Analysis of "A Fear Born of Sorrow"

In the essay "A Fear Born of Sorrow", the author reflects on the tragedy that is known today as 9/11. The essay begins with the author comparing the different tragedies around the world that happen almost on a daily basis. He/She also states that we as people accept them out of necessity as a part of life. Throughout the essay he/she reflects on the similarities of the Oklahoma Federal Building in 1995 and what happened on 9/11. Some of the differences the author points out is the fact that since we found the person behind the bombing in Oklahoma, his motives were deduced, and justice was served the world was able to keep it's composer. The reason that 9/11 unsettled us more than the Oklahoma bombing did was that the towers stood for so much more than Oklahoma Federal Building. How they attacked was even more intriguing. By using our own plains filled with Americans made the U.S lose that false blanket of security that we had form being the world super power. The fact that the terrorists' identity was not clear, and the evidence seemed elusive left American with more than just sorrow but a sense of fear. The author also focuses on how fear is something very new to the U.S. The last time the U.S was attacked on the mainland was during the revolution. The essay ends with a chilling thought that now 9/11 has past, the world still grieves not only for the lives that were lost that terrible day but also, for our lost way of life. His main point is that

The Author's rhetorical purposes are referential and expressive. The essay focuses on the facts that were known at the time the week after the 9/11 bombing. The Author states the numbers of deaths from tragedies around the world and also reflects on U.S and word history. Two examples of this is "Between 8,000 and 10,000 people worldwide die of starvation daily" and " While the bombing of pearl harbor awoke many to the fact that America could be targeted, the Japanese bombers hit Hawaii- then a U.S territory, not a state,