Topic > An Analysis of Mary Fisher's Speech, A Whisper of AIDS of AIDS” at the Republican National Convention (1). Fisher's aim is to “lift the veil of silence that has been draped over the issue of the HIV/AIDS epidemic” (1). Fisher succeeds in his overall persuasiveness by effectively using ethos, logos, and pathos throughout his speech to the conservative Republican Party to advocate for HIV/AIDS awareness, education, and prevention. At a time when the general public believes that the only way to contract HIV/AIDS is to be homosexual, a drug addict or a prostitute, the fact that Fisher is a white, heterosexual, married mother of two from a of the upper class who contracted the virus from her husband is herself the certifying ethics of this discourse (1) . He tactfully uses his own circumstances and diagnosis to embody the plight of everyone in the AIDS community and demonstrate that no one is exempt from this deadly disease. He emphatically states that HIV does not care about race, age, gender, sexual orientation, or political affiliation; all he asks is "Are you human?" (2). She ceases to be an exception and gains the attention and respect of the American people when she stands with others affected by HIV/AIDS with her statement: Tonight I represent a community of AIDS patients whose members have been reluctantly recruited from every segment of American society. Although I am white and a mother, I have a black child struggling with tubes in a hospital in Philadelphia. Even though I am a woman and contracted this disease in marriage, and enjoy the warm support of my family, I am one with the lonely gay man sheltering a flickering candle from the cold wind... middle of paper... .it's all with a common purpose to not only protect their families, but also treat their fellow man with love and understanding. In retrospect, Fisher's speech, particularly her ethics, would not have been as effective if she had not been a married mother of two who became HIV-positive from her husband. His call to the American people to have “the strength to act wisely when we are most afraid leaves no doubt about what must be done to break the silence about AIDS and what actions must be taken to prevent further devastation (3). He successfully uses Aristotle's rhetorical appeals to transcend the public's barriers to the HIV/AIDS epidemic and people affected by this disease. Works Cited Fisher, Mary. "A Whisper of AIDS: Speech to the Republican National Convention." Gifts of the word. Republican National Committee, August 19, 1992. Web. November 5. 2013.
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