Writing to Fight Injustice

I first learned my words had the ability to incite discussion when I was writing copy for TV ads. I'll never forget the Mother's Day morning years ago, while I was standing in the line for the champagne brunch buffet at the Hilton, I heard the people behind me discussing a television commercial I had written and produced. Two total strangers were discussing the message my words were meant to transmit. It was the first time it really occurred to me that people were communicating as a result of what I was writing.

That was many years ago and I've written millions of words since experiencing that epiphany. Some of those words have been written because I was paid to do so, some for college papers, and many others were written because I believed I had something to say to the general public. Something I hoped would encourage thoughtful debate and potentially cause some of the readers to alter their way of thinking. I hoped my words could, in some small way, improve the world we live in.

I don't write to analyze Britney Spears' troubles or Paris Hilton's pampered partying, and there's not much chance of seeing my byline under an article about the latest contestant to be kicked off of American Idol. I won't insult my readers by telling them how to change a light bulb or boil noodles for macaroni and cheese.

Through my writing, I've been able to share my analysis of politics, society, international affairs, the mass media, current events and many other subjects. I've exposed corruption and revealed hidden agendas. The people that have read my writing come from every possible demographic. Some agree with my analyses, while others strongly disagree -- and I'd not want it any other way.

I write for the ultimate reason of discovering and sharing with others the reality that is going to affect the future of our society and world. I write with the optimistic goal of making that future a time when everyone has a voice -- a future that is plagued by fewer injustices than the present because even the less privileged and down-trodden people in our midst are able to be heard and treated with the same respect as the affluent. The most valuable reward I receive from writing comes from knowing people can be, and are, affected by my words.

For example, in a series of articles I wrote on the vulnerabilities of grand juries in the American legal system, a man who had brutally assaulted his wife and was going to walk away from it free and clear, was made to answer to the charges in a court of law as result of my work. Meanwhile, nearly 3,000 miles away and unbeknownst to me at the time, a woman whose son had died under suspicious circumstances was reading the material in those same articles and later contacted me to see if I could help her find the truth surrounding her only son's death. Six months later I was contacted by a personal friend of the deceased man. Like the mother had done, this lady also pleaded with me to help them get the answers they sought, but were being denied.

Because of the stories I had researched and related to anyone willing to read them, these two people reached out to me with hopes that I could ease some of their frustrations and anxieties. They hoped I could somehow circumvent the blockades they repeatedly encountered in their search for truth and justice. I'll continue trying to help them find what they are looking for simply because they have nowhere else to turn and the original article I wrote gave them hope. That is what drives me.

Giving a voice to the people in our society that are often ignored or pushed aside by the very system that is supposed to be looking out for their interests, gives me a purpose. Everyone knows that justice is not blind, not all men are equal and the government is very rarely there to help you. There are an increasingly large number of people that have no idea how to cut through the bureaucracy and red tape to insist that they are heard and fairly represented. There are many that don't know when their rights are being denied and therefore don't insist on finding out why. These same people have no idea where to turn for answers.

When I wrotean article about the injustices involved with current laws regarding drinking and driving andanother on how drunk driving statistics are manipulated to paint a picture that is not representative of the truth, I knew I was taking a possibly unpopular position on a very sensitive subject. I expected feedback from people who opposed my position on the subject and I was prepared for it. What I got instead surprised me.

First of all, the articles have been read by many more people than any other article I have posted on various web sites. Within a month of the DUI laws article being released to the eyes of the internet, it has been read by more people than articles that have been available for several years. And even though I got some of the angry emails and letters I had steeled myself for, I received many more from people who agreed, supported and encouraged me. I also heard from people from all over the United States who shared their experiences as they related to the subject matter. Several people wrote to ask if I could suggest ways for them to defend themselves against a system that was unfair.

What really concerns me is, when I responded to some of these emails I asked the people who had written to me if I could use their stories in future articles on these issues. Every single person I asked said I could use the stories, but would not allow me to reveal their identities.

This is where the warning flares insist I write. Why should someone who feels that they are being wronged by either the law enforcement community or the judicial process be afraid to stand up and object? When I asked that question, the answers consistently said that the accused were afraid there would be some sort of retaliation or additional punishment if they caused trouble with the system. They are afraid of the very system that is in place to protect them. Sometimes their assertions are true and sometimes they are exaggerated by emotion, but if the complaints that are valid fail to be heard because of a fear of retribution, justice is not being served.

These people need someone to be their voice. They write to ask that I tell the world of the injustices they believe exist. And if after researching the issues and convincing myself that they have a legitimate reason for their claims, I am thrilled to be able to do anything I can to help them be heard. I'll be the one to tell the Emperor he has no clothes and make sure people know it. When someone tells me my words helped give them the courage to fight back and win, I'm reminded immediately why it is I write.

I may never find fame or fortune, or acquire legions of screaming fans with the words I write, and that's okay. Each small victory that can be attributed to people who have reacted to something I've written will remind me that standing up for what's right, even when it is not the popular thing to do, is the only way we can overcome the damage that's been done by those who fail to fairly represent what's right.

I have many skills and even a few genuine talents. One of the talents that I seem to have is the ability to string together a series of words to tell a story that numerous people will want to read. Some of the ensuing results are simply fun and will cause people to laugh out loud. Others give people the voice they need to be heard by the powerful and some are written to encourage thought, discussion, debate, and in some cases incite change to a system that is far from just and pure. My words have the ability to expose and correct corruption, right wrongs and even alter the course of history.

My dream is to be able to cause some people to take actions that will ultimately result in the silent majority of Americans finding and using the power of their collective voice to insist on the elimination of the corrupt and self-serving elements of government and society. If the words I write can play even the smallest part in achieving those ends, and I honestly believe they can, I will have used the skills available to me to help make the world a better place in which to live.

I write because it's the most productive medium I've found that can actually put its arm around those who need it, and then stand up for those who are held down by innocence and the desire to believe the people holding them down know what's best. I write to give them a voice.

Links to related articles listed below.

If you'd like to read more of Sundance McGee's writing go to http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/32330/ron_deyoung.html