Reaction to Yik Yak

The Yik Yak article actually surprised me a lot. I was disturbed by the way college students were using the app, yet the founders said that high school students were too immature for the app? I honestly cannot even think of another situation more immature than the ones that occurred at Eastern Michigan University, Middlebury College, and countless other schools around the U.S. Despite the ridiculing and mocking that occurs over the app, it cannot due to the Freedom of Speech amendment. Now, I completely understand this, people should have the right to say whatever they so please, but why the anonymity? This app is so popular because everyone that participates remains anonymous, otherwise it would be just like Twitter. Many people are drawn to it because of this anonymity aspect, because they do not have to take ownership or responsibility for their poisonous words. But why? Why don't they just post it on Twitter? Probably because they know that what they are saying is most likely inappropriate, disrespectful, and just down right unacceptable in today's society - so they hide behind a screen like a coward. If they want to say these horribly awful things about students, teachers, and other faculty members, then they should have to do so without remaining anonymous. If they are not going to suppress their immature comments or mask their opinions, then they should not mask their identity either.

Initial Response Language, Power, and Freedom

Language and power are closely related. Many people, like politicians, use language as a means not only to deliver their point of view, but also to persuade others to have that same point of view. Politicians use their language and speeches to gain support or power. Therefore, language is used to gain power. If language is used in an effective, skilled manner, it has the potential to spark movements, challenge the status quo, and make long lasting impacts. Think back in history - Jonathan Edwards, colonial preacher, delivered one of the most famous speeches ever: "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," that to this day is widely read and studied. Edwards use of compelling language helped to initiate The Great Awakening and encouraged thousands of Christians to practice their religion more fervidly. Other influential sermons were given during this period and they all contributed to the Great Awakening. It was these speeches, with carefully crafted language, that gained power for the movement - proving that language really does gain power.

Language also has the ability to liberate. Not everyone has wealth, not everyone has great jobs, and not everyone has the same privileges, but everyone does have their voices and freedom of speech. Everyone has the ability to use language and when used right, it can can break the bondage of oppression and aid in freeing people. Martin Luther King Jr. gave powerful speeches, like "I Have a Dream", to fuel the civil rights movement that helped blacks gain an equal place in society.