Response to "Our View of Literacy " Precis

After our class discussing I gained a deeper insight to the view of Literacy. Everyone seems to think of it as a positive when in fact it can be just the opposite. In the article "The Nineteenth Century Origins of Our Times" validates this view. The North was far more literate than the South and many slaves felt with literacy things would change for the better in their lives, this was not the case. They were still slaves, just slaves that could read, the condition of their lives did not change. The awareness of their situation only made them more miserable than they were before.
In today's society being educated is seen as a way to advance but again it is not always the case. Students today, including myself, have been told to wait on their Master's degree because they will not be hired if put up against a candidate with a Bachelor's degree. Sure this is mainly due to finances in the school districts and the state's budget but what kind of a message are we sending to the youth of America? Work hard but not too hard or you will be looked over for the job. Being literate is becoming a burden to bear that could possible mean financial hardships for the educated in society because they are deemed to be over qualified for the job.