[AAACE-NLA]free speech and parks

[Catherine B. King]

Frances and Colleagues:

Frances says:  "Maybe I am wrong. Maybe the NIFL
lists are now more like formal and official stages,
not public parks."

The difference between official stages and public parks
may seem like small change to some?  However, as
Frances knows, at the level of principle, the difference is
enormous.  And I don't think that many in power today
would recognize a principle if it hit them in the head.

As many of our international students already know from
their own experience of living in lands without such
principles (and as Eileen so clearly showed by
example), being "American" doesn't mean to live here,
or to be from a certain family.  It's about adhering to an
idea--and the idea comes down from principles
embodied in the Constitution et al.   Our international
students come to us with this knowledge already in
place through their own experience.

Government support of this list is either based on the
principles of free speech, etc., that this very government
is constituted by, or it is based on a violation of its own
tenets--specifically, in trying to control the content to
meet a party ideology or a religious doctrine rather than
the tenets of our Constitution that "our government" is
defined by.

It should go without saying, however, apparently it
needs to be said again to those in power:

Support of the Constitution and our founding documents
is not merely "liberal politics" as opposed to
"conservative politics."  "Governmental support" of a
break with the full meaning of these documents is a
government who has lost its identity with authentic
power.  It is not "conservative" or even "traditional,"
Rather, it has become a very real cancer on authentic
government.

That is, the "fourth branch" of the government is The
People.  We on this list are a voice of The People.  Our
speech cannot be limited in such a way by "the government"
without DE FACTO destroying the authentic ground of
your power--in principle.

The fact that we on this list were not made aware of, and
were not directly ASKED (and not told) speaks to an
egregious abuse of arbitrary power, to a total
misunderstanding of the  meaning of your own
government, and to the order and responsibilities of the
gift of stewardship--political, Christian or otherwise.

This is a deadly serious matter within the United
States.  As it effects the current world movement,
it gives concrete credence to our severest critics
who claim we are more interested in empire than
in freedom--freedom of speech--another form of
double-speak.

Catherine King





----- Original Message -----
From: Frances Keenan <fkeenan at pbs.org>
To: <aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org>
Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2003 9:26 AM
Subject: [AAACE-NLA]free speech and parks


Free speech has been on my mind lately because of what has happened with
the NIFL sponsored listservs. (Like a lot of us, I have heard bits and
pieces of what's been going on and look forward to Gail's posting.) As a
former moderator of NIFL-ESL, I am upset that the hundreds of people on
the NIFL lists have had no word that filters have been installed on the
lists since late April. Most are probably not aware of the restrictions
under which the lists now operate.

I am also sad and not that optimistic about the fate of the NIFL lists
now that NIFL is in a fight for its own survival.

I have been thinking about the functions the lists have filled as open
forums for exchanging opinions, asking questions, sharing resources,
crossposting information relevant to educators including yes,
information about policy, about funding, about all kinds of issues that
come up in adult ed classrooms and teachers lounges and conferences and
coversations. And recently, of course, about war and dissent. And yes,
discussion gets untidy at times and moderating the lists is a very
relative proposition. (They are not  moderated in the technical sense of
all messages passing by a moderator before being posted such as happens
on this list and the old NLA list.)

Adult ESL educators are not only interested in educational theory and
teaching strategies. Our classrooms are not hermetically sealed off from
the world--in fact, ESL classrooms have learners from all over the
world, people with very strong ideas about and appreciation for what the
US represents.

Perhaps I am being naiive. I like to think that even though the NIFL
lists are government sposored they should continue to be open to free
discussions and information sharing of the sort that has happened
vibrantly over the last 8 years. That they are government sponsored in
the same way a public park is. No you can't urinate in public nor set
fire to the trees, but you can talk about whatever you want to.

What about a simple disclaimer that the views on the list do not express
the views of NIFL or of the US Department of Education?

Maybe I am wrong. Maybe the NIFL lists are now more like formal and
official stages, not public parks.

Fran Keenan
PBS Adult Learning Service
fkeenan at pbs.org
www.pbs.org/literacy/esl




__________________________________________________________________

Give them words to grow by.
Share a story with a child in your life today.
pbskids.org/shareastory
_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

This email may contain material that is confidential or proprietary to PBS
and is intended solely for use by the intended recipient.  Any review,
reliance or distribution of such material by others, or forwarding of such
material without express permission, is strictly prohibited.  If you are not
the intended recipient, please notify the sender and destroy all copies.
__________________________________________________________________


_______________________________________________
AAACE-NLA mailing list: AAACE-NLA at lists.literacytent.org
http://lists.literacytent.org/mailman/listinfo/aaace-nla
LiteracyTent: web hosting, news, community and goodies for literacy
http://literacytent.org