Does writing have the power to enact social change?

Yes, I think that writing truly does have the power to enact social change. If you think about it, what would the world be like without writings such as the Bible, the Qur'an, and the Declaration of Independence etc.? People follow not only these writings, but others also, as a guideline for their lives. Without written laws and regulations, what would we do? Who knows, criminals might be running around the streets. That would be pretty awful. Would their still be police officers and judges? I think it’s a really interesting subject to think about.

Through writing, an author has the ultimate power to persuade people. Readers get a lot of information from writings and they may just happen to agree with what they read. If they do agree with it and like it, they might also want to make a change. It’s essentially a huge chain effect.

In the “The Bombing of Baghdad,” by June Jordan, Jordan describes the horrific events that occurred in Baghdad. She feels very unhappy and feels horrible about what happened. Jordan wrote this poem to inform her audience of the seriousness of the appalling events. I liked how she started off many lines by saying “we bombed.” I feel like she does that to make us realize how many horrible bombings and attacks there really were. To me it felt like the list was never-ending. As the list went on it saddened me, but shocked me as well. I’ve never read something on this topic as descriptive as it was. She, as well, was trying to make a chain effect with her poem.

All in all, writing is a very influential topic that could easily persuade someone into what they’re reading. Whether the subject matter be good or bad, an authors goal is to persuade the reader into what they are reading. By using repetition, powerful words, and phrases such as, “we bombed,” as I talked about earlier, I feel as though June Jordan did an excellent job in achieving that.