June Jordan finds fault in what President Nixon says. June Jordan used the term “White English” to describe the language used by Nixon. President Nixon used words compassion, unselfish, defoliation. But June exposes Nixon as using these words unknowingly and using them without meaning. He does this to justify his actions in Vietnam.
The quote “The problem is that we are saying language, but really dealing with power” sticks out. To me, it means that language has more power depending on the person who says it. Having “white English” is the standard common. There’s a stigma that talking like this means more education, hence more power. This is what I believe is part of what June Jordan is describing.
Having more education in society can definitely determine how much power you might have over someone who doesn’t.
Comment 1 – I agree the main issue here isn’t revolved around white or black English but rather it is emphasizing the point about which race has the most power in America. The race with the most power and control is white. To touch on the the standard “white” english in America it is considered articulate, but when a black person talks it is viewed as not articulate and not proper.