Illiterates or animals?

I believe it is safe to say that this is by far the most depressing blog we have read for this class. At first when I read it, I was offended. I have worked with a lot of different people from all walks of life. I have done a great deal of volunteer work through church and the refugee center in Bowling Green. I have worked with a lot of illiterate people. While reading this article, it reminded me strongly of my time working in Louisiana over the summer. I absolutely loved working down there. I worked with the renovations on Fort Polk. The first day I went to work I was petrified. All the guys I worked with were huge, and most of the girls looked like they could beat the tar out of me without batting an eye. It did not take me long to realize that they were not as bad as they appeared. Once I got to know them, I realized they were some of the most sincere, generous people I have ever met. Most of them were illiterate or semi-literate. When I started reading this article, I was livid. It seemed like Hedges was stating that illiterate people should not be allowed to vote, or it is their fault there are so many problems in America. After re-reading it, I think he was not so much trying to blame the illiterate population, as much as point out an alarming social problem facing Americans today. All the same, I think his article is very one sided. The tone makes illiterate people sound like helpless animals rather than human beings. In my opinion, an effort should be made to improve education and political awareness. That is the only way this country will get turned around. Although he had some data, it was not very concise and rather misleading. His opinion was expressed so strongly that I felt immediately on the defensive. Hedge and Carr have similar views about how technology is detrimental to the public. They both think that the internet is making people think differently. Although, ironically enough Hedge seems to think it is making the public more stupid than Carr does, which completely contradicts the title of the last blog we read.