Response to Rasheena's questions

Question

1. Do you think that this negatively affects people living in these neighborhoods considering the effect that language can have?

Rasheena made the point about language and signs in poverty-stricken neighborhoods having very powerful and very intentional meanings beyond the face value. I do think that the type of language that the residents see on their signs in their streets does affect their perceptions of their neighborhood and themselves. Already, poorer areas have been portrayed in the media in a largely negative light, as the news reports mainly on crimes that have happened in the area. Signs like 'stop the violence' seem to tell the residents that they first of all, have the power to stop the violence, which is usually not the case as many people really are innocent bystanders, and second sort of pinpoint the residents as the origin of the violence. So basically the signs put the responsibility on the shoulders of the residents. The blue flashing police lights also tell the residents that they need to be policed constantly and that they are dangerous in some way.