Nine years. It took nearly a decade and the deaths of over two hundred thousand Americans before a brave soul spoke out to encourage people to talk openly about AIDS. “A Whisper of AIDS” was written to encourage people to “lift the veil of silence that has been draped over the issue of HIV/AIDS” (Fisher). The effectiveness of this speech is in addressing a problem that affected many people not only in the 1980s, more than thirty years ago, but has continued to do so well into the 21st century, and through the use of many gimmicks rhetoric makes a convincing and heartbreaking speech possible. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). These two conditions have caused so much heartache and pain since the 1980s. One of the first signs of AIDS in America dates back to 1981 and was found in a homosexual man suffering from Pneumocystis pneumonia, a fungal pneumonia. Upon inspection, the doctor observed that the man had no helper cells; cells that would help the young patient fight the infection. Later many other young homosexuals were hospitalized with the same problem. The following year it was discovered that hemophiliacs were suffering from the same problem and the disease was finally given a name: AIDS. The year 1983 brought about the identification of the HIV virus. Even today, AIDS is a problem that continues to affect many people. Mary Fisher was the stepdaughter of multimillionaire Max Fisher. She worked as a television producer and assistant to President Gerald Ford, as well as a successful artist. The year after her divorce from her second husband, she quickly learned that she had contracted HIV from him. Below...... half of the document ......h.html>."Bio." Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation. Np, nd Web. 16 April 2014. .Fisher, Maria. “A whisper of AIDS”. Republican National Convention. Houston Astrodome, Houston, Texas. August 19, 1992. Address."Gifts of Speech - Mary Fisher." Gifts of the Word - Mary Fisher. Np, nd Web. 3 April 2014. "Mary Fisher's Whisper of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos." Clburdett writes. Np, nd Web. April 15, 2014. "Mr. Newman's Digital Rhetorical Symposium." : Speech analysis “A Whisper of AIDS” by Mary Fisher. Np, nd Web. April 15, 2014. .PBS. PBS and Web. April 15. 2014. .