Illiteracy in America

[SepherStar]

@Phalanx3800 I've always excelled at reading. I went to a good private school for kindergarten and 1st grade and was reading at a 3rd grade level by the end of 1st grade, and at a 9th grade level in 5th grade. But just because someone can't read does not mean they are stupid. More often than not, they have a learning disability such as dyslexia that went undetected, and were too embarrassed to tell someone of their problem because they did think they were stupid because they couldn't read.

[dave777blaster]

1 in 3 Americans can't read past grade 4 level !

[DrFruedienslip]

@001Dixie illiteracy and religious bullshit have a great deal to do with it'

[Viktir666]

Most Americans are dumb people. I know that's a judgment but I've seen the evidence for many years.

[DrFruedienslip]

Capitalism isnt what people think' 

[DrFruedienslip]

@001Dixie Just watch Jerry Springer, Maury Pulvich, and Steve Wilkos and that makes a great statement to prove the point' but children today have too many distractions with all the video games, cell phones Ipods and all the knowledge now required to find jobs, but look at all the jobs today that dont pay very well and people get catagorized by the grading system of trivial pursuits within the educational means' it drags everyone down with socialism'

[TheNewnice]

Wars is a Priority ...Literacy is not

- U.S Government

[DrFruedienslip]

@TheNewnice Actually war an illiteracy go hand in hand' there is something to that' But wait your logo statement is about peace? So can I assume you are making a derogatory statement'

[Mxsmanic]

I had to laugh at the end of this report: You can find information about illteracy programs near you on ABCNEWS.COM … unless, of course, you can't read, in which case you can't find out anything at all! Didn't anyone think that through before putting it on the air?

[youhavegeniusshins]

@001Dixie I agree with what you said, but your diction makes you sound like a wind bag. Just saying.

[Elesparto]

And that's the way the elites want it...

[youhavegeniusshins]

@Elesparto Sure. That must be why the federal government funds libraries and public schools. If you are uneducated, it is ultimately your own fault. I'm not saying I don't feel for these people, but come on. At the end of the day, we are all responsible for our own minds. No excuses.

[Elesparto]

@youhavegeniusshins

That is the beauty of this type of massive conspiracy against the populace, they make the books available but have conditioned the population to dislike knowledge--the public school system sees to it that the individual who graduates hates reading and writing and thinking. It is an efficient system in the end because it reaches its objective year after year. The ruling classes cannot survive without an uneducated population, nor can Hollywood stars.

[youhavegeniusshins]

@Elesparto Do you think I don't know any of this? Everything you said is pretty obvious. I'm not disagreeing with you, but I was in same boat as these people. I'm working class. I chose to educate myself, and while what I don't know could still fill the Pacific Ocean, at least I am making a genuine effort to better myself. I don’t' understand why you are cutting people slack who don't deserve it.

[youhavegeniusshins]

@Elesparto Like I said, I sincerely feel for these people, but at the same time you have to be responsible for your own intellect. The Govt. is not making anyone stupid. The Information is out there for anyone who cares to absorb it.

[MattyTheMole]

@001Dixie I apologize for my extensive comments but when I think of this video in conjuction with my past I know for a fact that there are presently millions of children being diluted with the same false realities. Have you ever had any experience with a person who suffers from manic depression or bi polar disorder? If not then in the next 10 years, if our country continues in the same direction, you will.

[MattyTheMole]

As a result, After high school (which I cheated all throughout to graduate), fusterations of the real world began to set in and I started point fingers at my schools, teachers, the system, or anybody I could blame. After realizing it was no one elses fault but my own due to the way I was raised, i slowly began to tear myself down, step away from my parents bullshit, and take action to built myself back up again.

[MattyTheMole]

@001Dixie It is pitiful to see so many under-educated American Citizens, but it is no doubt or wonder where Americans are investing their time and money. One probable coincidence is it is not being invested towards future generations, our children. I grew up in a blue collar no more than $75,000 a year household where investing in meaningless possesions such as cars, watercrafts, stereo systems, more than one televsion, luxery renovations etc was more important than education.

[nukeurhouse12]

FREEDOM? too bad not many Americans know what that is. (Maybe if they were educated?)

[bigbigbobbybobbo]

2:00 lol Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints FTW!!

[lovestaronfire]

she could speak english so good but she cant read wtf america

[dadecountyhustler305]

What the hell. That illerate bitch has got a nicer house then me?

[SuperGermany77]

@dadecountyhustler305 oh god, you made me laugh... thnx man. :D :D :D :D

[Next0level]

As I read through the posts in this video, I was suddenly struck by an idea. Everyone is illiterate, "socially" illiterate. Yes, the regional theme of this video is about Americans. Yes, the number of illiterate people in the country is staggering. But to make sweeping generalizations about the stupidity of "all" Americans or "all" people of a particular ethnic background, to me at least, is worse than being illiterate. SOCIAL ILLITERACY is just as bad, if not, worse an illiteracy.

[Wasabirock55]

That's obsurd, i read at college level at 200 words per minute.. How could someone let themselfes become this??? I know, like everyone else, i slack on in class sometimes.. But not as bad as this

[grodzix]

Someone has to be a complete morron not to be able to read. The thing is so simple and given the ammount of text that surrounds I bet that most of people would learn to read even if they haven't been taught it. You just can't escape from written word in our world.

[leiraleira11]

Seriously? Surely someone would have said the word "hysterectomy" outloud before she had the operation. Surely someone would have asked her to weigh the pros and cons before she had such a serious operation.

[HeavensRepublic]

@001Dixie I agree with you totally. And I also hate this stupid ghetto slang way of dialect whereby my friends would say it is a proud way honoring the way of the street. How ridiculously stupid. This ghetto slang is the byproduct of the incredible number of illiterates running rampant not just in their streets but in our nice once safe cities and the Hollywood media. Basically. Screw the "cool street way of talking and writing." No one gives a damn.

[hoodini21]

@001Dixie Actually, the "ghetto" slang as you call it is called AAVE, or African American Vernacular English. It actually is a representation of their history, for it is a mixture of Southern dialect as well as Creole, from when African Americans were brought over as slaves. While I certainly respect your opinion, it would be better if you were to first learn the history of another's culture before you comdemned them.

[jp246810]

@001Dixie

that's alot of sufizikated wordz ur using there... i doont like it!

lol nah jus kiddin'. but all joking aside this is bit of an issue that i like to thank ignorance in general for. there's a difference when it comes down to people who jus don't know how to read and people who flat out can't physically or mentally.

if ya azz can learn to read now when ur 40-50+ then what happened all that time from childhood through yound adulthood that stopped you? i mean c'mon... what happen?

[MultiSmartass1]

@Bayonetta4 Knowing history is not the same as being illiterate-two different levels there.

[ironmantis25]

maybe the 7 million people who cannot read are immigrants from another country.

[bsartist]

Part of the problem, and potentially a major factor in all this, is the fact that America is in general a very culturally anti-intellectual place. This sentiment toward education and knowledge in general pervades all levels of society and is particularly pronounced, as others here have suggested, in the realms of politics and religion. Large swaths of the nation wallow in a kind of uninformed populism. We have a very poor attitude toward human services, while business interests supersede all.

[Cakerolled]

@bsartist In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries America had one of the highest rates of literacy in the world. The most widely ciculated paper in France in 1819: 11000 subscribers, in Russia 300, and in America: 18000. Even the pioneers read Shakespear.

America values equality, and "professional intellectuals" are not worshiped as they are in other countries. This doesn't mean Americans are anti-intellectual, mass eduaction is a pillar of American national identity.

[cellan88]

american ppl getting stupidified coz they have flouride in their water. And also reducing education costs. Stupidifying shows in tv like glenn beck, hannity and o'reilly together with rising obesity also is to blame.

[chicomibaby]

@001Dixie Where are you from?

[slaughtz]

lol who wuld ned dis? dey r al dumb lol

I find it a bit funny that every comment I see on this page is mostly completely grammatically correct.

[EvisceratorBand]

@slaughtz I'm willing to bet that anyone who watched this suddenly turned into a college graduate.

[winterstellar]

And just one more thing, in my profile I've entered "Thailand" as country, but I was born, raised and have been a norwegian citizen all my life. But like many norwegians my age or older, I have a condo there I use for frequent holidays. I'm in orway now, but april 5th I'm going back down there for the SongKran festival among other things. I'm just mentioning this so that some people here may know that they're actually trying to teach a scandinavian about Scandinavia. : )

[eyesighted]

@winterstellar Funny you should say that since I'm also a Scandinavian in Scandinavia. What I see around me are people who don't just stay with their church for the benefits but for their faith. Some adhere to it more than others, despite that many of them - regardless of how strong adherents they are or aren't - are highly educated. Despite your lengthy attempt to justify your made-up statistic, you're wrong.

We're both biased.

[winterstellar]

Haha, this explains why there are so many christians and other tards in America. I'm from Scandinavia, and up here we have zero percent illiteracy. Hehe, and just 5 percent christians..

[eyesighted]

@winterstellar According to official statistics, Norway has 85% christians, Sweden over 70%, Denmark 80%, Finland 80%, Iceland over 85%. You fail research. Or math. In any case, there's no correlation.

The situation in the US is appalling, things have got to change.

[winterstellar]

And let me guess, the "christians" were "lutherans", no? The State Church is lutheran. It's a service that takes care of funerals, weddings if you want and so on for "free", i.e it's paid for with tax-money(like so much else up here, like free health-care, free education and so on. But anyway, one funny example from Norway: The christians have their own political party, The Christian People's Party, and at the latest poll they got 3.8 percent. To have the right to just one MP, you need 4.0, hehe

[chicomibaby]

@winterstellar how did religion come up?

[winterstellar]

But to be totally honest and fair here, Iceland is not quite like the rest of Scandinavia. They do still have the problem of christianity, so even if they may not have "85 percent", they still have quite a few. You know, you should take a trip to Scandinavia and check it out yourself. The churches are empty every sunday, "God" is never ever mentioned in the media or by politicians or celebrities or average people.Instead of sermons or televangelism, we have science-programs on TV. Come over, man

[winterstellar]

To whoever replied to me: The reason for those weird numbers are the state churches in our countries, in which you are enrolled when you're born. At a very recent survey among people in Denmark, Sweden and Norway, some 70, 85 and 75 percent said they were non-believers. And the number of believing christians here is between 5 and 10 percent. We have muslims and new-age tards and stuff too, you know.: )

[MultiSmartass1]

@winterstellar You make an interesting point. Western Europe has largely become a fundamentalist free zone unlike in the US where we have more than enough religion to skin numerous cats. Even the English don't pretend to be religious. Must be the legacy of state-backed churches and religious zealotry and intolerance in the past.

[DAI3792]

how the fuck is this even possible?!?!?!

[redrainjedi]

@DAI3792

If you went to US public schools like I did, the disruptive and illiterate students always got passed on because the teachers didn't want to deal with them for another year.

This helps explain why so many people watch Fox News; they watch TV, so they don't know any better.

[MultiSmartass1]

It's possible for a variety of reasons: public schools that often pass people forward without being able to read or write, learning problems, parents who are uneducated and don't value getting one, economic stressors.

A host of factors contribute to illiteracy and yes, some people often give up and settle for being illiterate.

America is a dog eat dog society where everything that goes wrong is fault of the average american.

[lsatep]

@MultiSmartass1 It's possibl for a variety of resons: public scools that often pass peepl forward without being abel to reed or write, lerning problems, parents hu ar uneducated and don't value getteng wun, economic stressors.

A host of factors contribute tu eliteracy and yes, sum peeple often giv up and settl for beeng eliterate.

America is a dog eet dog society wher everything dat goes rong is folt of da averag american.

Or maybe its just da elojical inglish languag and its speleng

[MultiSmartass1]

@lsatep Shouldn't you be getting back to mopping floors? Stop wasting time on the computers, retard.

[HeavensRepublic]

@MultiSmartass1 Hahaha.. nice response. I got a headache trying to read Isatep's response to you. I gave up reading after the first line.

[HeavensRepublic]

@MultiSmartass1 You're totally right. Anyways, this video makes me wonder about my patients and their true 100% understanding before undergoing their medical procedures now.

[MultiSmartass1]

@HeavensRepublic Sounds like you are a doctor. If so, what is your specialty?

You make avery salient point. After all precriptions have labels and often written instructions.

[jposh707]

I don't understand how that lady could have been a film producer without knowing how to read? That's just bizarre and shocking.

[tastlykvalntines]

I'm glad that I'm not illiterate!

[Viktir666]

Illiteracy isn't a disease, it's a choice. If you weren't such a lazy fuck, you could learn.

[cboldridge]

How sad for you to be so condescending to other human beings. Have you ever met someone with a reading disability? Believe me, it's not a choice and it has nothing to do with motivation. I hope others see your message as one of ignorance rather than one of anger and disrespect for others' needs.

[Viktir666]

I am right and you're just sad because I speak facts and I don't care if it's condescending.

[lerox22]

lol!!!

[socks9421]

How can we find out about literacy programs if we are illiterate!?

[mikegibbowr]

This is a suject that merits our attention... Mike Gibbowr

[beentheredonethatb4]

If you read many of the comments that are made on youtube, you can find perfect examples of people who are semi-literate. It's truly amazing to think so many Americans have this problem.

[ekspresis]

stupid idiot....

[bowlofnoodl3]

They were too panzy to go on TV!

[postalsock]

GOD BLESS AMERICA! Jesus christ. land of the free my ass.

[BurnsideStudios08]

technically it is free. If you want to learn you're free to do so. And if you don't you're free to do so.

[postalsock]

You couldn't be more wrong.

[1mediaseeker]

Psychologically, it's interesting to examine WHY this video did not interview men who couldn't read. VERY interesting.