Previously posted on the Young People For Blog.
This fifth element of my debate on language comes as we see Imus booted for his racist comments and as I recently viewed a youtube video of Frank Zappa defending the right to say what you want.
I have argued for learning more than one language and not restricting the official language of the US. I have discussed the true political correctness and how using language should only be restricted when it is used as hate. I have covered ebonics and what is percieved as 'standard' english. I then explored the ideas of anonymity and apathy and their impact on the credibility of language.
The deep root and anchor of language lies in its power, language has an immense degree of power. With that power comes a great responsibility.
This fifth element is now written with great care as I have come to notice that many times our use of language can be mis-interpreted. My use of certain terms or phrases would cause readers to complete disregard the purpose of my writing and focus solely on one aspect of my language. The use of language is a collective effort of terms and phrases - be sure to read all.
The power of language can be extremely frightening as has been evidenced by our history. Hitler led a campaign, which many call 'The Big Lie'. His use of propaganda led to the distortion of the truth and the deception of the German people causing the holocaust and one of the bloodiest wars in all of history. The world was thrown into turmoil because of language. Language has power, language can incite riots, language can inspire and activate people. But where does language get this power from?
The origin of the power of language, I would gather, lies in our shared history of oral traditions. History was passed down (and changed) by way of mouth, people communicated mostly by spoken word, and now we have moved into a very strong time of written language. What other people have to say is very important to us. The ideas, feelings, and thoughts of others intrigues us for some reason and therefore we give language power. The various usages of language, terms, and phrases has power - the way you arrange your words or spell them can have a profound impact on what people think and how they interpret your thoughts.
With this power to incite, inspire, and also harm comes a great responsibility. I am a strong proponent of free speech, but speech or language is only free as long as it is not used to promote hate towards another person. The same language can be used to be a form of hate and also used as a form of expression. There is a fine line, which is yet to be defined. In my recent viewing of Frank Zappa on Crossfire, the issue debated in 1986 was the sale of records (they came before CDs) that had obscene or objectionable language. Zappa argues that the real issue being debated is the suppression of words and the government has no place to suppress any words. I completely argee, but those debating against Zappa believed that words have power and they impact people and in this case the producers have a responsibility to society.
This is another issue of language in the media, but this is where my debate continues with the power of words - they impact people. The idea of responsibility is brought up as a direct linkage to the power of words and language. When I write I need to be sure that I am not writing in a way that promotes hate, I can write to offend someone, but I have to do that in a very careful way. Responsibility of language really comes down to the audience that you have, the purpose of your speaking or writing, and how you want to be percieved. In my writing I attempt to explore questions that I have, offer potential outcomes, and really leave it up to a reader's own mind to determine for themselves. Responsibility lies in our use of language and our readerships' decision to read on or not.
Censorship is a huge debate when it comes to language. I would throw political correctness in there as a form of censorship. Political correctness has a good intention, but misguided action. Banning the usage of 'offensive' words is in no way productive, however recognizing the intricacies of words, their histories, and their impact on people is where true responsibility of language is shown. We cannot be censored or banned or denied the ability to write and speak as we would like to, but knowing and understanding how and why some language is harmful is when we can excercise responsible language. With great power comes great responsibility.
Beyond the basic idea of understanding language and being responsible comes the ever present critique of actions. Our actions speak louder than our words, so be sure that your words echo your actions. I cannot stress enough how some people can write all day without ever experiencing what they write about. Apathy is rampant still in our society, if you write about something - take the time to experience and better understand. In the end everything is up to you and the power and responsibility lies in your hands. No one can take the power from your hands today! Keep writing (or speaking) your mind!