In August of 1992, Mary Fisher delivered her iconic speech, “A Whisper Of AIDS: Address To The National Convention” in order to break the silence and social stigma that surrounds AIDS. AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is a disease that weakens the immune system and damages the body’s ability to fight off different infections (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services). It has a reputation for being transmitted sexually, especially in the gay community; therefore, many people are ashamed to admit that they have the disease. Fisher contracted AIDS from her second husband, and still suffers from it today. But rather than suffering silently like so many other victims do, she overcame the stigma and stood up for those who do not have …show more content…
a voice. The speech Fisher delivered, interwoven with rhetorical appeals, changed the way people all over the world view AIDS by emphasizing its impact on several aspects of society. As Fisher establishes in her speech, millions of lives have been and will be affected by AIDS. Awareness must be spread to help those who are being cast aside from prejudice and who are silently suffering from this disease. AIDS is a life-threatening illness that must not be taken lightly. According to the American Foundation for AIDS Research, seventy eight million people have contracted HIV/AIDS, and thirty five million people have died from it. A disease this widespread and devastating demands worldwide attention, and compassion must be given to the victims. Fisher reminds the audience that victims of AIDS are still human beings with emotions, and, “they don’t benefit from being isolated or treated as outcasts” (Fisher 1). These people not only endure physical symptoms, but they encounter cruelty and social stigma as well. The ignorance and discrimination that the world has towards AIDS, and the victims it holds so tightly in its fist, is appalling and unforgivable. The bias that the victims face is not only damaging to them, but also to society as whole, because, “we have killed each other- with our ignorance, our prejudice, and our silence” (Fisher 1). By not acknowledging this illness which affects so many, Fisher explains to the audience that staying silent is also extremely detrimental to the cause. Silence does not give AIDS the research and funding needed to find a cure, and those that are afraid of the disease will continue to hold on to their ignorant fears. Without awareness, the victims of AIDS will remain prisoners to the pain and suffering that isolates and silently drowns them. The rhetorical appeals Mary Fisher used to emphasize the importance of AIDS awareness gave the audience insight into the deplorable conditions the victims must face. The ethical tone Fisher uses in her speech shows the audience why AIDS is an important disease to combat. She builds credibility and trustworthiness by telling the audience that she is HIV positive and helping them to see that she relates to the struggle that all other victims face. Even though she suffers through the disease, she still speaks up, and, “[she believes] that in all things there is a good purpose” (Fisher). Despite the prejudice and rejection she faces from society, she still stands up for what is right and swallows any shame she might be feeling. For the good of the world, she overcomes the social barriers to which HIV/AIDS victims are bound. Fisher also establishes credibility by explaining to the audience the support in which former-president Bush and Mrs. Bush gave her family. She encourages the audience to, “take a public stand no less compassionate than that of [Mr. and Mrs. Bush]. They have embraced [her] and [her] family in memorable ways” (Fisher 2). Those that trust and respect the former president and his wife will automatically take a liking to the causes that they support, and it shows the audience that AIDS is serious enough to catch the attention of the former president of the United States. Without trust, the audience will not join in to support the cause. By establishing credibility, Fisher gives them something to believe in and inspires them to stand with her in the fight against AIDS. The emotional aspects of Fisher’s speech stir up sympathy and inspire the world to make a difference in the lives of those who are hurting. The victims of this cruel illness require support to be able to keep fighting. No one should be left to suffer alone, and Fisher tells the audience that, “[she is] one with the lonely gay man sheltering a flickering candle from the cold wind of his family’s rejection” (Fisher 1). The difficulties that the victims of AIDS have to overcome is a long, treacherous road lined with struggles and hurt, but that journey is much more difficult without support and encouragement. Fisher also evokes emotion in the audience by mentioning how dangerous AIDS is for the generations to come. She warns parents about, “[the] killer stalking [their] children” and reminds them that, “there is no family or community, no race or religion, no place left in America that is safe” (Fisher 2). AIDS is not picky and does not discriminate; everyone is at risk. She reminds us of the destruction AIDS has caused for millions of people, “littering its pathway with the bodies of the young” (Fisher 2). However, even though these risks are alarming, Fisher says, “to the millions of you who are grieving, who are frightened, who have suffered the ravages of AIDS firsthand: Have courage and you will find comfort” (Fisher 3). With courage and hope, daunting tasks are less frightening: even a task as large as spreading awareness for AIDS. When talking about her own children, Fisher says that, “[she] wants [her] children to know that courage is the strength to act wisely when we are afraid” (Fisher 3). She hopes for a better future not just for her children, but for all of the children in the world, and she dreams of a society in which, “[her] children will not be afraid to say the word AIDS when [she is] gone” (Fisher 3). The emotional appeals Fisher uses shows the audience how close to home AIDS can hit, and gives them a reality check. AIDS could affect anyone, and without awareness, it could grab onto any loved one and suck their life away. Fisher uses appeals to reason to further convince the audience of the danger of AIDS, and shows them that awareness is a necessity in order to prevent this disease. She reminds us of the great number of deaths caused by AIDS, and this number continues to grow. According to the American Foundation for AIDS research, approximately six thousand people are infected every day, which is much higher than it was in 1992 when Fisher gave her speech. At the time when Fisher gave her speech, “AIDS [was] the third leading killer of young-adult Americans” (Fisher 1). This shows the audience how terrifying the disease is, and makes them aware of how rapidly it is spreading. Fisher also makes it evident to the reader that one must not be a hypocrite when dealing with morals, and she says that, “we cannot love justice and ignore prejudice, love our children and fear to teach them. Whatever our role, as a parent or a policy maker, we must act eloquently as we speak- else we have no integrity” (Fisher 2). If a disease as serious as AIDS is not getting the necessary attention, funding, research, and support it needs in order to move forward with treatments, then it is up to all people to break this issue free from the chains that restrict it. She reminds us that the lack of awareness for AIDS is something that everyone has contributed to, but that, “it is not you who should feel shame, it is we. We who tolerate ignorance and practice prejudice, we have taught you to fear” (Fisher). By choosing to ignore this issue and lock it away, it has only grown and gotten worse. Fisher shows us in her speech that it would be foolish to continue to ignore a disease that does not ignore the world. In her iconic speech given in 1992, Mary Fisher was able to open the world’s eyes to the danger, pain, and consequences that AIDS brings with it.
Prejudice and ignorance have damaged the world’s view of HIV/AIDS, and these victims are, “not evil [or] deserving of our judgement” and they are, “ready for support and worthy of compassion” (Fisher 2). The first step of progress the world must make is to cast aside all of these biases and to open our hearts. By doing this, awareness can be spread and support can be given to those who so desperately need it. Fisher’s ethical tone establishes trust within her audience, and encourages them to stand up for what is morally right. One must not sit and watch as others suffer. Fisher establishes herself as a strong, credible leader for this issue by explaining how the disease has affected her personally and by emphasizing that Mr. and Mrs. Bush also acknowledged HIV/AIDS as a dangerous disease worthy of attention. The audience is reminded of the job they have as human beings to stand up for what is right and to break the chains that hold the world down from progress. Fisher uses emotional appeals in her speech to emphasize the importance of supporting those who are suffering and to make the audience sympathize with those who lost loved ones to AIDS. She tells us that it can affect anybody, and that, “AIDS is not a political creature. It does not care whether you are Democrat or Republican. It does not ask whether you are white or black, male or female, gay or straight, young or old” (Fisher 1). The number of people affected by HIV/AIDS continues to grow every day, and we see that, “[it] is not a distant threat; It is a present danger” (Fisher 1). To ignore something so deadly is as bad as condemning someone to death. Fisher used rhetorical appeals throughout this speech in an effort to change the way the world views AIDS, and Fisher hopes that the world can, “lift the shroud of silence that has been draped over the issue of
HIV/ AIDS” (Fisher 1). By working together to provide support the victims, raise awareness, and encourage research, Mary Fisher will be able to see her dreams of respect and kindness for AIDS victims come true, and she can know that her speech, “A Whisper of AIDS: Address to the Republican National Convention” truly impacted how the world views AIDS.
Margaret Sanger, a well known feminist and women's reproductive right activist in USA history wrote the famous speech: The Children's Era. This speech focuses on the topic of women's reproductive freedom. Sanger uses rhetorical forms of communication to persuade and modify the perspectives of the audience through the use of analogy and pathos. She uses reason, thought and emotion to lead her speech.
In, “The Speech of Miss Polly Baker” written by Benjamin Franklin (one of the Founding Fathers) in 1747, brought up the disparities that were between men and women within the judicial system. Also, “The Speech of Miss Polly Baker” also briefly points out, how religion has been intertwined with politics. All throughout “The Speech of Miss Polly Baker,” Benjamin Franklin uses very intense diction and syntax to help support what he is trying to express to the rest of society. Also writing this speech in the view point of a women, greatly helps establish what he is trying to say. If Benjamin Franklin was to write it as a man, the speech my have not had the same passionate effect as it currently has.
She did not survive the Reagan Administration. I am here because my son and I may not survive four more years of leaders who say they care, but do nothing.” In this appeal Mrs. Glaser is appealing to her audience’s emotions, especially the emotions one feels when talking about their family like love and empathy. She mentions that her daughter has died because of this disease and that her son and herself are dying as well to show that this is a disease that can affect anyone and that it is crucial to work on cures or vaccinations to prevent others from suffering the way her family has. No mother or father wants to watch their children suffer and die because of a disease, so Mrs. Glaser uses her experience to appeal to those emotions.
Samir Boussarhane During the early 20th century in the U.S, most children of the lower and middle class were workers. These children worked long, dangerous shifts that even an adult would find tiresome. On July 22, 1905, at a convention of the National Woman Suffrage Association in Philadelphia, Florence Kelley gave a famous speech regarding the extraneous child labor of the time. Kelley’s argument was to add laws to help the workers or abolish the practice completely.
Helen Fisher is an anthropologist studying emotions. Fisher attended a Ted Talk room to make a speech about love, as she is the best known expert on love in the romantic sense. In her speech, she addresses the chemistry of love and the way it affects the brain. She uses real world examples of people that have been in love, and also uses examples of scientific studies of people that claim to be in love. She is a very eloquent speaker.
Florence Kelley uses an abundant amount of rhetorical devices in her speech to express her feelings about child labor. Kelley uses sarcasm, repetition, and imagery in her speech to explain her thoughts on child labor.
On September 5, 1995 Hillary Rodham Clinton delivered a speech to the United Nations 4th World Conference during a Women Plenary Session, located in Beijing, China. Clinton spoke about how women around the world were not treated equally, how women rights should be equal to human rights, and the ghastly abuse and discrimination women faced around the world. The reason for the conference was to strengthen women, families, and societies in order to empower women to taking control of their lives and not be subject to such discrimination. She emphasized how education, health care, jobs, and political rights were not equal between genders and that the world needed to change. Clinton gave a very convincing speech because of her use of rhetorical techniques. The use of pathos, ethos, logos, and anaphora created a powerful, persuasive argument against the way women were treated around the world. Clintons main goal of this speech was to appeal to the audience and convince them that this is unequal treatment is an immense matter and needs to be addressed all over the world.
Moreover, Treichler maintains that although society has become more progressive in its understanding that AIDS is a heterosexual disease just as much as a homosexual one, this advancement does not necessarily disintegrate the “fantasy” surrounding the issue (i.e. ideas about “safer sex”, etc.) Apprehending what one learns from science will obviously be very beneficial to one’s grasping the concept of AIDS in its most basic form, but using this information self-consciously and pragmatically – and knowing that the sometimes contradictory information one takes in might not necessarily be utilizing the correct discourse signifying what AIDS “really” means – will allow one to make sense of the disease as a complete, organized whole.
Randy Shilts set out to make monumental changes in the world’s perspective of AIDS. He planned to enlighten, motivate, and educate the population on this tragic disease that has already claimed so many lives. He believed that virtually all the misconceptions about AIDS would be corrected and the public would insist that more be done to stop the epidemic. "I had hoped to effect some fundamental changes. I really believed I could alter the performance of the institutions that had allowed AIDS to sweep through America unchecked" (220). Shilts’s immense expectations positioned him for his inevitable sense of failure. He did not accomplished all that he had planned. AIDS was still spreading and people were still dying. "The bitter irony is, my role as an AIDS celebrity just gives me a more elevated promontory from which to watch the world make the same mistakes in the handling of the AIDS epidemic that I hoped my work would help to change"(220).
"Demanding that life near AIDS is an inextricably other reality denies our ability to recreate a sustaining culture and social structures, even as we are daily required to devote such time to the details of the AIDS crisis." -Cindy Patton
In 1981 the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report first rare cases of what is seemingly pneumonia in young gay men. These cases were then grouped together and the disease known as AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) takes its root in American Society. This disease spread quickly and the events following are responses to the spread of the disease in America known as the AIDS Crisis, where the response of both the people and the government would impact and change society and American culture and lead to emergence of a gay identity, persecution and fear of those with the disease, marketing of safe sex, and the deterioration of class barriers.
People have been moved by famous speeches for many decades, and each of speeches has difference characteristics. In this essay, I would like to discuss one of the masterpiece, “A whisper of AIDS” by Mary Fisher, who was one the member of Republican Party at that time. During her speech, we can find some important elements of public speaking. Thus, in this paper, I am going to analyze this speech focused on three strategies which she uses in her speech; argument from analogy, argument from generalization, and inductive reasoning.
In retrospect, Fisher’s speech, especially its ethos, would not been as effective if she wasn’t a married mother of two who became HIV-positive by her husband. Her call to the American people to have “the strength to act wisely when we are most afraid leaves no question to what must be done in breaking the silence regarding AIDS, and the action that must be taken to prevent further devastation (3). She successfully uses Aristotle’s Rhetorical appeals to transcend the public’s barriers against the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the people afflicted with the disease.
Mary Fisher is known to be a powerful and outspoken HIV/AIDS activist after she contracted HIV from her second husband. As a HIV positive individual and public speaker she advocates to help those suffering with HIV, educate the public, and prevent the spread of HIV throughout America by spreading awareness. In 1992 it was still thought that HIV/AIDS only affected homosexuals, prostitutes, or drug addicts. Due to such false beliefs and stereotypes the research for HIV/AIDS had stopped and people did not become aware of the seriousness of the disease. Mary Fisher believed people needed to become aware of the rising epidemic of HIV/AIDS and she decided to give a speech on the topic. Through her strong public speaking skills, education on the disease, and living with the disease she was able to change public policy during the Republican National Convention in 1992. She did not fear of getting looked down up or embarrassed to speak about herself as an HIV positive individual. As she spoke to the audience her main purpose was help those suffering with HIV/AIDs and to spread the word in an effort to share here knowledge about...
From the moment scientists identified HIV and AIDS, social responses of fear, denial, stigma and discrimination have accompanied the epidemic. Discrimination has spread rapidly, fuelling anxiety and prejudice against the groups most affected, as well as those living with HIV or AIDS. It goes without saying that HIV and AIDS are as much about social phenomena as they are about biological and medical concerns. Across the world the global epidemic of HIV/AIDS has shown itself capable of triggering responses of compassion, solidarity and support, bringing out the best in people, their families and communities. But the disease is also associated with stigma, repression and discrimination, as individuals affected (or believed to be affected) by HIV have been rejected by their families, their loved ones and their communities. This rejection holds as true in the rich countries of the north as it does in the poorer countries of the south.