Ironically, in the final scene of The Howards of Virginia, Matt (Cary Grant) extolls the virtues of liberty and justice for all as he and wife Jane (Martha Scott) take a stroll... to the slave quarters? What the—!?
Anyway, freedom is in our DNA. That's why slavery ultimately had to be abolished. That's why women's suffrage and civil rights and gay rights had to happen.
I'm thinking more revolutions are needed today, and we writers are in a perfect position to seed a storm:
- Student loans. The interest rates on some student loans nearly doubled this month because our good-for-nothing Congress couldn't reach a compromise. I told my daughter that this is the civil rights issue of our time, and she and her fellow college students should be protesting like crazy. Where's the Twitter-Facebook outrage?
- Our military state. 1984 (and beyond) is here. When Edward Snowden's story about the NSA spying on us was revealed in The Guardian, I found myself thinking, "But didn't we know that already?" and "This is old news. What about the FBI's notorious spying on civil rights leaders?" Yes, we suspected, but that doesn't mean we should accept it. Here's my humble contribution to the issue in The Huffington Post.
- Homelessness and poverty. Before the lay off from my job in May (R.I.P.), I'd walk to and from the train everyday. I never did get used to the fact that on every single block on my walking route, at least one person had a hand out. I don't have an answer, but I do know that it just ain't right.
Social media is mightier than the bullet.
As writers, we have the responsibility to communicate so that people take action to create a better world.
Happy Independence Day, and let's make it a meaningful one!
Donna Marie
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