The Dangers of Illiteracy in America

Paper Summary:

An argumentative paper examining the social problems and effects arising in American democracy due to the presence of illiteracy. The author searches for a solution, and presents a few ideas concerning the issue.

From the Paper:

?An entire side of a can of WD40 (household product used for unstitching valves and fixing squeaky wheels) is devoted to health warnings. "Heat may cause can to burst violently", "deliberate or direct inhalation may be harmful or fatal", "If swallowed, do NOT induce vomiting". Okay, so we have to be careful when handling WD40 - but you wouldn't know that if you couldn't read those warnings. Startling numbers of Americans cannot read something as simple as a warning on the side of a can. Those same people cannot read their lease agreements for their apartments, street signs, the electricity, heat, water and phone bills which could leave them without those basic commodities. Believe it or not, these people incapable of performing basic daily skills do exist in our great Land of Opportunity. The problem is obviously rooted in our educational system, but the solution must go past just educational reform - and we are light years away from even accomplishing that yet. Educators, social scientists, authors, and most anyone concerned with solving the poverty problem in the U.S. have been calling for action from the government as well as from the American people."

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