Essay #2 Analysis of A Whisper of AIDS

Analysis of A Whisper of AIDS speech On August 19, 1992, during the Republican National Convention in Houston, Texas, Mary Fisher, a 44 year old HIV positive mother of two kids and a rich Republican, delivered a moving speech to bring awareness to the American public about the stigma and danger of HIV and AIDS in the 90’s. In 1992, millions of Americans were infected, and many of these people were ashamed to publicly speak up for themselves. Fisher knew that in order to change federal policies and reverse the stigma of HIV/AIDS we need to coalesce as a nation. Mary Fisher’s speech is informative, passionate and brave; her speech calls on the Republican Party to act and understand that HIV/AIDS is a present danger that does not discriminate against the color of your skin, your sexual orientation or whether you are rich or poor. In 1992, HIV/AIDS was the third leading cause of death in America, and we as a nation were very misinformed about the effects of the disease and the number of Americans affected and living with HIV/AIDS. In her speech, Fisher presented factual evidence about the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic when she says:
The reality of AIDS is brutally clear. Two hundred thousand Americans are dead or dying; a million more are infected. Worldwide, forty million, sixty million, or a hundred million infections will be counted in the coming few years. But despite science and research, White House meetings and congressional hearings; despite good intentions and bold initiatives, campaign slogans and hopeful promises--despite it all, it 's the epidemic which is winning tonight. (Fisher 1992)
This is a great example of logos, Fisher use statistics that are not only shocking, but also informative to drive home the point of how HIV/AIDS is affecting America and the world. Fisher passionately drove home the point that HIV/AIDS affects us all, and that the disease does not differentiate between us on our differences because we are all human. She stood

Cited: Fisher, Mary. "A Whisper of AIDS." Speech. 1992 Republican National Convention. Houston. 6 Oct. 2013. Speeches USA. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. . Kelly, Michael. (1992, Aug 20). A DELICATE BALANCE: Issues -- AIDS; AIDS speech brings hush to crowd. New York Times. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/428627751?accountid=7054 Schmalz, Jeffrey “Teaching mercy to republicans.” (1992, Aug 22). New York Times. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/428631171?accountid=7054 Mary Fisher, “A Whisper of AIDS”