Happy Birthday America! Sincerely, the Writers Behind the Scenes

"The purpose of a writer is to keep civilization from destroying itself." - Albert Camus

Are you doing your job? This Independence Day, I think about the power of writers and how they have shaped and will continue to shape the nation. In this regard, I'm thinking a bit more about my professional (non-fiction) writing career.

Let's face it... writers have been shaping this nation for a long time, at least since Thomas Paine published "Common Sense" in 1776.

A lot of that power has obviously evolved to include other forms of media. But whatever form, it's still there and should still be respected and understood. Especially by the people (writers and creators) who wield that power.

“The speed of communications is wondrous to behold. It is also true that speed can multiply the distribution of information that we know to be untrue.” - Edward R. Murrow

For anyone who hasn't listened to Edward Murrow's famous speech "Wires and Lights in a Box" or at least watched the movie Good Night and Good Luck, over 60 years ago, Edward R. Murrow was very vocal about his beliefs on how the news should be used as it entered into the television era. He essentially forewarned of a downward spiral in nation and the people's trust if media were to be monopolized and allowed to be controlled by outside organizations including big businesses and the government.

It's not my place to say whether he was right or not. But as I celebrate this nation, I do want to sit back and think about if I'm doing my part to make it the best place it can be.

So, question for the writers, content creators, and anyone who shares their words with the world:

Are you staying educated and unbiased enough to use your voice in the most honest way possible?

I'll end it with one final quote from Murrow:

“Just because your voice reaches halfway around the world doesn't mean you are wiser than when it reached only to the end of the bar.”

<3