I could not let the day escape without posting this vid. Last night, at an appearance at the University of Arizona, President Obama delivered an excellent speech eulogizing those that were killed, and lifting those of us in the country who have heavy hearts. I watched and cheered, for this was the President I voted for, and believe in still.
If you missed it, or haven’t caught it yet, you can view it below.
I subscribe to the theory that a writer owes the world that reads his/her words three things:
The truth is easy. It is the basis of any story, fiction or not. Truth is also personal; the things that you tell the truth about are your own personal truths, and it is your choice, as a writer, to share these truths with others. Choosing to share these truths mean that you must involve a level of integrity in your work. This is the part where ethics and values come in. Writers as a whole should have a foundation that they have built upon over time that frees them to tell their truths. And when telling their stories, the gift of clarity is always appreciated.
With that said, when a writer writes, not everything is worthy of offering for public consumption. We as consumers speak with our dollars and cents, and in order to do that, we have to use our common sense when we opt to support these writers of words.
There is (was?) a book available on Amazon.com with the title of, “The Pedophile’s Guide to Love and Pleasure.” I am not so naive that I believe that books like these are not circulating in underground circles and on some Web sites, but I am shocked and appalled that Amazon.com, a respected Web site that I use to order my textbooks for school, looked at this title and decided, “Hey, why not?”
We must ask ourselves where our minds are. The world has changed so much that things like this are finding their ways into the mainstream for consumption of those who may or may not have the wherewithal to engage. How do we stop this from happening? How do we keep these threats from our children?
By not remaining silent, that’s how. Over 800 people hastily and loudly complained to Amazon.com and the book was removed. I have issue with the fact that the book was available in the first place; wasn’t there someone at Amazon.com who saw this and a red flag was raised? We have to continue to fight the darkness from invading into our everyday life.
