AmericanRhetoric.

com
MaryFisher
AWhisperofAIDS

Delivered19August1992,RepublicanNationalConvention,Houston,TX

AUTHENTICITYCERTIFIED:Textversionbelowtranscribeddirectlyfromaudio

LessthanthreemonthsagoatplatformhearingsinSaltLakeCity,IaskedtheRepublican
PartytolifttheshroudofsilencewhichhasbeendrapedovertheissueofHIVandAIDS.I
havecometonighttobringoursilencetoanend.Ibearamessageofchallenge,notself
congratulation.Iwantyourattention,notyourapplause.
IwouldneverhaveaskedtobeHIVpositive,butIbelievethatinallthingsthereisapurpose
andIstandbeforeyouandbeforethenationgladly.TherealityofAIDSisbrutallyclear.Two
hundredthousandAmericansaredeadordying.Amillionmoreareinfected.Worldwide,forty
million,sixtymillion,orahundredmillioninfectionswillbecountedinthecomingfewyears.
Butdespitescienceandresearch,WhiteHousemeetings,andcongressionalhearings,despite
goodintentionsandboldinitiatives,campaignslogans,andhopefulpromises,itisdespiteit
alltheepidemicwhichiswinningtonight.
Inthecontextofanelectionyear,Iaskyou,hereinthisgreathall,orlisteninginthequietof
yourhome,torecognizethatAIDSvirusisnotapoliticalcreature.Itdoesnotcarewhether
youareDemocratorRepublicanitdoesnotaskwhetheryouareblackorwhite,maleor
female,gayorstraight,youngorold.
Tonight,IrepresentanAIDScommunitywhosemembershavebeenreluctantlydraftedfrom
everysegmentofAmericansociety.ThoughIamwhiteandamother,Iamonewithablack
infantstrugglingwithtubesinaPhiladelphiahospital.ThoughIamfemaleandcontractedthis
diseaseinmarriageandenjoythewarmsupportofmyfamily,Iamonewiththelonelygay
manshelteringaflickeringcandlefromthecoldwindofhisfamilysrejection.

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AmericanRhetoric.com
Thisisnotadistantthreat.Itisapresentdanger.Therateofinfectionisincreasingfastest
amongwomenandchildren.Largelyunknownadecadeago,AIDSisthethirdleadingkillerof
youngadultAmericanstoday.Butitwontbethirdforlong,becauseunlikeotherdiseases,
thisonetravels.Adolescentsdontgiveeachothercancerorheartdiseasebecausethey
believetheyareinlove,butHIVisdifferentandwehavehelpeditalong.Wehavekilledeach
otherwithourignorance,ourprejudice,andoursilence.
Wemaytakerefugeinourstereotypes,butwecannothidetherelong,becauseHIVasksonly
onethingofthoseitattacks.Areyouhuman?Andthisistherightquestion.Areyouhuman?
BecausepeoplewithHIVhavenotenteredsomealienstateofbeing.Theyarehuman.They
havenotearnedcruelty,andtheydonotdeservemeanness.Theydontbenefitfrombeing
isolatedortreatedasoutcasts.EachofthemisexactlywhatGodmade:apersonnotevil,
deservingofourjudgmentnotvictims,longingforourpitypeople,readyforsupportand
worthyofcompassion.
Mycalltoyou,myParty,istotakeapublicstand,nolesscompassionatethanthatofthe
PresidentandMrs.Bush.Theyhaveembracedmeandmyfamilyinmemorableways.Inthe
placeofjudgment,theyhaveshownaffection.Indifficultmoments,theyhaveraisedour
spirits.Inthedarkesthours,Ihaveseenthemreachingnotonlytome,butalsotomy
parents,armedwiththatstunninggriefandspecialgracethatcomesonlytoparentswho
havethemselvesleanedtoolongoverthebedsideofadyingchild.
WiththePresidentsleadership,muchgoodhasbeendone.Muchofthegoodhasgone
unheralded,andasthePresidenthasinsisted,muchremainstobedone.Butwedothe
PresidentscausenogoodifwepraisetheAmericanfamilybutignoreavirusthatdestroysit.
Wemustbeconsistentifwearetobebelieved.Wecannotlovejusticeandignoreprejudice,
loveourchildrenandfeartoteachthem.Whateverourroleasparentorpolicymaker,we
mustactaseloquentlyaswespeakelsewehavenointegrity.Mycalltothenationisaplea
forawareness.Ifyoubelieveyouaresafe,youareindanger.BecauseIwasnothemophiliac,
Iwasnotatrisk.BecauseIwasnotgay,Iwasnotatrisk.BecauseIdidnotinjectdrugs,I
wasnotatrisk.
Myfatherhasdevotedmuchofhislifetimeguardingagainstanotherholocaust.Heispartof
thegenerationwhoheardPastorNemoellorcomeoutoftheNazideathcampstosay,
TheycameaftertheJews,andIwasnotaJew,so,Ididnotprotest.Theycameafter
thetradeunionists,andIwasnotatradeunionist,so,Ididnotprotest.Thenthey
cameaftertheRomanCatholics,andIwasnotaRomanCatholic,so,Ididnotprotest.
Thentheycameafterme,andtherewasnoonelefttoprotest.
Thelessonhistoryteachesisthis:Ifyoubelieveyouaresafe,youareatrisk.Ifyoudonot
seethiskillerstalkingyourchildren,lookagain.Thereisnofamilyorcommunity,noraceor
religion,noplaceleftinAmericathatissafe.Untilwegenuinelyembracethismessage,we
areanationatrisk.

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AmericanRhetoric.com
Tonight,HIVmarchesresolutelytowardAIDSinmorethanamillionAmericanhomes,littering
itspathwaywiththebodiesoftheyoungmen,youngwomen,youngparents,andyoung
children.Oneofthefamiliesismine.IfitistruethatHIVinevitablyturnstoAIDS,thenmy
childrenwillinevitablyturntoorphans.Myfamilyhasbeenarockofsupport.
My84yearoldfather,whohaspursuedthehealingofthenations,willnotacceptthepremise
thathecannothealhisdaughter.Mymotherrefusestobebroken.Shestillcallsatmidnight
totellwonderfuljokesthatmakemelaugh.Sistersandfriends,andmybrotherPhillip,whose
birthdayistoday,allhavehelpedcarrymeoverthehardestplaces.Iamblessed,richlyand
deeplyblessed,tohavesuchafamily.
Butnotallofyouhavebeensoblessed.YouareHIVpositive,butdarenotsayit.Youhave
lostlovedones,butyoudarenotwhisperthewordAIDS.Youweepsilently.Yougrievealone.
Ihaveamessageforyou.
Itisnotyouwhoshouldfeelshame.Itiswewhotolerateignoranceandpracticeprejudice,
wewhohavetaughtyoutofear.Wemustliftourshroudofsilence,makingitsafeforyouto
reachoutforcompassion.Itisourtasktoseeksafetyforourchildren,notinquietdenial,but
ineffectiveaction.
Somedayourchildrenwillbegrown.MysonMax,nowfour,willtakethemeasureofhis
mother.MysonZachary,nowtwo,willsortthroughhismemories.Imaynotbeheretohear
theirjudgments,butIknowalreadywhatIhopetheyare.Iwantmychildrentoknowthat
theirmotherwasnotavictim.Shewasamessenger.Idonotwantthemtothink,asIonce
did,thatcourageistheabsenceoffear.Iwantthemtoknowthatcourageisthestrengthto
actwiselywhenmostweareafraid.Iwantthemtohavethecouragetostepforwardwhen
calledbytheirnationortheirPartyandgiveleadership,nomatterwhatthepersonalcost.
IasknomoreofyouthanIaskofmyselforofmychildren.Tothemillionsofyouwhoare
grieving,whoarefrightened,whohavesufferedtheravagesofAIDSfirsthand:Havecourage,
andyouwillfindsupport.Tothemillionswhoarestrong,Iissuetheplea:Setasideprejudice
andpoliticstomakeroomforcompassionandsoundpolicy.
Tomychildren,Imakethispledge:Iwillnotgivein,Zachary,becauseIdrawmycourage
fromyou.Yoursillygigglegivesmehopeyourgentleprayersgivemestrengthandyou,my
child,givemethereasontosaytoAmerica,"Youareatrisk."AndIwillnotrest,Max,untilI
havedoneallIcantomakeyourworldsafe.Iwillseekaplacewhereintimacyisnotthe
preludetosuffering.Iwillnothurrytoleaveyou,mychildren,butwhenIgo,Ipraythatyou
willnotsuffershameonmyaccount.
Toallwithinthesoundofmyvoice,Iappeal:Learnwithmethelessonsofhistoryandof
grace,somychildrenwillnotbeafraidtosaytheword"AIDS"whenIamgone.Then,their
childrenandyoursmaynotneedtowhisperitatall.
Godblessthechildren,andGodblessusall.Goodnight.

TranscriptionbyMichaelE.Eidenmuller. CopyrightStatus:Restricted,seekpermission. 2009

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