The Power: From the Top Down

  This is how our government should function. The government should control what goes on in America, but it rarely does, and that's what the protestors are for. The government has to look out for those people who are living on the streets, it must happen like this. It is a necessity that power comes from the top down in order to form a more perfect union, but also to create a more sound democracy.
     Earlier this week I read an article by Jonathan Kozol, about how America is becoming illiterate. It was a very powerful article and brought to mind just how serious the situation is in America. Illiterates are forced to be observers, they can't comprehend the written word. I can say this with absolute certainty: any illeterates looking at this blog won't understand any of it. It is important for the power to come from top down because many in America cannot live with the illiteracy they have. Illiterates are in constant danger of doing something that is not beneficial to their family, for instance, in Kozol's article, a mother buys a gallon of Crisco for dinner because she saw a chicken on the front of it. She could not go back to the store because she used all her money for the day. When the average man signs a lease, he is expected to read it. An illiterate signs the lease like the average man clicks "I Agree To These Terms of Service" on Itunes. Congress has to take a stand against this epidemic. Only Congress can change the education, men may protest for better education, but in the end Congress makes the final decision.
     To begin his article, Kozol begins with a Drano warning label. It is direct and to the point:

PRECAUTIONS. READ BEFORE USING

Poison: Contains sodium hydroxide (cause soda-lye)
Corrosive: Causes severe eye and skin damage, may cause blindness.
Harmful or fatal if swallowed.
If swallowed, give large quantities of milk or water.
Do not induce vomiting.
Important: Keep water out of can at all times to prevent contents from violently erupting...

    He begins with this because it shows what harmful things can happen if Drano is used incorrectly. He does not explain it, because it speaks for itself, illeterates cannot read that. This warning speaks for itself because illiterates cannot understand what the dangers are of this product. In the article, Kozol uses a number of examples and the effects of illiteracy, and as the article progresses, their power intensifies, the emotion is more clear, and his argument more well supported. One in particular, about a man whose care broke down, and when he called the police the only thing he could tell them was that he was on a one way street, touched me deeply. The reason is quite simple. Every Wednesday for a couple of years, I went on the highway to get to my therapy center. Every week, rain or shine, I saw a homeless man just standing in the turn-in, always the same guy, mind you. He just stood their with a blank face, he didn't even ask for money. I had the feeling he was lost, at times, he moved so infrequently I thought he was dead. I believe that man did not know where he was, and that saddens me. With all the other examples Kozol uses, non of them can I connect such a strong connection to. Kozol uses direct quotations from illeterates because they know the truth. They are experiencing the thing he is fighting for. Kozol uses language such as "uninsured" and "intimidation" to explain that he is angry at the literate, but sympathetic to the illiterate. He uses these words because the show how unstable and controlled the lives of illiterates are.  Illiterates can't write, read prescriptions, read newspapers to keep up with the news, understand maps, find addresses, or do computation. It is very bad.

Let us now relate this to Progressivism:

Illiteracy and this article relates to power coming from the top down for the reasons above. It also relates to injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere because the injustice being due to the illeterates is not in anyway upholding forming a more perfect union. Also, to the victor belongs the spoils of victory is against Kozol's article because Kozol believes that everyone should have the power of literacy. I think Booker T. would agree with this article because they both believe strongly in the things they talk about and believe that the illiterates and blacks should have a voice. In this article, the most Progressive sentance is "not knowing the world that lies concealed behind those worlds is a more terrifying one", because it shows that change needs to happen and progress must be made. I believe the author is right, we do need to change the proportion of illiterates to literates. That is why we need a power that comes from the bottom up.