Occasionally I reprint something from my #SharingwithWriters newsletter to this #SharingwithWriters blog because I think it is important enough to reach a broader audience. On this first day of 2018, I think Mindy Phillips Lawrence's Itty Bitty column (a misnomer in this case because it is such not an "itty" topic at all) is important enough to be shouted to the world. Journalists are being murdered and the press, though it is not always right, is being attacked for insidious purposes. As writers--even if we aren't journalists--we recognize the power of words. As caretakers of those words we should be especially interested in understanding how important they are and stand up to protect them, spoken or written. History shows us that over all free exercise of speech and press has time and again been the catalyst for nothing less than the protection of humanity itself. As Salman Rushdie says,
Writing and the First Amendment
“Free speech is the whole thing, the whole ball game. Free speech is life itself.”
So here is Mindy's "Itty Bitty" contribution for you to do some brushup or just some plain honoring on this, the first day of 2018.
By Mindy Phillips Lawrence
BILL OF RIGHTS: Amendment One
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment
of religion or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof,
or abridging the
freedom of speech or
of the press,
or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and
to petition the
government for a redress of grievances.
It
the United States, we have the right to freedom of speech and freedom of the
press. For years, we’ve been a sanctuary for writers from other nations who
were denied this ability and, in some cases, jailed and executed. They’ve been
able to come to America and write, sharing the freedoms we’ve enjoyed since the
original Bill of Rights was enacted in 1791. As writers of books, plays,
poetry, news articles and memoirs, we can include information that may offend
some people. We continue to write the best truth we can find through our
research. We can make political statements out loud and in print without being
arrested—so far.
Recently,
there has been an attempt to weaken these liberties. Press from certain news
services have been barred from reporting due to their political bent. Some have
not been allowed to speak, or bullied if they do. What do writers do when they
see the possibility of having their words deemed unacceptable because of a
weakening of the First Amendment?
We’ve
been a fresh start for writers coming to us to write in safety. Where do we go
if we become unsafe in our own country?
LINKS
Asylum
Cities for Writers
https://www.voanews.com/a/asylum-cities-offer-exiled-writers-security-freedom-to-create/3704821.html
Why
are Famous Writers Attending the World’s Most Important Security Conference?
Poet
Who Left Iraq for Freedom to Write
Denial
of Access
Politico
Reporter Denied Access
White
House Barring Reporters
Media
Outlet Ban
10
Influential Authors Who Came to the US as Immigrants
Mindy is an editor and author. She is assembling a book of her past Itty Bitty columns from my #SharingwithWriters newsletter--each complete with resources for curious (and sometimes industrious) authors. It will be launched early in 2018, she promises. If you would like to keep up with her work or read has past columns, you'll find them in the newsletter archives at http://howtodoitfrugally.com/newsletter_copies.htm
You can also subscribe using the link in the upper right column of the page.
MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER
Howard-Johnson is the author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers including the award-winning second editions of The Frugal Book Promoter (where she talks more about choosing and the advantages of winning contests and how to use those honors) and The Frugal Editor. Her latest is in the series is How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically. Learn more on her Amazon profile page, http://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile. Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers is one of her booklets--perfect for inexpensive gift giving--and, another booklet, The Great First Impression Book Proposal helps writers who want to be traditionally published. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it will help them convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. In addition to this blog, she helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs at all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor (http://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com )
