Essay Sample on Fisher's Speech on AIDS: A Whisper of Change at RNC 1992

Introduction

On August 19, 1992, delegates of the Republican Party from across the nation gathered at the Republican National Convention in Houston, Texas, to listen to Fisher delivering her speech named "A Whisper of AIDS." Fisher's audience included the delegates at the meeting and everyone who was following the convention even at home through social media and live broadcast. The message of the speech was simple, which was to create an awareness of HIV/AIDS and how it affects people and communities. Fisher intended to make the society understand that even when mechanisms had been put in place, there was still much to overcome in societal stereotypes and stigma that had made the contraction of HIV increase regardless of the plans made to stop its spread. Her use of ethos and pathos as a person infected and living positively with HIV, is successful in making the audience understand why increased awareness is necessary. It is also striking how Fisher uses logos to make the audience understand why HIV is still contracted, and it persuades them to see the need for increased awareness of the virus.

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Fisher's speech represents a critical appeal to ethos or else, proves her credibility. At the start of the speech, she showcases that her expert knowledge is not recent but has been built over time. She starts her speech by saying, "Less than three months ago at platform hearings in Salt Lake City, and I asked the Republican Party to lift the shroud of silence which has been draped over the issue of HIV and AIDS." By making it known to the audience that she has had previous instances trying to showcase the need for increased awareness of the HIV/AIDS monster, Fisher creates trust in her listeners. The primary goal of her speech is not only to present facts as the speaker understands them but also to ensure that the listeners trust the speaker. If the speaker has had different encounters with knowledgeable people talking about the pandemic, the information she will offer to them can help them understand the problem reliably. Therefore, appeals to the ethos at the start of the speech is effective in making the listeners realize that they are listening to a credible source that they could trust and act on the information provided.

Besides, her speech carries an instrumental reflection of the elements of pathos or emotions. While she states that she is not seeking sympathy or applause, the listeners can grasp the sad tone of her speech. She expresses the plight of many people living with HIV/AIDS who have been rejected by their families and lack support, which makes the listeners understand the depth of societal blame. At one point, she talks of a "lonely gay man sheltering a flickering candle from the cold wind of her family's rejection," which expresses a person who is desperate for life. The culmination of the speaker's use of pathos vividly erupts when she talks about how her mother calls to offer compassion and sing to her and the way that she has been encouraged by such. The emotions that come with the choice of words that Fisher uses makes her idea of awareness to be well-captured. The listener clearly understands the plight of an HIV/AIDS infected person who grieves and cries alone because they cannot express themselves and make their conditions known for fear of being stigmatized.

It is also amazing to see how Fisher appeals to logos or logic to prove her view. Ideally, the use of logos is the most spectacular element of her speech. Fisher uses statistics in her speech quite well. She presents that two hundred thousand Americans are dead or dying, and a million more are getting infected. Her use of logic also makes her contemplate future infections in the world, and she states that a hundred million infections are likely to be counted in the coming years. Presently, Fisher expresses that more than one million American homes are at risk of burying young men, women, young parents, and young children. Other than using statistics, Fisher showcases such effective use of research while reporting. She expresses that from research, the rising numbers are a result of prejudice and fear that makes people did not come public about their status, and they live in denial, to the point that they infect others. There could not be a better way that Fisher could have used logic to prove her point. A practical appeal to logos in the speech, therefore, makes the listeners consider that more awareness would reduce the transmission rates of the disease and enhance better lives for the infected.

Conclusion

In a well-constructed speech, Fisher makes use of logos, pathos, and ethos to inform why there is a need for more awareness concerning HIV/AIDS. She expresses that even with science and research showing how the virus is spread, many meetings in the White House and Congress, and even good intentions, slogans, and promises, new HIV/AIDS infections are still being witnessed. The reason she presents it is a lack of awareness that has made infected people stereotyped, and they remain silent about their status making new infections inevitable. Fisher's argument persuaded me to also think about the essence of awareness of the virus. Awareness reduces stigma, and it creates openness between infected people and those who are not infected, making it possible for them to make plans even when they engage in sexual activity or other risky activities that may lead to transmission. Though today's HIV/AIDS levels have been going down in the United States, it is necessary to create more awareness to ensure than new infections go below zero. With such an approach, HIV/AIDS can be ridden off the nation in the next century.

Work Cited

Fisher, Mary. "A Whisper of Aids." Speech. Republican National Convention. Houston, Texas. August 19, 1992. American Rhetoric. Web. February 27. 2020.