Thread: Literacy? Sure, but... DIGITAL TELEVISION!

Nevertheless, it would be naive to think that television's primary function in most households is as an emergency alert or learning tool. And it's illuminating to put the government's $1.5 billion allocation in perspective. Consider: The proposed 2009 federal budget for adult basic and literacy education is $574.6 million.

Digital Television Transition Funding - Do Americans Have a Right to TV? - Legislation vs. Literacy - Popular Mechanics

My point in putting this in politics is, WHY IN THE BLUE HELL is a digital television conversion getting more funding than adult literacy in this country?

This also speaks volumes about our conversion to an ownership society.

Originally Posted by Ronin Tetsuro

Digital Television Transition Funding - Do Americans Have a Right to TV? - Legislation vs. Literacy - Popular Mechanics

My point in putting this in politics is, WHY IN THE BLUE HELL is a digital television conversion getting more funding than adult literacy in this country?

This also speaks volumes about our conversion to an ownership society.

Who has lobbyists pushing the DTT funding? Follow the money trail.

Originally Posted by democraticus

Who has lobbyists pushing the DTT funding? Follow the money trail.

Well, I mean, duh. But it strikes me as... well, disgusting, that there are people who would argue for the little guy that is getting his television shut off. In a country where you're more likely to walk into a house full of televisions than you are a house where all adult occupants are literate.

Television isn't a right, and I hope that this switch does that much more to kill the medium.

Any adult raised in this country and who does not have a mental handicap has no excuse for being illiterate. It is astounding that there IS an adult literacy program.

The airwaves, like the US terra firma, is a limited resource managed by the government. There is no real drawback to a DTV switch (the UK and Australia have already done it I believe) and it has many benefits the greatest of which is clearing the air wave space for other uses. It is like maintaing roads or any other infrastructure component.

Originally Posted by TheHegemon

Any adult raised in this country and who does not have a mental handicap has no excuse for being illiterate. It is astounding that there IS an adult literacy program.

I agree, but I would point out problems that exist in inner city public schools.

Originally Posted by democraticus

I agree, but I would point out problems that exist in inner city public schools.

It's a fallacy to believe that illiteracy, much less problems with public schooling, is limited to inner cities.

Originally Posted by TheHegemon

and it has many benefits the greatest of which is clearing the air wave space for other uses. It is like maintaing roads or any other infrastructure component.

We do not bulldoze perfectly fine city roads in favor of allowing private contractors to no-bid on highway construction in the same space.

Originally Posted by Ronin Tetsuro

It's a fallacy to believe that illiteracy, much less problems with public schooling, is limited to inner cities.

You are right that it is not limited to inner cities, but is is very more profound in the cities. It is quite sad.

Originally Posted by mjdsr

You are right that it is not limited to inner cities, but is is very more profound in the cities. It is quite sad.

Numbers to support that assertion, please.