the aftermath of the World Trade Center bombing, I strongly believe that if you were a person of color, you were being profiled as a possible threat to U.S. safety. In reviewing Rev. Butts’ speech I believe he felt a level of discourse against people of different nationalities other than American that was overshadowing the country. In second part of his speech as stated earlier, he masterly quotes these words scrolled on the tablet of the Statue of Liberty at the beginning of his speech:

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores. Send these the homeless tempest tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door."

By quoting this world renowned words, Rev. Butts is using his time at the podium/ pulpit to remind the audience that America is a land that was built by immigrants from all walks of life and from all over the world. This is a subtle message that America as well as New York must remain tolerant of others and keep its borders open. This is also a reflection of Rev. Butts’ core beliefs in equality as well as his background as an active leader the in Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s and 1970’s. Rev. Butts has continued to play major role in assisting the disenfranchised through his ministry and as mention earlier through the Abyssinian Development Corporation. Additionally, a President of SUNY Old Westbury College he has promoted access for all, including immigrants.

Rev. Dr. Calvin Butts speech during the 911 Prayer Service exemplified the elements of a quality ceremonial oration that embodies the legacy past down from the Greeks. Like Pericles’ Funeral Oration it honored the fallen, gave solace to the living as well as extoled on the greatest of the land (New York City) and it residents. Like many memorable speeches a story was told in which Rev. Butts reminded the audience of the past trials, tribulations and battles while linking them it to the present. Additionally, comparable to any worthy commemorative speech his goal was to help the audience face the pain of loss and move them forward, e.g. “We will get through this!”

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