A new foe threatens democracy. Literacy may be defined as the ability to read and write and it depicts someone's communication proficiency. Communal literacy, the ability for the entire community to read and write at an equally high level, allows anyone to communicate candidly, precisely, and rapidly. This allows a free market in the economy and government in which anyone may participate and compete. However, the Adult Performance Level, (APL), concludes "30 million men and women are now 'functionally incompetent.' Another 54 million 'just get by.'" (Kozol p.9) Public school's attempts to provide an equal education to everyone are ineffective. The test resolves: one-third of the nation is not capable of grasping even the most basic news, interchanging instructions and opinions, nor relaying information efficiently and accurately. Communication proficiency, which should be a guaranteed basic right, restrains their participation in government, society, and the economy. Since this group can no longer participate in governmental decisions, literacy must be provided or democracy no longer exists. A detailed account of how limiting the inability to communicate is of jobs, basic necessities, and even government is presented. Finally, through the use of a new media, possibilities for prohibiting sexism and racism are discussed.

Sylvia Scribner introduces a slightly different approach to the literacy predicament. She asks "Is it realistic to try to specify some uniform set of skills as constituting functional literacy for all adults? Two sub questions are involved here. One concerns the choice of parameters for defining a 'universe of functionally competencies.' An equally important question concerns the concept of uniformity." ( Scribner p.9-10) First, she questions: what is the standard of a functionally competent individual? Because of our technologically advancing society, the answer cannot be specific since it is constantly changing. The standard must be set at a high level so that everyone is capable of performing all basic functions such as reading mail, filling out a check, etc. and is able to understanding text restricted to specific fields. Her second question proposes that certain groups may not associate with other parties and do not need as high a functional literacy level. However, this is adverse to the democratic society we are trying to achieve. A company not educated to communicate with certain other groups is limited in there selection if a reason for association emerges. Therefore, to ensure equal opportunities, everyone must posses a understanding of all existing vernaculars.

For the successful completion of a project, communication is a prime requisite. "The complex undertakings of modern life depend on the cooperation of many people with different specialties in different places. Where communication fail so do the undertakings." (Hirsch p.2) It is therefore necessary for individuals to be able to understand each other. Depending on how easily they are able to transmit information, the project may be completed more quickly and smoothly. However, around the country low literacy rates reduce business's efficiency. David Kearns the chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Xerox Corporation expresses his misgiving by saying: "The basic skills of entry level workers are simply not good enough to give us the kind of work force we need to compete in the fiercely competitive global market." (Applebee p.2) Any individual, who cannot clarify their conceptions, is limited to the corporation's menial levels. Unable to advance they are rooted at their present status. This constraint must disappear in order to eliminate discrimination; the only practical means of removing this constraint is providing communal literacy.

Scrutinized in its most basic definition literacy, the ability to read and write, restrains millions from elementary social functions. "Twenty six% of Americans cannot determine if their paycheck is correct. Thirty- six percent, given a W-4 form, cannot enter the right number of exemptions in the proper places on the form. Twenty two percent cannot address a letter well enough to guarantee that it will reach its destination." (Kozol p.9) These are necessary social skills that guarantee a normal existence. Since government relies exclusively on mail, it is one of the most obligatory ways to communicate. The number unable to read routine messages create enormous problems. "Yet even notices of undelivered letters left in the mailbox by the postal service will be read only with difficulty by a minimum of 35 million people. They will not be read by another 25 million more." (Kozol p.15) Mail provides information about the adjacent community and government. Without this vital information, these people are isolated and impeded.

Progressing to more pressing and unpredictable issues, the government itself is threatened by its country's inadequate literacy skill. For the court system, jurors are essential. "Once sequestered, juries often study written documents and, sometimes, transcripts of the testimony heard some weeks or even months before. In arduous debate, the semiliterate of illiterate juror is too readily won over by the selectivity of a persuasive reader." (Kozol p.17) Can our country subsist on false decisions made because of the elected public's incompetence? Is this lawful? "Politics partly consists in the disputes and struggles which occur in language and over language." (Fairclough p.23) This suggests: if language barriers are resolved many conflicts could be avoided. The harmony provided by this decrease in conflicts is applicable to nations, businesses, organizations, and individuals. A communal means of communication ensures effective discussions which address the true problems. Hirsch summarizes this saying: "As the universal second culture, literate culture has become the common currency for social and economic exchange in our democracy and the only available ticket to full citizenship." (Hirsch p.22).

"Literacy requirements for the average individual have been rising throughout the developed world, but American literacy rates haev not risen to meet this standard." (Hirsch p.1). The question, who may be responsible for the relatively decreasing literacy level, is causing substantial debate. "If all students are going to reach high standards, parents must be involved as never before. Yet today, too many parents see learning as solely the responsibility of the school, and too many schools blame the home when learning does not take place."(Reauthorization) Instead of criticizing each other, many elements in the community need to work together until the essential communal literacy is established. Today, ineffective communication is acerbated by the minor amounts of shared background knowledge (Hirsch p.10). The elimination of misunderstandings will secure government against the threat of improper judgment and because of faster discisions, the economy will improve.

Discrimination and injustice can be greatly reduced by communal literacy. Minorities, women, and homosexuals, who are subjected to racism and sexism, are causing social uprisings. Written documents are the most nondiscriminating means of fighting these stereotypes, since they are versatile and nebulous. Unlike television where a picture of the speaker is always represented, the author may choose according to their judgment to provide their own character, opinions, and background. Aside from journals, newspapers, and magazines many new ways of distributing written materials are becoming available. The most notable, versatile, and rapidly increasing is the World-Wide Web (WWW). "There are more then 27000 WWW sites; the overall population is doubling every fifty three days." (Wired May 95 p.47) The WWW is the most versatile means of interaction today and the number of people without internet access is its only limit. Anything ranging from videos to plain text is available. Nevertheless, while obstacles in distribution are becoming negligible, authors capable of writing intellectually are rare. The WWW attempts to provide everyone with the ability to issue and receive information but users must have the ability to understand the materials it contains. For this system to work properly everyone must be competent to comprehend any text and compose decipherable text. Again the need for a communal literacy arises. Once installed, the WWW allows a simple and available means for enormous numbers of people to access information in a way that is impartial.

Many liberal activists have strong opinions concerning their interests. Strong anxieties about individual rights are presented. Some even go as far as saying: "well-being and freedom are based on someone's claim of rights. Those that do not know their rights need to be enlightened." (DeMoncheck) Written documentation can easily provide these unenlightened individuals with a means of finding and examining those rights. The World-Wide Web allows posting documentation and remaining anonymous. This ensures that no legal or social action is taken against a reader or author. Because of discrimination or a common medium, many important facts remain unheard. African-American prison time for drug and weapon violations is fifty percent higher then white prison time. (Chideya p.xix) "Women do 2/3 to 3/4 of the work in the world. " (French p.30) Sixty percent of the network news about African Americans is negative in tone. (Chideya p.xv) More importantly Ogbu explains: " The pattern of schooling which has evolved for blacks generally prepares them for inferior roles. It does not qualify blacks for more desirable social and economic positions open to whites, nor does it encourage blacks to achieve their maximum." (Ogbu p.141) This for example is a issue everyone must know about immediately so the consequence and prevention may be analyzed and discussed more broadly. Unprejudiced and substantial transmission of information is necessary for democratic societies. The WWW provides not only such a common means of distribution and access but it is versatile and unprejudiced.

In day to day activities the economic and social difficulties created by illiteracy limit millions. The damage these obstacles brings to society does not stop there however. American business are incapable of competing in the world market and the entire legal system is threatened. Also many social, political and economic issues do not receive the attention which they deserve. A communal literacy would not only allow traditional news mediums to be more effective but new means, like the World-Wide Web, would become more easily accessible. The WWW allow faster, secretive, and more active discussion. In summery Kozol claims: "we are speaking of at least one third of all the adults who live in the United States in 1984. The cost to our economy,...,is very great. The presumptions and our credibility as a democracy is greater still. The cost in needless human pains may be the greatest of all." (Kozol p.12)

Please send all comments to ub23+@andrew.cmu.edu for more information about the author use finger on the same account.