sociology
It is hard to believe that it’s been almost thirteen years since Saudis and al-Qaeda operatives attacked our nation on September 11, 2001. In his article entitled “Language, Symbols, and Media,” Robert E. Denton Jr. expresses these components in their relation to 9/11. Although the consequences of 9/11 remain, the language, symbols, and media provide insight into the impact this specific day had upon our cultural, social and political life today.
During any time of terror, language, and the way it’s presented, directly affects how the public responds and how the country will move forward. Because President Bush referred to the attacks of 9/11 as a “war,” several advantages came as a result. The word “war” itself brings people to serious or frightened state. The word carries weight and history of past events. Denton states that the “war talk of the Bush administration set the serious tone of the actions and form of our response (2).” Our response came in the form of a panicked trust in the elected officials of the country. Presidents receive a “level of goodwill” and “protection from political infighting” with the idea of the nation at war (Denton 2).
Another advantage of Bush’s word choice resulted in an extreme rise in patriotism. As Denton describes, the “American flag became the primary symbol of unity, commitment, determination, democracy, and freedom (5). With Americans taking such pride after the attacks, no one challenged the political or military operations, allowing the Bush Administration to make decisions with the nation’s trust. Subsequently, and according to Denton, human communication is the “vehicle for political and social thought, debate, and action (3).” Language acts as a means for social integration and interaction with the power to bond societies together.
Language is the cornerstone of all known human societies. It shapes our own personal perspectives and environments while creating bonds with others. We rely on language to create our
During any time of terror, language, and the way it’s presented, directly affects how the public responds and how the country will move forward. Because President Bush referred to the attacks of 9/11 as a “war,” several advantages came as a result. The word “war” itself brings people to serious or frightened state. The word carries weight and history of past events. Denton states that the “war talk of the Bush administration set the serious tone of the actions and form of our response (2).” Our response came in the form of a panicked trust in the elected officials of the country. Presidents receive a “level of goodwill” and “protection from political infighting” with the idea of the nation at war (Denton 2).
Another advantage of Bush’s word choice resulted in an extreme rise in patriotism. As Denton describes, the “American flag became the primary symbol of unity, commitment, determination, democracy, and freedom (5). With Americans taking such pride after the attacks, no one challenged the political or military operations, allowing the Bush Administration to make decisions with the nation’s trust. Subsequently, and according to Denton, human communication is the “vehicle for political and social thought, debate, and action (3).” Language acts as a means for social integration and interaction with the power to bond societies together.
Language is the cornerstone of all known human societies. It shapes our own personal perspectives and environments while creating bonds with others. We rely on language to create our