Turning away from Universal Literacy?

Turning away from Universal Literacy?

It was the AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT and it’s proponents who urged that every life is sacred, 
every human worthy of literacy, capable of its own agency, worthy to participate intelligently in its 
society.

Realizing that absent universal literacy there would be an underclass, an untouchable or “serf” peasant class 
who would continuously be put upon and victimized by an educated, empowered overclass.

I must remind the readers, this stood in full opposition to the arguments of class and monarchy, 
even the simple despotism that had crushed so many lives through the centuries. I can not argue 
that education and it’s flower literacy, especially SCIENTIFIC LITERACY- is wholly and enthusiastically 
embraced by all humanity. Looking at rates of literacy and recreational reading alone tells that sad tale.

But I would argue that dragging illiterates into an educational enrichment opportunity is a price well worth 
paying for a Society aiming at universal suffrage. A Society dependent on a bare minimum scientific literacy 
can make no claims of even simple humanity if they do not provide educational opportunities to every citizen, 
every human life. (Regardless of accidents of age, sex, race, place or conditions of birth).

Further I believe that a society turning away from universal suffrage and especially away from 
universal scientific and humane literacy will eventually find solid and compelling reasons to reduce, 
restrict and constrain literacy to a very narrow preselected class and that handful will embrace its authority 
and privilege and finally restore the monarchy and we will have returned to a new DARK AGES with its 
priest craft along with its ugly sisters ignorance and superstition. And it’s blood and brutality.