[NLA] A clarifying note

[Eileen Eckert]

Jon and David's efforts to lead an advocacy campaign are turning into a 
learning experience for me. As we move closer to the possibility of sweeping 
changes at NIFL and to a war that no one--Republican or Democrat--I've 
talked to agrees with (but polls say we support!), I'd like to share my 
reflections (tiresome and trite though they are).

When does a democracy cease to be a democracy? When people stop 
participating? Is it still a government of the people--a democracy--if 
people are reluctant for any reason to tell their representatives what to 
do? There are 432 members of the House of Representatives, and less than 10% 
of them have signed on to the dear colleague letter. It's not a 
controversial letter. My Republican representative had no trouble signing on 
to it; it was just a matter of bringing it to the attention of the 
legislative aide in D.C. and checking back to see if he'd signed on yet. I 
can't help but think that in many cases, representatives haven't signed on 
because they don't know about the letter. And they don't know--in some 
cases--because despite the rhetoric about participatory democracy, many of 
us are reluctant to contact them (I'm pretty sure there are NLA members in 
other districts of my state than the 2 whose reps have signed on). When I 
asked a friend to send an e-mail, she balked. She said she didn't want to 
stand up and be counted, draw attention to herself (she did it anyway, and 
our rep. signed on). I felt that reluctance too; I don't understand it, but 
I felt it. But THEY represent us; this is not a relationship of supplicant 
to lord. We chose them to act on our behalf, and we need to let them know 
what we want them to do! And when they do it, or even if they do not, we 
have to follow up and hold the new NIFL director accountable to us. 
Ultimately, we are the boss, we are responsible, and we only lose power when 
we abdicate and leave a vacuum.

George's questions about NIFL's accountability to us are just another facet 
of the same issue of civic participation. If we consider citizenship or 
civic participation a goal of literacy education for students, we could give 
some thought to our own participation or lack thereof. Sorry this turned 
into a lecture; it's aimed at myself as much as anyone.





>From: "George E. Demetrion" <sophocles5 at juno.com>
>Reply-To: nla at lists.literacytent.org
>To: nla at lists.literacytent.org
>Subject: [NLA] A clarifying note
>Date: Wed, 2 Oct 2002 06:21:20 -0700
>
>Nothing I said in last night's message is meant to dismiss the important
>work of advocacy that Jon Randall is leading.  I raise issues, to be
>sure, issues which may well characterize the politics of  adult literacy
>for several years to come as the neo-conservative educational vision of
>the Bush administration begins to shape federal policy in our field.
>Nonetheless, the choice of directors very well may be a choice that
>matters and even if not, the mobilization that Jon has inspired is an
>important psychic victory in showing the field's capacity to move when
>appropriately inspired, or more often, challenged to its core with
>extinctioon or marginalization.
>
>So, with Jon and others, I encourage all to do what they can to influence
>Congress in putting pressure on the Administration to select as director
>the candidate with adult literacy/education experience.  The ideological
>and political concerns I raise, are major, in my view, but they can be
>addressed over time.
>
>George Demetrion
>sophocles5 at juno.com
>
>
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