Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Should an author push their political views?

This question has been eating away at me for the last few days. Facebook is a wonderful tool for networking and letting your readers know whats going on with you and your publisher. But, seriously, should you push your political views on your readers? Especially if a majority of your readers are the one's you're slamming? Personally, I wouldn't do this. I like my readers. I appreciate my readers and the last thing I want to do is insult them. With all the books out there in the world readers could be purchasing, if they choose mine I will thank them, bow at their feet.
I don't know, maybe if you're a big enough author bringing in loads of money you can get away with it. Example: If you can't afford a basic health care that's your problem. I don't care if you get sick and die. In the mean time I have a new book coming out so please buy it so I can continue to live high on the hog and afford my own health insurance. Does this make sense? I for one, will no longer by buying books from certain authors, certain best selling authors.

I've held my tongue on facebook because the last thing I want to do is get into a bitching war with anyone. I simply can't understand what's happened to this country. When and how did we become a nation of self centered stuck up snobs? Here I am trying to raise my children to treat everyone equally no matter race, creed or financial situation. Am I that far out of the loop that I'm teaching antiquated ideas?

I saw on the new yesterday that a local high school held a fund raiser to help defray the medical costs of a child suffering from brain cancer. I actually pulled up my facebook page and typed. "Just saw a local high school conducting a fund raiser to help raise money for child suffering from brain cancer. Imagine the gull of these people helping a family in need. Who do they think they are? Don't they know we as Americans don't care if you can't afford care for your loved one?" I let it sit there on my page a few minutes and then deleted it.

I have to say it felt good to write it, and it would have felt a hell of lot better to send it, but that's not what I want. I can't allow myself to stoop to the levels these people stoop. It just breaks my heart and embarrasses me to have other countries hear the things that are being said about our people. No wonder we continue to lose respect in the world. If the United States doesn't care about its own people, how are they supposed to believe that we care about them?

This, I believe, will be the real downfall of our country. I wonder, do these people that hate so much treat wounded soldiers with such disrespect? Do they knock the elderly out of their way as they storm through their lives thinking only of themselves? Or maybe, just maybe, its all the result of people not taking the time to learn about what's going on for themselves and only listening to the real haters, the talking heads that make a living off being loud, obnoxious, and thrusting their hatred for others down peoples throats while they stuff their pockets with our money.

I don't have an answer for this. I can only sit back and continue to wonder where it all went wrong. When it became okay to preach assassination and brutality because not everyone believes the same way you do. Think about it. If you don't love the person I think you should love, it's okay if someone beats you to death. If you aren't the nationality that I believe you should be then its okay to kill you. If you don't make enough money to buy yourself health care than hurry up and die so I don't have to be bothered with you. God, it makes me physically ill.

So, no I won't be using my hard earned money to purchase books written by people who think so little of their fellow man. I will, however, use that money to donate to fund raisers that help people get the care they need. See, I'm just one of those stupid dopes that will give someone a few dollars in the grocery store line if they're short. I'm a person that firmly believes that if you help someone in need the good deed will come back around one day. And it has.

Well, now that I have that off my chest, on to my passion for writing fiction. I know, I think I'll write a story about a world where one human life is worth the same as another no matter what your age, status in life, income, or mental capacity. A world where no one is looked down on because they don't believe the same as another and is respected for having the capability of thinking for themselves. I do love fiction.

Have a good evening everyone. I wish you all good health, love and respect.

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