Language, a form of Democracy
Most of the knowledge on the world we know of is shaped
through language, whether through reading books, conversing with others, or
processing memories in the form of words. Thus, the level of each person’s
awareness of the world determines how truly free they are.
One interesting aspect about languages is how the underlying
ideas of words change over time and affect people. At the start of the American
Revolution, the colonists believed freedom meant that the colonist would get a
greater say in government. The British, however, viewed freedom as a societal
hierarchy where everyone was safe from mob rule, which many predicted would
engulf the 13 colonies. After America gained its independence, the term freedom
again branched off into two different ideas. The conservatives argued that true
freedom is the ability to enjoy life and properties to the fullest extent while
liberals argued for the further equality among all people. Through the struggle
of many different groups of people, each with a hidden agenda, to define what
“freedom” truly means, it is rather evident how powerful control over language
can be over the common people.
In America, the ability for one to spread his or her ideas is
the very basis of freedom. People of different backgrounds could express their
thoughts and frame their different viewpoints using a variety of phrases/words. Although it is great that all voices can be heard, it is also
important to be aware of the direction that the English language is evolving.
Comments
I found your post really interesting! The whole idea of learning, speaking, and/or understanding a language is so you can exchange information with the environment around you. On the basis of “freedom,” I think that silencing those that are born with a voice in the first place goes against the whole promise of America. Of course, there are always going to be people set on spreading misinformation or abusing the power of words, but there are also always going to be people who are genuine, kind, and compassionate.
-Angel Susantin
I found your title really interesting. The fact that you connected historical events to your topic was very intriguing. Our nation was indeed created on the Declaration of Independence. In retrospect, it may just seem like a bunch of words on a old piece of paper, but it actually symbolizes our desire for freedom our determination to earn our rights as human beings, and the beginning of a new nation. Just like how the Declaration of Independence can be seen in different perspectives, so can words. Every person's idea of freedom is different. Some speak in actions. Some speak in words. I think that everyone should find a good balance between these freedoms to find a peaceful way of determining our freedom.
Although I had never thought about it this way, your ideas really make sense. People often twist things to fit what they want, and "freedom" is an example of this. The laws and ideas the country is built on are going to change over time, since the times have changed and people have new ideas. It reminds me of the equality vs equity argument, about which one is true "equality." In my opinion, freedom is the bill of rights and how your rights can not be infringed at any time despite your race. Despite having strong pride and emphasis on these ideas, even in current day America, these rights are infringed for certain groups of people. I hope in the future we can aim to actually do what we promised.
I thought that your blog was really interesting to read because you made a far fetched idea make sense into the concept of language which just goes to show how language is the basis for almost everything in this world. A word in the English dictionary has more than 1 meaning most of the time and this can show how our language evolved over time. I agree with the fact that we should be aware of where the English language is going.
Sincerely,
Mrinmayee
It’s really interesting how words can have different meanings, just like how the word freedom meant different values and ideas to people. It also goes on to show how words can shape our thoughts and actions as we continue to learn different words and languages. In psychology I learned the importance of language; where it affects people’s cultures and the way they converse with others. This probably explains why the British and the Americans had different beliefs on the word freedom and had different plans in mind. At the same time, I believe words and languages are still what unites us in the end even if everyone has their own individual belief or idea.
Sincerely,
Faith Tong
First of all, wow, amazing blog post topic to do on, freedom like words is a sense of power to many people. The ability to do whatever you want without being controlled, many people at different perspectives, class, level in society think of it differently. Words, as they evolve over time change their meaning upon the people although the definition in a dictionary might be the same hundreds of years ago. Freedom to slaves is their goal, their heaven, the chance to finally reunite and not being forced to work through abuse and torture.
I really enjoyed your blog, I never really through about how miscommunication can end very poorly. I never that the government thought freedom differently than the people, I thought they just didn’t want to give the people the freedom they wanted. I think it’s also amazing that many people can use their voice and spread their ideas here in America, based on how much freedom we have.