Unit 1: Essential Question Reflection

How does the language we use impact our citizenship within a society

George Orwell observed in Politics and the English Language that everything we say indirectly affects politics on some level.  When we affect politics, we affect people, and because we affect people, we must take into consideration the extents of which we affect them.  We must take into consideration what we say and how we say it because words eventually have physical consequences.  If we offer people false information, they will only go on to perpetuate a mass lie.  If we settle for a less-than-accurate description of our ideas, people will only be corrupted with oversimplified thoughts.  As a result, our entire community becomes burdened with a false sense of logic.  Our social systems regarding elections, ideas and policies fail to work because people are no longer thinking by rational means.  Instead they are misinformed and made to form bad social habits.  As a result, all of society suffers.

Participation within a society is, therefore, not only a privilege but a responsibility as well.  We are offered a system in which we can operate our lives more easily (this includes food, health-care, protection, markets).  In return, we have an obligation to not destroy it, to keep the system running healthily and efficiently.  When we begin to better understand how we affect people subconsciously, we can make a more conscious effort in clearing up unnecessary misunderstandings.  Even if we can't help society, we have the responsibility to not do it any harm.  We have the responsibility to give those who can help the means and clarity necessary to do so.  If we leave those that can help to operate on tainted facts and unclear information, can they really be expected to make any progress?  Whether we are news reporters, journalists, teachers, or just everyday citizens, we have obligations to be accurate and fair in our explanations; we cannot manipulate or perpetuate information that we know is faulty and ambiguous. Otherwise, gradually, our systems (for ex. government) will fail and lives will suffer due to our careless use of language.