The Right to Write

You have a right to write. You need no one’s permission to put words on a page. You need no one’s permission to put print your words and bind them into a book between beautiful hard covers. If the read the first Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, you can see that this is one of the rights guaranteed by the most powerful government on earth.

Yet many of us don’t feel worthy to write. This is a hangover from ancient times when the only writers were priests or government officials. Since writing was most often the work of priests, writing and books were sacred. Only the elite could read or write.

Later, the high cost of printing limited the ability of most people to see their words in print. Under these conditions, publishers printed only two types of writing: 1) government or church documents, and 2) books that that would sell a very large number of copies. Again, the elite - the economic elite in this case - controlled access to printing and publication.

In the 21st century, reading, writing and publishing are democratic freedoms. A person can use a computer with Internet access in a public library to publish a blog that may attract thousands upon thousands of readers. The cost of publishing such a blog is essentially zero.

So, feel free. Writing is your perfect right.