Harvey Milk Hope Speech - Rhetorical Analysis

Deane, BenjaminDr. Graham MacPheeWRT 120/10February 17th, 2011Yu Gtta Gi!e Them "#e $n the %ate 1&70', a m!ement (a' ta)in* #%ace acr'' +merica (hich 'ti%% 'tru**%e' n t,ay, re*ar,%e'' - the -rty year' it ha' been acti!e. "m'e.ua% #e#%e ha!e been mi're#re'ente, an, re-u'e, their ba'ic ci!i% ri*ht' in +merica -r year', an, #erha#' the -ir't '#)e'#er'n -r *ay ri*ht' (a' a man by the name - "ar!ey Mi%). Mi%) (a' the -ir't ut, *ay #%itician e%ecte, t Pub%ic /--ice, an, in 1&70 he *a!e a '#eech in hi' re#re'ente, area - 1an Franci'c, a,,re''in* *ay ri*ht' an, the im#rtance - e%ectin* *ay --icia%' int *!ernment. $n hi' '#eech, Mi%) a,,re''e' many au,ience', (hether they be the *ay citi2en' - 1an Franci'c an, +merica, the anti3*ay ri*ht (in* m!ement 'u##rter' %e, by +nita Bryant, the i%%3in-rme, ma''e' (h mi'un,er'tan, the cnce#t - hm'e.ua%ity, 'trai*ht a%%ie' - the *ay m!ement, an, #%itician' in *enera%, (hether they 'u##rt r ##'e *ay ri*ht'. Thi' '#eech became )n(n a' "ar!ey Mi%)4' 5"#e6 '#eech, an, it 'ti%% re'nate' (ith #e#%e t,ay, a' *ay citi2en' remain a minrity (ithut a%% their ba'ic ri*ht' in thi' cuntry. "(e!er, at the time the '#eech (a' *i!en, Mi%)4' au,ience' (ere nt a%% t -ami%iar r cm-rtab%e (ith hm'e.ua%ity7-r ,eca,e', it ha, been a 'cia% tab. "(e!er, "ar!ey Mi%) (a' a ')i%%e, '#ea)er, an, (a' ab%e t u'e rhetric t #er'ua,e #e#%e t jin, r at %ea't 'ym#athi2e, (ith hi' cau'e.Mi%) e--ecti!e%y -i%%' hi' '#eech (ith %*', #r!i,in* %*i'tica% ar*ument' an, rea'n in hi' e--rt' an, re8ue't'. "i' majr *a%' are t #er'ua,e #e#%e that *ay' are nt the chi%, m%e'ter' that #e#%e -ten a''ume they are7 that they can nt, an, 'hu%, nt, %et the *ay cmmunity be 5ju,*e, by ur crimina%' an, myth'. 9i)e e!ery ther *ru#, (e mu't be ju,*e, by ur %ea,er' an, by th'e (h are them'e%!e' *ay, th'e (h are !i'ib%e.6 Mi%) ar*ue' that *ayciti2en' mu't e%ect #en%y *ay --icia%' t #%itica% #'itin', becau'e n%y they can un,er'tan, (hat the *ay cmmunity tru%y -ee%', an, that (ithut re#re'entatin in *!ernment, the hm'e.ua% cmmunity can ea'i%y be ju,*e, an, 'terety#e,. The 'tati'tic that ten #ercent - the+merican ##u%atin are *ay i' %*ica%%y #r!en, but #rbab%y 'methin* that many are i%%3in-rme, -, an, he u'e' thi' 'tatement t #r!e h( !ita% it i' that thi' %ar*e *ru# - human bein*' recei!e their ba'ic ci!i% %ibertie'. "e u'e' %*ica% rea'nin* t in-rm #e#%e that a%thu*hthe me,ia #re'ent' a ri*ht3(in* m!ement an, te%%' 'trie' - a ri*ht3(in* m!ement, the rea% m!ement i' in the %e-t 'i,e. "e te%%' - the %e*a%i2atin - marijuana in ne 'tate, hi' (n *ay e%ectin, an, the ,ia%*ue abut 5hm'e.ua%ity6 that (a' -ina%%y cmin* t the 'ur-ace, t be #en an, ta%)e, abut #ub%ic%y in the natin, an, he 'tate' that c%ear%y, the m!ement i' t the %e-t.9ittere, thru*hut the '#eech i' a cn'tant u'e - #ath' t cnnect emtina%%y t the ,i--erent au,ience' he i' a,,re''in*. T hi' 'trai*ht a%%ie', he #rc%aim' that an a%%y can nt be e%ecte, t re#re'ent *ay' becau'e 5-rien,' can4t -ee% the an*er an, -ru'tratin. They can 'en'e it in u', but they can4t -ee% it. Becau'e a -rien, ha' ne!er *ne thru*h (hat i' )n(n a' cmin* ut.6 Thi' t#ic a%' 'tri)e' a chr, in hi' *ay au,ience, a' cmin* ut i' a ,i--icu%t an, terri-yin* #rce'' -r any 8ueer #er'n. "e a,,re''e' ther minrity *ru#', a')in* in,irect%y -rtheir 'ym#athy an, a''i'tance, a%%u,in* t the +-rican3+merican ci!i% ri*ht' m!ement - the 'i.tie', an, the 9atin +merican cu%ture4' 'tru**%e'. "e re-erence' +nita Bryant, an ut'#)en ri*ht3(in* acti!i't, an, te%%' hi' au,ience' nt t -ear her r be%ie!e her, -r 'he i' (rn* in her a''um#tin' abut *ay #e#%e7 he ta%)' - the '%an,erin* - *ay' in Da,e :unty an, Miami, an,u'e' thi' 'u--erin* t in-rm #e#%e h( nece''ary chan*e i' at thi' current time.Mi%) 'trate*ica%%y -in,' (ay' t re'nate an, cnnect emtina%%y (ith hi' au,ience', u'in* eth' t a%%u,e t hi' *, character an, #er'na%ity. The be*innin* - hi' '#eech i' %e, by a j)e; an aim at cn!incin* ,ubt-u% au,ience' that he, %i)e them, i' human an, enjy' humr. $tma)e' him mre re%atab%e an, cm-rtab%e t ,ea% (ith, an, ea'e' #e#%e int the hea!y i''ue' he (i%% %ater '#ea) u#n. "e ac)n(%e,*e' the -act that 'me #e#%e are nt 'ati'-ie, (ith hi' re#re'entatin - the *ay cmmunity, an, he a,mit' that thi' i' (hy mre *ay --icia%' mu't be e%ecte,. 1#ea)in* t the 5yun* *ay #e#%e in the +%tna, Penn'y%!ania' an, the Richmn,, Minne'ta' (h are cmin* ut an, hear +nita Bryant n te%e!i'in an, her 'try,6 Mi%) #er'na%%y cnnect' (ith 'me - hi' )ey au,ience member', (h cme -rm the'e !ariu' 'tate' an, citie' (here #rb%em' ccur re*ar,in* *ay #e#%e. The u'e - ana#hra t(ar,' the en, - the '#eech rea%%y ,ri!e' ,(n the !era%% i,ea that Mi%) (a' tryin* t #re'ent7 that i,ea i' 5h#e,6 an, he 'tate' that yu ha!e t *i!e the ne(er *eneratin' h#e that the (r%, can *et better. "e u'e' the (r, in ,i--erent in'tance', ta%)in* abut the -uture, an, a,mittin* that he a%ne cannt chan*e the #inin - *ay #e#%e. "i' e%ectin may ha!e been a '#ar) - h#e, but it i' u# t the *ay', the a%%ie', the ther #%itician', an, the i%%3in-rme, t )ee# that -ire burnin*, an, )ee# h#e a%i!e, ' that ne ,ay, *ay citi2en' can achie!e the 'ame ri*ht' a' any ther citi2en- +merica. "ar!ey Mi%) may nt ha!e 'tu,ie, t be an ratr, r ha, much e.#erience, but he ha, #a''in. "e e--ecti!e%y u'e' rhetric t ai, him in hi' cau'e, u'in* %*' an, rea'n t e.#%ain hi'#'itin7 he u'e' #ath' t re%ate t an, cn!ince hi' au,ience' - hi' be%ie-' an, i,ea'. :%ear%y ,emn'trate, i' hi' immen'e character an, eth', a man (h -i*ht' -r -ree,m an, e8ua%ity -r a%%. 1a,%y, "ar!ey Mi%) (a' a''a''inate, 'hrt%y a-ter *i!in* thi' '#eech by a -e%%( #%itician. "(e!er, hi' me''a*e -r h#e an, a 5*reen %i*ht6 t m!e n(ar, 'ti%% %i!e' n t,ay. Thu*h *ay citi2en' may nt be e8ua% yet, they are -re!er *ettin* ne 'te# c%'er t e8ua%ity. There i' ne -rce that )ee#' them 'trn* in the -i*ht -r their ri*ht', an, "ar!ey Mi%) may ha!e been the 'tart - that, by *i!in* #e#%e h#e.