Just thinking about what quick, digestible document I could throw at libs who are panicking and desperate for something to hold on to and i can’t really think of something that’s written for treat demons but still actually communist.
Any thoughts?
I think organizations built around solving more pressing needs will do better. You won’t be able to get a person that you are describing to show up to a reading group or to get educated just for education sake. Maybe you could get a person but not many. If you are giving them food when they need food, or helping them get their car lights fixed so they don’t get pulled over and have to pay tickets, or helping them fight their landlords and bosses through organizing legal clinics, or helping them get their power back on, you create a captive audience who have the same issues in life and have come to you willingly because you help them to survive. This is more powerful than helping them to be educated or literate, things they don’t likely see these as issues of importance in their lives, no matter how wrong they may be about that.
Teach a person to read and they have a powerful weapon they can use to help solve problems facing their community.
And from what I’ve heard from adult literacy teachers, people very much do want to learn. It’s an enormous handicap and isolates you greatly.
Since written words were developed all the people who encounter them come to value reading as one of the most desirable skills a person can have. And in our world where being able to operate a computer is the difference between work and unemployment having a good foundation of reading skills is critical.
I’m not arguing in favor of illiteracy I’m saying that the average person won’t make time to get more literate between their three jobs but they will show up to get free groceries or a dental exam
