A CALL TO SNUBBED AND UNDERVALUED INDEPENDENT WRITERS: "OCCUPY PUBLISHERS, BOOKSTORES AND LIBRARIES"

In one of the LinkedIn writers groups, a question was today raised about the Occupy Writers movement and a suggestion made that their goal is the same as that of self-published authors. I explained that no, these are already famous writers not concerned with the independents' plight. I suggested that what we need is to form an organization of independent self-published authors. I called it Occupy Publishers, Bookstores and Libraries, because this is where currently the barriers are erected against the independent writers. 

One of  our very well liked peers responded with outrage against such an Occupy movement, objecting to the term as signifying lazy people who want to enjoy the fruit of other people labors. I responded saying that, because our society is so polarized, Occupy has become a scarecrow, but it has its roots in the best American tradition of fair play and justice. 

I don't now, I said,  if you are familiar with N+, the literary publication which stepped behind that movement of young people who would like their country to be available to them. N+, to which I subscribed since its beginning several years before Occupy started, is a group of young aspiring writers, searching for their place under the sun and reminding me of the days of my literary youth. They believe theirs is not a political but ethical agenda, 

We should give them a listen, I pleaded, and you will see that demonizing them has no place in reality. Some of these young N+ people have already become best selling authors; all of them are idealists who think they can make a difference and make a positive contribution to their country. Just remember what the Boston tea party was about because new Tea Party came to deny the right of dissent from its views, declaring it un-American.

It is hard in our polarized society not to see any dissent in  a light other than that of an enemy. These children will be American leaders of tomorrow, guarding the rule of law and the freedoms and liberties of Americans.

In a wide sweep of history, they will be eventually considered the new American pioneers and not a rabble of anarchists as they are now painted to be. I think I will be proven right.