The other day I stumbled across some paragraphs in which a writer (or at least a typer of words) adamantly defended our right to freedom of expression through Amazon’s self-publishing platform.
The typer, whose screed I have been unable to relocate, credited the company with giving any and all the right to have their say.
If I remember correctly, we’ve had the right to free speech in the U.S. since around about 1791. Were Amazon and others to disappear, we would still have that right.
What we have now are new ways to (1) find an audience, (2) make a few bucks, (3) embarrass ourselves, and/or (4) contribute to the clutter that makes it difficult to find something good to read.
Here’s to doing 1 and 2 and avoiding 3 and 4 — and to knowing the difference between rights and opportunities.
The Smith Compound 