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Harvey Milk's "You Cannot Live on Hope Alone" Speech

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Harvey Milk's "You Cannot Live on Hope Alone" Speech
English 1102
Rhetorical Analysis
Harvey Milk “Hope”
In June 2011, California became the first state to pass a bill requiring public schools to teach the historical accomplishments of gay men and lesbians. With this law all children, especially homosexual teens, in California are taught that they too have a chance to succeed despite their sexuality. An example of a historical gay leader would be Politician, Harvey Milk. After being elected into a public office he made the speech “Hope.” In the speech “Hope”, Harvey Milk uses pathos to express how the gay community can move forward by electing more homosexual leaders. Harvey Milk was the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in California and the United States when he won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Milk was not always openly gay. He did not start becoming active in civic matters until the age of forty. Harvey Milk attempted three times for office until he won a seat as a city supervisor in 1977. After eleven months in office he was assassinated. Harvey Milk became an icon and martyr for the gay community. He expressed his visions and hope for a successful future through his speech “hope.” In Harvey Milk’s speech “Hope”, he references other communities’ progress to express how the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender community can succeed. Being that Milk’s speech is not only to the gay community he uses Pathos to communicate to every culture in America. Harvey Milk talks about his experiences with helping not only children but many adults gain hope about “a better tomorrow.” Milk states “Like every other group, we must be judged by our leaders and by those who are themselves gay, those who are visible. “ What he is saying is that in order for society to even begin to accept the diverse LGBT community there has to be a good representative from that community. Harvey Milk’s “Hope” speech informs America that in order to give young LGBT people hope that they have

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