The Aids Epidemic Ran Rampant Through America

Another way Fisher aims to achieve the attention of her spectators is by the use of a fascinating and intelligent rhetorical question. The question that she states is “are you human, [...] are you human?” (American Rhetoric: Mary Fisher -- 1992 Republican National Convention Address). Fisher placed this question into her speech because people who have HIV are usually acted towards as if they “entered some alien state of being” (American Rhetoric: Mary Fisher -- 1992 Republican National Convention Address). For

On August 19, 1992 in Houston, Texas people gathered to hear Mary Fisher give her speech “A Whisper of Aids” at the Republican National Convention. The purpose of her speech was to raise awareness for HIV and AIDS and to make people speak up about it, “I asked the Republican Party to lift the shroud of silence to an end” (1). Fisher’s audience was anyone who would and could make a difference. Anyone who would speak up and not be silent on this issue. Someone who would bring awareness of HIV and AIDS. Her father once said “They came after the Jews, and I was not a Jew, so, I did not protest. They came after the trade unionists, and I was not a trade unionists, so, I did not protest. Then they came after the Roman Catholics, and I was not a

At the Republican National Convention in 1992, no one was aware that Mary Fisher was about to alter the viewpoints of thousands of Americans. During the 1980’s and 90’s the public’s view on AIDS was uninformed, skewed, and ignorant. The purpose of Mary Fisher’s speech was to open up the conversation on AIDS and to inform the public of the deadly disease. Fisher’s speech came from a place of sorrow and passion because she and her newborn son were both diagnosed with AIDS. At this time, society deemed AIDS as only associated with homosexuals and that no straight person could contract it. Mary Fisher’s speech persuaded people to change their viewpoints on AIDS by the use of ethos, pathos, and logos.

Mary Fisher also wants her immediate audience to change their negative perspective toward the disease. She wants them to let the affected speak about AIDS and HIV and not ignore them. She is claiming that the rest of the nation has made the affected be fearful, with the words, “You are HIV positive, but dare not say it. You have lost loved ones, but you dare not whisper the word AIDS. You weep

Gay liberation throughout the United States had a purpose for lesbians and gay men to have gay lifestyles be normal. Gay liberation affected politics because gay men and lesbians wanted to inform their peers and family, which changed how citizens would view their sexual orientation. The gay liberation took place during the 1960’s through the 1980’s in which changed many cultures. The culture in the United States changed dramatically because during the 1960s through 1980s , there was an AIDS outbreak. AIDS was a sickness after HIV that would cause an individual’s body to weaken, therefore United States citizens would link AIDS to people who were gay or lesbian. For instance, David Rayside compares the United States to Britain, “After World War II, however, Britain once again stood out in the extent to public anxieties about sexuality were fanned and legal regulation of homosexual activity policed”(40) and “British authorities were especially preoccupied with the condemnation and strict containment of homsexuality.”(40). Homosexuality affected politics because authorities would prioritize the gays and lesbians before anything else. There were clear observations that governments from Britain and United States were not in favor for homosexuality, therefore attempting to change people's views on homosexuality so gays and lesbians would not be accepted into the society. Being accepted into a society requires majority of citizens to approve of other’s decisions. For example, citizens viewing gays or lesbians in public without attempting to discriminate their sexuality. The women’s movement was similar to the gay liberation because it affected politics greatly by hierarchies being

On August 19, 1992, Mary Fisher had the country in silence and paying full attention. “…I asked the Republican Party to lift the shroud of silence which has been draped over the issue of HIV and AIDS. I have come tonight to bring our silence to an end.” This analysis of her speech will allow the reader to further understand how the American public politicized the contraction of a virus that can affect anyone and how Mary Fisher was able to help bring an end to this stigma. The way in which Fisher uses rhetoric connects with her audience on a personal ground, allowing them to sympathize with her and her struggles, further allows her to use their support for her cause. By using the feminine style of rhetoric, Fisher’s speech reaches an audience that has up to this point, not paid much attention to the HIV and AIDS crisis in America. Through this style, she is able to relate better with the conservative Republican audience in attendance while also connecting and identifying with the disadvantaged populations that have contracted HIV and AIDS that do not have the

In order to fully grasp the significance of President Reagan, a Republican, helping bring about the end of the AIDS crisis, a brief history of homosexuality in the western world is needed.

In August 19th, 1992 Mary Fisher Delivered “A whisper of Aids” at the Republican National Convention in Houston, TX. Mary Fisher was born in April 6th, 1948 in Louisville Kentucky. She was married in 1977 but the marriage didn't last long. Then she got married to Brian Campbell and they had one son then adopted another. After Brian requested a divorce he told Mary she was HIV positive and later on she found out she got it from him. Mary was an Artist, Author, and an Aids Activist.She created a support group for families affected by AIDS, and health care workers called “Mary Fisher CARE Fund”. The fact that Mary is HIV positive affects the speech in a huge way. People felt for her and she felt for everyone that was HIV positive or had AIDS.

The most effective (and the cheapest) are her repeated mentions of children. She reminds the audience that, despite the perception of AIDS as only affecting gay men and drug users, women and children are being infected increasingly quickly. Fisher also delivers a particularly masterful and wonderfully uninspired paragraph to her children about dying at the end of her speech. We the listeners know that said children had an average age of three at the time, and thus this statement really was not for them at all. It hit its true audience hard and made for an excellent closing remark. In a slightly less cheap statement, she had also urged those affected by AIDS not to feel shame, because the fault does not lie with them, only with those who blame victims to make themselves feel

Every culture has its own way of dealing with sickness and illness. Growing up both in Angola and the United States, a person is able to reflect on cultures and their own myths as well as beliefs. These cultures are very different from one another in respect to their outlook on illness and hospitalization. Being Angolan in the American healthcare industry, they experience many different attitudes about how to best treat medical illness. During the time of sick or for curing disease in Angola, the people would rather see their traditional healer than a doctor for such things as; fever, stomachache, bad dreams, pain, or mental disorders. They don’t have access to the same kind of healthcare services as the Americans do. Only a few people can afford good medical care and unfortunately many have a life expectancy that is below fifty years of age mostly related to poverty related diseases such as; tuberculosis, malaria, and measles.

She explained how over Two hundred thousand people are dead or dying. “The reality of AIDS is brutally clear” (“American Rhetoric: Mary Fisher”). These statistics are showing us that many people are struggling with this destructive disease. Fisher also explained how people are seen differently because they have AIDS. Everyone should be treated equal.

What makes Fisher a credible person to speak on the subject is the fact that her herself is HIV positive which means she know the everyday problems and can share the reality of the terrible disease. She understands that it will eventually make her sick enough to where she will pass away and she deals with that fact everyday and she is able to put all of that in her speech and it makes it so much better.

The speech was televised so Fisher had to adapt to a diverse audience. Fisher was speaking to the whole country about how ignorance is not an option. In her speech she talked about how AIDS “does not ask whether you are black or white, male or female, gay or straight, young or old.” (Fisher) She used her diverse audience as a supporting idea to the fact we cannot remain silent about AIDS. Fisher was also speaking to other people with AIDS with the hope of making a direct connection and showing them that the disease should not be a stigma.

3. In her speech, she asks the audience to keep from stereotyping when discussing AIDS. She says that she is "one with lonely gay man" Her call to action is basically saying that anyone could get AIDS. It isn't gender or sexuality specific. ened.

It would only be fair to state that Mary Fisher was biased in her arguments in favor of lifting the "shroud of silence" that the Republican Party had put over the issue of AIDS with as she herself was HIV positive. (Fisher) But her main point in the speech was to get the audience to realize that it did not matter what color, sexual orientation, age, or political affiliation a person was; everyone was threatened by this disease. And to get her point across, she opened her speech with the shocking statement that despite all that the government has done to battle the AIDS epidemic, it is "the epidemic which is winning tonight." (Fisher)