Category: Blog 9/9

“What if Layli Long Soldier had used the quote ‘everything is in the language we do NOT use’ instead?”

Both Morgan Parker and Radley Balko touch upon subjects that are very relevant to the current climate of our nation. One of my favorite lines in Morgan Parker’s poem is “When he opens his mouth, a chameleon is inside, starving.” I think that Parker means to connect political figures and chameleons. When threatened, chameleons change color in order to hide from their prey and escape, much like political figures do when speaking of controversial issues. Many political figures change their tune or ‘color’ so that they gain the favor of the country, a “weaselly” tactic politicians use when caught red-handed. Balko’s article speaks more to me of the language we do not use in comparison to Parker’s. Balko states and points to areas of a case where grammar is used to cover up intentions and makes the case muddy. With the language not used, Balko gives three different scenarios on how the shooting happened, thus removing blame and responsibility from the officer.

To me both articles were great and represent that actions mean a lot more then words and is what causes most things to go bad. People tend to say things, like for example that police keep our street safe and the reason they do things is a result of self defense when there is no reason for them to defend themselves in the first place. I feel like if people want to Argue that cops are in the right when they do all these horrible things they need to show proof with things that they do not things that they say, for example A cop can say they never did anything or they were just doing what had to be done because the victim was resisting but really there is videos and evidence that show that the cop was clearly in the wrong. My point is that people can say whatever they want but at the end of the day it’s there actions that count, it’s there actions that mean more then what they say in the end, so it’s always good to just sit and observe before just listening to what everyone says, be the judge of it yourself always!

The poem “The President Has Never Said the Word ‘Black’” touches base on language used by President Obama during a speech about the death of a young black boy. He refers to this person as a “brother” yet never says the word black. It seems that although he himself is an African American man, saying this word bothers him and makes him uncomfortable. When the Long Soldier wrote, “everything is in the language we do NOT use”, it is what Obama did by not using the word black, and instead shying away from it. The language that is not used can imply a negative feeling towards it, such as embarrassment or hate. Parker even leaves blanks in between words where the word black should have gone if Obama had not been afraid to use the word. This signifies how certain words in our language have negative attributions leading to Obama avoiding the word black and molding his speech to fit in with certain standards in society. 

 

I found “The grammar of police shootings” to be an interesting article. I often see that when a police officer is involved in any kind of incident, the media portrays what they have done to be a mistake. We see however, through the power of Twitter, that this is not often the case. Many police officers have acted in disgusting manners towards people just based on their own bigotry or malicious intentions. Most news outlets though, do not really portray it this way. Like the article says “mistakes were made.” Police are able to get away with murder by means of a media safety net. The police officers are portrayed to be making a mistake or panicking, yet for some reason an untrained, regular civilian is not allowed to make a mistake or panic during confrontations with police officers.“While still in a position of cover, the officers encountered a male suspect who was armed with a weapon at which time an officer involved shooting occurred.” What I see here is that the LAPD are describing this incident in a very cautious manor. They don’t directly say that the officer shot at the suspect but they make it aware that this has happened. This is shifting the perspective of the person reading this incident, making it seem that the officer had no other choice but to defend himself by shooting at the suspect. This ties into “everything is in the language we do not use.” They leave out certain details in order to make themselves look better, their main goal being to protect their own image.

We have been going over a quote which is stated “everything is in the language we use”. The meaning in short is that what we say shows our intentions, it shows what we mean, how we feel, and who we are. Reading these two poems we are discussing the original quote, “everything is in the language we do NOT use”. These writers are communicating in their writings that the language we do not use is is very important. For example, the shooting of the 10 year old child, was sugar coated. They tried to cover up the real possibilities while doing their investigation. They were protecting the deputy by making excuses. It correlates because it when we refrain from using certain words it can allow assumptions and sometimes can be deceiving. Going back to our old poem with the Dakota people, they were deceive by the words the English people had not said. Those words cost them their land, their families, food, and their livelihood. Now addressing the poem, “The President Has Never Said the Word ‘Black'”, where the word “black” referring to race was ignored and the presidents refrained from using it. Not only did they ignored the word, but they also ignored the issues that had went on in society regarding black people. Using the word would bring up so many topics, problems, and issues in society. They would be forced to address it. It goes hand in hand with the shooting of the 10 year old. They adjusted the way the spoke about the situation, their language, so the issue wouldn’t have to be fully addressed.

As I was finishing up on Balko’s piece, I finally realized the true link between it and Parker’s poem. Although different in style, with Parker being more subtle compared to a more informative article from Balko, the message is still the same: language is key. Often times, wording can establish perspective; the changing/removal of even one word can shift that perspective drastically. For example, the poem is a direct reference to former President Barack Obama and his treatment towards black issues. A black president should be able to place his attention and care towards those sorts of problems, right? The absence and replacement of the word ‘black’ in the poem says otherwise. If we take a look over at the article, we can see the wording authorized by the police department in contrast to the local news department. The result: a retelling of the same scenario but two different perspectives. What has this taught me? If words are not precise, not carefully spoken, then the message intended could be blanketed by another, misleading one.

Also, it’s necessary to point out words that are in fact not said, as they hold as just the same importance. Words hold value through information, and when they are not mentioned, those details, and in turn, their value is lost.

The President Has Never Said the Word Black

The president in question is undoubtedly our nation’s first black president, Barack Obama. Morgan Parker criticizes the fact that Obama never really owned up to his blackness, despite having the opportunity to represent, to stand up for, and to give a voice to the black community of America. He dodges the word, and plays it off, as if it isn’t an important part of his identity

Perhaps, the words unspoken can hold more meaning than what the actual words can convey.

In this poem, Morgan Parker lets us make our own interpretations by not being explicit with language. She never tells us who this poem is about, but leaves clues for us to figure out. She leaves blank spaces in the poem where the word “black” should have been, to emphasize how truly empty and generalized the statement is without the recognition of the subject’s skin color, which in turn, represents their identity, their history, their culture, and their place in the American society. And just like the people that Obama spoke of; bland, generalized, vague statements, washed of their identity by his choice of words, he too, has washed away that part of himself.

 

 

 

If Long Soldier, hypothetically, said “Everything is in the language we do NOT use” that would imply that the most significant information is what is being left out. She would, therefore, say that we need to figure out what is being left out and why. This idea forms the poem, “The President Has Never Said The Word ‘Black’” written by Morgan Parker.

Morgan’s poem addresses race while intentionally keeping the word black out. Instead of saying black, she decides to leave a space or forget the word entirely. She says, “The pursuit of happiness is guaranteed for all fellow Americans”, when it should be “the pursuit of happiness is guaranteed for all fellow black Americans”. She also says “The president is all like five on the bleep hand side”, when instead of bleep, it should say black. This poem was written during the presidency of Barack Obama, and she most likely felt that the president was keeping the word “black” and racial issues of the United States, outside of the media and the world. She most likely mentions the last part, “When he opens his mouth a chameleon is inside, starving.” to criticize that when the president opens his mouth, his words change to what he thinks people want to hear, and not what needs to be said.

Morgan Parker wants us, the reader, to feel as if we are being withheld important information and take the information given to us as a grain of salt. President Obama, who is black, has never mentioned the word black and always went around it. There obviously must have been a political strategy as to why he decided not to bring race into conversation. If we do not know we can be easily manipulated. As goes the saying, “Ignorance is bliss” because nothing will ever change, since we are too ignorant to even realize there is a problem.