The speech “Come September” by Arundhati Roy touches on the various negative events that took place on September 11th in the US, Latin America, India, and the Middle East. At the beginning of the speech, he talks about the Twin Tower attack that took place one year prior to Roy’s speech. While emphasizing the impact this tragedy had on American society, he slowly moved to discuss anti-Americanism and how the US was responsible for a number of atrocities that negatively affected the world.
Throughout the speech, Arundhati depicts how the US government’s military involvement in foreign affairs has negatively affected different parts of the globe. He emphasizes the way the concept of “anti-Americanism” is used against even those who are Americans themselves for being against wars being waged in the Middle East (Roy, 2002). The speaker reviews how self-proclaimed peacemakers were the cause of devastating bloodshed and how the current system is bound to change.
I find the depicted issues to be more complex than he thinks they are. While it is important to note that Roy acknowledges that his country’s government is just as corrupt in regard of criticism, his speech seems slightly biased (Roy, 2002). Although the wars in the Middle East are certainly a tragedy, the conversations surrounding this issue require more context and a significantly more flexible perspective.
In conclusion, I believe that the speaker has made some very interesting points. However, I find his speech to be slightly biased, for these events require a more flexible approach. That way, one will be able to emphasize the tragedy of the events while not succumbing to a one-sided perspective on the issue. It is undeniable, however, that the US approach to situations similar to these is rather flawed and may sometimes do more harm than good.
Reference
Arundhati Roy (2002) Come September. Lensic Performing Arts Center. 2002.