Thursday, November 03, 2005
Illiteracy
Today Jacques Demers, a celebrated NHL hockey coach (Montreal Canadiens) admitted that he was functionally illiterate. The media is expressing major shock at this confession as this fairly articulate (verbally at least) man who has done countless interviews, has had careers as a columnist, and broadcaster was able to hide this disability. There are many gruesome stories today: a child-sex scandal in Winnipeg, a tape of a young girl whoes brother was purposely starved to death by his grandparents, and of course Charles and Camilla's visit to the Bushes. But the Demers story seems to stick in my mind more.
I grew up in an immigrant neighborhood and if I think back, many of the adults in the neighborhood were indeed functionally illiterate. Not because of any lack of education or brain capacity but because they came from another ladn at an age old enough that they never had the chance to immerse in English education. My parents are examples of that. I was fortunate that I never developed a prejudice against illiterate people. When I think of Demers, I don't think of shame and shock. I'm glad he was able to contribute to society in a big big big way ... and hopeful that he'll be able to eventually discover the joys of written communication now that the secret's out.
I grew up in an immigrant neighborhood and if I think back, many of the adults in the neighborhood were indeed functionally illiterate. Not because of any lack of education or brain capacity but because they came from another ladn at an age old enough that they never had the chance to immerse in English education. My parents are examples of that. I was fortunate that I never developed a prejudice against illiterate people. When I think of Demers, I don't think of shame and shock. I'm glad he was able to contribute to society in a big big big way ... and hopeful that he'll be able to eventually discover the joys of written communication now that the secret's out.
