On August 19, 1992, at the Republican National Convention in Houston, Texas, Mary Fisher gave an influential speech ironically titled “A Whisper of AIDS” in order to bring awareness of the AIDS virus and the effect it has on its victims. Fisher was able to successfully achieve her goal of bringing the AIDS epidemic to the attention of the public by using powerful rhetorical appeals to establish her presence and engage the attention of her audience to increase concern for the AIDS pandemic. In “A Whisper of AIDS,” Fisher effectively expresses compelling rhetorical appeals of ethos, logos, and pathos in revealing the truth about AIDS in educating the people on what it is like for those who suffer from the disease; Fisher emotionally moves her
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Fisher does not delay or deny the fact that she has contracted the pandemic disease. She implies that she has the virus by admitting that “[she] would have never have asked to be HIV positive…[but she] stand[s] before...the nation gladly” (Fisher 1). By stating that she has contracted the AIDS virus, Fisher displays her credibility to the audience with the fact that she is able to speak out against AIDS since she is a victim of the tragic epidemic. Not only that, Fisher also states the odds she faced when tested positive for the virus. It was rare for her to have contracted AIDS “because [she] was not a hemophiliac, [she] was not at risk. Because [she] was not gay, [she] was not at risk. Because [she] did not inject drugs, [she] was not at risk” (Fisher 2). However, as she gives evidence of why it was rare for her to contract such a disease, at the same time it also establishes her reliability because she was such a rare case yet she caught the pandemic which gave her the ability to share her experience and educate the public about AIDS and its effects. Furthermore, Fisher uses juxtaposition in order to establish her credibility by ironically admitting that she has the AIDS disease which is typically found in gay males while Fisher is a well-respected, upper-middle-class woman. By using a powerful tone to capture the attention of her audience as well as use juxtaposition to reveal the shocking truth, Fisher is successful in starting her speech on AIDS while causing her audience to be interested and want to know more about her experience with the fatal
Fisher does not delay or deny the fact that she has contracted the pandemic disease. She implies that she has the virus by admitting that “[she] would have never have asked to be HIV positive…[but she] stand[s] before...the nation gladly” (Fisher 1). By stating that she has contracted the AIDS virus, Fisher displays her credibility to the audience with the fact that she is able to speak out against AIDS since she is a victim of the tragic epidemic. Not only that, Fisher also states the odds she faced when tested positive for the virus. It was rare for her to have contracted AIDS “because [she] was not a hemophiliac, [she] was not at risk. Because [she] was not gay, [she] was not at risk. Because [she] did not inject drugs, [she] was not at risk” (Fisher 2). However, as she gives evidence of why it was rare for her to contract such a disease, at the same time it also establishes her reliability because she was such a rare case yet she caught the pandemic which gave her the ability to share her experience and educate the public about AIDS and its effects. Furthermore, Fisher uses juxtaposition in order to establish her credibility by ironically admitting that she has the AIDS disease which is typically found in gay males while Fisher is a well-respected, upper-middle-class woman. By using a powerful tone to capture the attention of her audience as well as use juxtaposition to reveal the shocking truth, Fisher is successful in starting her speech on AIDS while causing her audience to be interested and want to know more about her experience with the fatal