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Importance of freedom of speech
Importance of freedom of speech
Importance of freedom of speech
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A wedding band can mean love or it can mean bondage. In Gloria Naylor’s essay “The Meaning of a Word,” she goes in-depth about the essence of the meaning of words. The main idea is that words must mean, and its meaning will change based on the use and content. Some words are so hateful in the English language that it should be banned altogether. Even though some words should be omitted I fear that it will not happen because once a word is introduced it cannot be taken away, freedom of speak, and society has given their own meaning to several words which will impede the process of removing any words in general. Children must know about something before they can re-create it in language. Once a word is introduce, it cannot be erase from memory. Naylor shared a personal experience that demonstrated her personal stake in this situation as she described the first time she heard a different meaning of the word “nigger.” A white boy in her third-grade class said it to her in spite when she gave him his test. “I didn’t know what a nigger was, but I knew that whatever it meant, it was something he shouldn’t have called me. (257)” When a baby hears the To give people the best model possible, we should imitate it in the media and at home. In Gloria Naylor’s essay, “The Meaning of a Word,” the author briefly states that verbal and written language is the same. Even though, verbal communication packs a powerful punch; I believe written communication has a lasting effect. Some countries have banned the use of certain words in public spaces. Once words are introduced they are permeant, freedom of speak, and society has given their own meaning to several words which will impede the process of removing any words in general. America this attempt to control language would be seemingly impossible. “Words themselves are innocuous; it is the consensus that gives them true power.
are simply meaningless words meant to damage, humiliate and degrade certain groups of people. To prove those words worthless, the same groups of people that those hate words
The words Negro, nigger, and nigga have always been a sensitive topic, yet it is a topic that needs to be addressed in light of the more common use of its vernacular. One word is used to describe a color, while the others are used to define a people. It’s very clear to many the negative connotation these words carry, but where did these words come from? Furthermore, is there a difference between the word nigger and nigga; and why is it that African-Americans now use the word nigga to degrade each other in today’s society? These words, in spite of their spelling, still holds the same degrading power as it did during the time of slavery, and they are still spoken out of cruelty and ignorance, but who is to blame? Can one still blame the Spaniards for considering people of a darker skin tone –Black? Can we blame the Europeans for perpetuating their hatred and ignorance of superiority over a race of people to the point they felt it lawful to define and dehumanize them? Or does the blame lie with the African-American race as we use this degrading labeling on our own kind, thus becoming the victimizer. Either way nigger or nigga are words that should be eliminated from the vocabulary of every human being.
I can recall the first time I paid close attention to the word nigger. In junior high a school fight would occur about every week and of course the whole school would gather together and watch. Well this particular fight sticks out in my mind because it was between two boys of different races, Hispanic and black. During their conflict the Hispanic boy bluntly called the black boy a nigger, and that was when the rest of the black students became verbally involved. I remember screaming out “ who do you think you are calling him that?” If the white, Hispanic, or any other race calls us a nigger, we as black people become hostile. Now that I have put more thought into that incident, I ask myself who do we think we are calling ea...
In the essay “From Ancient Greece to Iraq, the Power of Words in Wartime” by Robin Tolmach Lakoff, Lakoff discusses the fact that words are a tool as well when it comes to wars. She talks about the differences between our natural want and ability to kill things, and the mental training soldiers receive to make it easier for them. Lakoff talks about the practice of dehumanizing the “enemy” through nicknames that make us feel superior then our foes, and the repercussions of using this type of language. In the essay by George Orwell, “Politics and the English Language”, Orwell talks about the decay of the English language, especially in political writings. He discusses the fact that when it comes to writing, political being the main focus, it’s
Aldous Huxley once wrote, “Thanks to words, we have been able to rise above the brutes; and thanks to words, we have often sunk to the level of the demons” (299). The latter seems to be the situation in which we find ourselves today—with language being manipulated in the realms of media and politics, to the ultimate advantage of those doing the manipulating. In 1984, Orwell warns his readers of this very problem using his concepts of Newspeak and doublethink. In Winston’s world, Newspeak is the language that is used in Oceania, and is the only language in the world that is shrinking. By getting
Language is more than words and the ability to communicate. It allows the world to express thoughts and ideas, but along with that comes influence and authority—matter that run society. Language impacts society in various ways, both bad and good. Everyday life, even texts and films, portray the effect of language. Whale Rider, “The Myth of the Latin Woman”, and The Crucible demonstrate that language is power.
My mom, with her camera in her hand, was so excited that she lined up at the front of the church one hour earlier to get a good seat at one of the church pews. Dressed in a shepherd costume, I sang the opening to the musical piece “Will You Be Ready for the Light” by Mark Patterson. On my way back to my seat, I experienced linguistic discrimination, the judgment about a person’s intelligence, social status, or character based on his or her use of language, for the first time in my life. My fourth grade classmate at the time probably did not even know that what she said was a form of discrimination and microaggression. To be honest, I also had no clue about what F.O.B. meant until I researched it in google and found that it meant “Fresh Off the Boat”, a phrase to describe the new immigrants who were not yet accustomed to the American
Language always conveys a message. Language can convey a message that is full of manipulation. In Robin Lakoff’s essay, “Everybody’s a Politician”, she discusses how manipulation is used in day to day conversations, even if one is not intentionally trying to manipulate. Language can be used to dominate others. In the essay, “the Language of Oppression” by Haig A. Bosmajian, he explains the power of using names to define others. Language can change the way a person thinks. In the same essay, “the Language of Oppression” by Haig A. Bosmajian, he also discusses the way someone thinks can be changed by language. Lastly, language has the power to degrade an individual. In another essay, by Robin Lakoff, “You Are What You Say”, she explains how
Flowers stated. I feel as if she is completely right words have little to no meaning without a voice and actions to put them in place. How things happen in this world good or bad, is always when someone has the courage to speak and actually make a change. Imagination is a terrible thing to waste and so is the knowledge you learn. Everything you write can be connected to a higher purpose. To a possible great outcome if you just let the words you speak in your mind with a pencil become the words you speak aloud to
One of the most essential ways in which feelings are expressed by humans is through language. Without language people are merely robotic figures that can not express their thoughts because language is in fact thought. When this speech is taken away through complete governmental power, a portion of human nature is also taken away. In 1984, due to totalitarianism, language has begun to transform into a poor representation of humanity and natural human expression. Orwell states, “But if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.” In the novel, a new language, Newspeak, has emerged. Newspeak has drastically limited the vocabulary of the English language
Massive amounts of people find it hard to believe that the “N” word is harmless. Little that they know, it inflicts a great deal of mental damage to the victim. Like when Mrs. Dubose stated to Scout, “Your father’s no better than the niggers and trash he works for!” (Lee 135).
In order to reduce the “white privilege” concept, parents, teachers, coaches, etc. Need to talk with their children/students about racism. According to Copenhaver-Johnson (2006) the reason we do not talk to our children about racism is for several different reasons. One reason that...
The word nigger is an offensive term used by a white slave owner during the 1800’s. It is used in the beginning of a slaves name to indicate that this person is a slave. It comes from the Spanish word negro and the French word nègre. It is one of the most offensive and controversial words in the English language. With this word comes many years of immoral and unethical treatment of the black man by the white race. This word is used in the book Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. One of the 60 minutes videos is on the controversy on the N-word in the book Huck Finn. Stating that many different school districts have banned this book because of the word “nigger,” a word so offensive it’s usually called the “N- word.”
This is not newspeak exactly as Orwell portrayed it (a open attempt at centralized modification of language), but more in the form of what Orwell warned about in his essay Language and Politics. The subtle debasing of words has allowed the powerful in democratic nations to successfully install a system which is blatantly counter-democratic in its behavior and yet is masked by twisted language.
Words can be used in a variety of different ways from giving somebody a compliment, making an observation, singing a song, or simply just talking to a friend. Words are extremely powerful, and they can be used to accomplish great things such as inspiring millions like Martin Luther King Jr. did during the civil rights movement. However, not all people use words in a responsible, respectful manner. Along with all of the great things people can achieve through the use of words, there are many cases in which words have proved to be dangerous. Words have started wars, been used to bully people, tell lies, and even discriminate against entire races of people. Despite how powerful words are; people often misuse them, or say