The correct answer to this open question is the following.
It is true that language can be used as a "tool for power," which in turn can be used for oppression.
In which lines do Harryette Mullen’s show this concept?
In the following lines:
"You were detained for interrogation because you fit the profile.
You are not presumed to be innocent if the police
have reason to suspect you are carrying a concealed wallet.
It is not our fault you were born wearing a gang color.
It is not our obligation to inform you of your rights,"
How language is being used to oppress people in the current state of the country today?
Language can do much harm because it lasts forever. Words can heal but also can hurt and create damage. And in today's world, people have been very aggressive. It seems that respect and tolerance are things from the past.
Language has been used to insult, denigrate, offend, and attack. And this has repercussions that precede violence.
Harryette Mullen is an African American teacher and poet who works at UCLA, in the Los Angeles area.