[AAACE-NLA] Christmas message

Wed Dec 1 17:51:26 EST 2004

Here we go...It is hard to support war on any occassion for any group. However, one of the reasons for entering Iraq was the ten year dismissal of Iraq's agreement to allow UN inspectors unrestricted access to determine whether there had been/were weapons of mass distruction. I would think the killing of 10,000 Iraqi Kurds by Sadaam using chemical warfare would qualify for demonstration that weapons of mass destruction existed and would continue to exist. Obviously, others do not think these deaths and Sadaam's continued evasiveness was enough evidence. Art was not supporting our troups when he undermined the belief that many troups might have that they are risking their lives to keep the US safe which would include protecting our freedom. This discussion is not one of freedom of speech but one of addressing conflicting perspectives.  I suppose we can make freedom of speech along with perspectives on the Iraq issues for the literacy list serve.

AS for improving the education of Iraq, that was my effort to keep the listserve on the target of literacy. I was not advocating invading countries to improve their educational system. We don't have to do that as we have many established American schools even in the Middle East such as Cairo American College, American University in Cairo, American University Beruit,etc. that are providing education in other countries and introducing our own social values and political perspectives. Having visited the Great Lakes Naval Training Center and multiple military bases, I have found literacy is a concern of the military, they have excellent programs for recruits and have a reading admission level. I'm sure others could speak better to the military's literacy issues.    

Now back to Literacy?

Judith Cochran, PhD
E. Desmond Lee Endowed Chair, 
Professor of Adult Education
University of Missouri, St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri, 63121-4411

-----Original Message-----
From: aaace-nla-bounces at lists.literacytent.org
[mailto:aaace-nla-bounces at lists.literacytent.org]On Behalf Of
bonniesophia at adelphia.net
Sent: Wednesday, December 01, 2004 1:37 PM
To: aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org
Subject: RE: [AAACE-NLA] Christmas message

If the US were to "[occupy] every country...that needs an improved
educational system," I believe we'd have to start with our own. How amazing
would that be, to devote massive resources to improving education in our
own country, rather than attempting to locate weapons of mass destruction.
I sympathize with the currently deployed troops, and imagine that many of
them do have literacy issues, which may be correlated with their reasons
for enlisting to begin with. How could a nation become so "self-occupied"
that it can perceive the rest of the world more clearly (?) than its own
citizens...
Best regards,
Bonnie Odiorne, Ph.D.
ESL, Writing
Post University
Waterbury, CT

Original Message:
-----------------
From: Ellison, Art AEllison at ed.state.nh.us
Date: Wed, 1 Dec 2004 08:16:52 -0500 
To: aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org
Subject: RE: [AAACE-NLA] Christmas message

To the list,

   I think that Judith Cochran and I are in agreement that the National
Literacy Advocacy List should focus on issues of adult literacy. However it
is interesting that she does not object to Tom's Sticht's reference to our
armed forces "protecting our safety and freedom at home", particularly in
the current situation in Iraq, but apparently thinks it is inappropriate for
me to respond to his comment. 

    There is the possibility that educational improvement in Iraq may come
as a result of our efforts, however I do not remember that issue being
raised along with weapons of mass destruction as one of the major reasons
for our invasion of that country. Maybe I just missed it. In any case I do
not favor the United States invading and occupying every country in the
world that needs an improved educational system. There most be some other
ways to reach that goal.  

   Our soldiers in Iraq deserve our respect and support, while the
politicians who sent them there deserve neither. Support for our troops can
be given in many ways, care packages, efforts to help their families here at
home, but the ultimate act of support would be to bring them home now.

  And yes Judith, I do think that I am helping them by sending e-mails to a
literacy listserve.      Art Ellison

-----Original Message-----
From: Cochran, Judith [mailto:CochranJu at msx.umsl.edu] 
Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2004 5:45 PM
To: National Literacy Advocacy List sponsored by AAACE
Subject: RE: [AAACE-NLA] Christmas message

To Concerned Citizen,

The purpose of this subgroup of AAACE is to discuss issues realted to Adult
Literacy. Should the literacy of Iraqis' be considered, the imbalance of
educational resources for Suni, Shite, and Christians couldn't help but be
positively influenced by the next government which will not be controlled by
Sadam. Thus, there is hope for educational improvement in Iraq as a result
of our efforts. If this is arrogance in imposing our belief in equal
educational access for those who want it, then I am all for it. 

There are multiple perspectives regarding our response to the request of the
Iraqi people for help. Some see it an an invasion against the people's will
others know of the people's request for help was delivered to the French,
Germans, Italians and US on multiple occasions. The US, British, Spain,
Chile etc. were the countries to respond. There is no "series" or serious
flaw in assuming that our armed forces are doing anything differently in
Iraq than they are doing in Afghanistan...where we did not impose our
religion or politics. Afghanistan recently had an election that successfully
put a elected Afghani in place of the Taliban. Our safety at home continues
to be at risk. Was the 1993 attempted bombing of the World Trade Center a
fluke? When will concerned citizens like yourself wake up to the crisis that
began with the bombing of our Embassy, (1973/1979) killing of our diplomats
and scholars (remember the murder of President Kerr, formerly of UCLA, at
American University in Beruit?). Our soldiers, politicians and generals are
certainly taking care of difficult situations in Iraq and they deserve
respect and support. Does Art think he is helping them by trying to
undermine their efforts with an e-mail  to a literacy listserve?   

-----Original Message----- 
From: aaace-nla-bounces at lists.literacytent.org on behalf of Ellison, Art 
Sent: Mon 11/29/2004 8:30 AM 
To: 'National Literacy Advocacy List sponsored by AAACE' 
Cc: 
Subject: RE: [AAACE-NLA] Christmas message

To the List,

   Tom Sticht's belief that our armed forces "have gone into harm's way to
protect our safety and freedom at home and to bring freedom to oppressed
peoples around the world" has a series flaw if he is referring to our
current efforts in Iraq. There is very little evidence that our involvement
in that country have anything to do with protecting our safety and freedom
at home and some question about whether or not our efforts are aimed at
bringing freedom to that country.
  An equally compelling argument can be made that the primary motivation for
our occupation of Iraq lies with our need to control their oil and the
arrogance of the current administration who thinks we as a country have a
God given right to impose our economic, social and religious values anywhere
in the world.   

Art Ellison
Concerned Citizen

-----Original Message-----
From: Thomas Sticht [mailto:tsticht at znet.com <mailto:tsticht at znet.com> ]
Sent: Saturday, November 27, 2004 5:38 PM
To: aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org
Subject: [AAACE-NLA] Christmas message

Christmas Greeting                                               November
27,  2004

Tom Sticht
International Consultant in Adult Education

During World War II, over a quarter million young men learned to read in
Special Training Units in the Army. One of the resources used to teach
reading was a newspaper, Our War, which was published monthly from June
1942 through September 1945. Each issue of Our War included a cartoon
strip about Private Pete and his buddy, Daffy. The December 1943 issue
discussed Christmas.  It has a message pertinent to today's times and
circumstances. Following is a synopsis of the strip.

Our War    December 1943                                Christmas in Camp

The strip opens with a panel showing Private Pete placing a star at the
top of a Christmas tree outside a barracks on an Army Camp. A group of
soldier's are standing around and one says, "Sure looks great, Pete!"
Another says, "Too bad Daffy has KP."

The next panel in the cartoon strip shows Daffy on a stool with tears
coming out of his eyes as he works on peeling onions and he says aloud,
"Why do they have to put onions in dressing?"  Then in the next panel
Daffy looks at three Army cooks walking by with turkey, cranberry sauce,
and a big bowl of food and he says, "O-O-O Boy! Oh Boy!!"

Then the following panel shows Daffy that evening after KP and he is
getting dressed and says, "Now for the party!" and the next panel shows a
bunch of soldiers at the party singing "Jingle Bells!  Jingle Bells!" And
then there is a picture in the next panel showing the troops at services
in the chapel on Christmas Eve. The first page of the strip ends with a
panel showing a moon lit night with pine trees, the church and some
troops, all in silhouette, walking down a snow covered hill and the words
"Merry Christmas to All" are written in white across a dark sky.

The next page of the strip has panels with troops opening gifts from home,
then eating with officers at the mess hall, and then giving gifts to
wounded men in the camp hospital.
At the bottom of the page are three panels. In the first Private Pete and
Daffy are walking along and Pete says, "I hope the folks at home had as
good a day as we did."  Daffy replies, "Let's write them and tell them
about it."

Next there is a picture of Pete's letter home saying:

"Dec. 25, 43

Dear Folks,
Thanks for the presents. We had a grand day. Our dinner was as good as Mom
could make. Then we took presents to the men in the hospital. Hope you had
a good day too. Did you like your presents?
Pete"

In the final panel Pete and Daffy are in silhouette again and Pete says,
"Let's hurry up and win the war. Then everybody can have a good
Christmas." To which Daffy replies, "That is what we are fighting for."

This year of Christmas 2004, the words of the fictional Private Pete and
Daffy, written over a half century ago, speak for hundreds of thousands of
military service members who are away from home and loved ones. Aboard
ships, in airplanes, and on the ground in dangerous places, these sailors,
airmen, soldiers and marines have gone into harm's way to protect our
safety and freedom at home and to bring freedom to oppressed peoples
around the world.

Today, as with Private Pete and Daffy, millions of adults here in the
United States are in classrooms across the nation learning to read, write,
and speak English. And no doubt many of them will celebrate Christmas Day
this year.  We need to give them and their instructors special recognition
for their work to help keep America free through the power of adult
literacy.

Like those tens of thousands of adult literacy teachers who have taught
hundreds of thousands of military troops to read and write in military
literacy classrooms from the Revolutionary War to the present, and like
those teachers who work in the thousands of literacy classrooms across
America today, we must all bear in mind that for preserving freedom and
democracy, literacy is our first line of defense!

Merry Christmas, and many thanks to each and every one of you!

Thomas G. Sticht
International Consultant in Adult Education
2062 Valley View Blvd.
El Cajon, CA 92019-2059
Tel/fax: (619) 444-9133
Email: tsticht at aznet.net

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