[AAACE-NLA] How Adult Literacy Advocacy Can Succeed

[AWilder106@aol.com]

David and others,

It's about the word "deserve." Personally, I feel everyone deserves to be able to read.  I don't know how you square that in a literacy campaign, because  I also think that everyone in the country "deserves" health care, and we as a country don't do that.  People "deserve" employment, too, and decent housing. It's a pretty full basket of goods.

I think this is why I try to avoid the moral compass language and stick with the "return on investment" ways of thinking. I know this turns many people on the list serv off.  I don't think it "sells."  Am I on the wrong track?  I don't think so, so far.

Somewhere in the last months we posted ideas  for "selling" adult literacy to legislators, and I seem to remember an argument that worked--inserting in the conversation the fact of how much people already contribute in tax dollars.  I  think that makes a difference, to puncture the idea that adult literacy students are free loaders.

About the economy--I know I do insert my observations on this into these postings, I feel like  the stormy petrel (petrol?) of the dollar sign. That's one reason I think we should not have such an open-ended response to the problem of numbers of people in programs, and numbers on waiting lists. We need to put some boundaries around the problem so we know what our goals are, on the ground.  HOW MANY people are  we trying to include in our numbers?  A range, a rough estimate are really necessary, so, again, when we are challenged we can come back with a responsible rejoinder.  I think we can't "afford" an open-ended response when we are questionned about numbers.

Andrea