Language and Power, Language and Freedom (Initial Response)

        When asked about the relationship between language and power and language and freedom, the first thing that comes to my mind is the First Amendment in the Constitution of the United States which protects freedom of speech. This amendment allows for Americans to openly express their opinions without punishment and publish anything to the public, anonymous or not. When looking back on history, language has been such a powerful force that drove many of the events that shaped America into the country it is today. For example, when slavery was present in the United States, thousands of pamphlets and pieces of literature that expressed abolitionist opinions were released to the public. This demonstrates the freedom that citizens had regarding language, and the fact that these pieces led to the complete abolition of slavery demonstrates the power that language has in society. It is still this way today. Many people take advantage of the freedom of speech by using social media to express opinions and tell stories, by using the media to inform, and by writing or speaking publicly for any reason. Through these communications, people can become educated on specific topics, they are exposed to outside opinions, and their initial opinions can then be swayed.  Language is important because it is how people communicate with each other. Without communication, there would be pure chaos in the world, and it would be impossible to connect with other people. Language does not necessarily indicate a person or group of people are not free, but it certainly can put them down and be derogatory. Language can restrict one's freedom in the form of threats. When a person uses language to hurt someone or seriously threaten them, they can be punished and not be given the same rights and freedom as others.