Literacy is Power

What is the differance between someone who is educated and someone who is not? Some might say that an educated person could go a long way and create a better future for themselves while others argue that being street smart is just as important. What if we take a look at the literacy differance between the social classes of today's time and assess the differances. We will all notice that those who are more literate tend to have better careers and job positions above those who are less educated. Could this be a symbol of power? After all being able to read and write and e!press one's self hundreds of years meant a higher social status and"or political status. #irst of all let us take a look on the meaning of literacy. Altough that is still a debatable discussion by many scholars and researchers literacy is what defines us by our means of education. While many of us were properly educatated and taught all the fundamentals the less fortunate were not able to get that same e!perience. $he reasons for that vary from not having the income a person needs to go on to college to a person simply not motivated enough to further their knowledge. %ow could those people have the power to change the world? Absolutely. &ut that is not to say they are not limited in aspects of literacy that is re'uired to do so. Secondly if we look back to how society functioned hundreds of years ago we will see some similarities between the social classes of back then to how they are now. #or instance those with more wealth had more power than those who were poor. $here was also a lack of a middle class because it was as simple as whether one had money to their name or not. $he middle class widened in today's time because even with little income people could still live great due to credit. (ow would literacy relate to the social

classes? Well while some public education is free there are private schools that would charge alot of money for their students to get the best education possible in the most safe and comfortable environments. )any think that because those get a higher education they will ecome more literate and a better chance to succeed in live.

Additionaly there is a 'uestion on whether people rise to power because of education or by following the footsteps of their predessesor. *n today's world that could be both. *f we take a look at +resident ,bama we will notice that he graduated both Columbia -niversity and (arvard .aw School twenty years ago. (e was a civil rights attorney and taught Constitutional .aw before he was president. *n every speech he makes everyone agrees he is well educated and literate. Could that mean he could not hold a position of power if not for his educational backround? Certainly not in the -nited States but what about other countries' leaders?

/espite what the %orth 0orean media has to offer there have been investigations into the country's dictator's educational backround once he assumed office after his father's death. As many of you know the dictator's name is 0im 1on -n and although it is said that he attented school in Sweeden there have been reports that he made poor grades and showed little interest in politics. Could his literacy match the one of +resident ,bama? +oliticians would rapidly reply no because +resident ,bama is always doing public speeches while 0im 1on -n had only one televised speech. 2ven that was surprising because %orth 0orea did not have any leaders address the nation on %ew

3ear's day in 45 years. $hirdly while many scholars say that literacy is what makes a person have power there is a counter arguement. *t is said that even a poor man can make a diference but how if that person was never educated? (ow would he stand up to what is right and e!press his opinion? $hat is when we come to the saying 6actions speak louder than words6 and notice that despite everyone who e!presses their opinions very little of them do as they say. $here are individuals out there however who do what they believe is right for their community. .ittle groups in poor towns that just gather to pick up trash or donate what they can to the less fortunate do not usualy have high educational backrounds7 they e!press their literacy not by showing how smart they are but by speaking out to make a diference. *n conclusion there are many ways to espress literacy. ,ne could choose to further their education and make something of themselves or take another road to success. (owever literacy has many ways to define a person. *n today's world there is little holding us back from achieving what we want and how we e!press ourselves. *f we choose to become leaders instead of followers and have our voices heard then furthering our literacy will be the first step in achieving that goal.