This new literacy was as important to the hard of hearing community as writing was to the whole human race. No more was a significant portion of mankind left with no way to hear what the rest of the people were talking about.

Because of the world ban on illiteracy, children must learn to read and speak English by the age of 5. The World Court found Vickie and Harley Stubborns guilty of child neglect. Each parent will be sentenced to 5 years hard labor, "one for each year of neglect," the court stated in its ruling. All of their children will be put in permanent foster care so that they may become healthy world citizens. The court went on to say that, "If the Stubborns have more, new children in the future, they should ensure their children can read. If not, the crime will be much more severe in the future."