Screenwriting is inherently political. You can only tune out the real world violence for so long. Eventually, it will come for your neighbors, your friends, and you.
OMG- I hope you're healing okay. Thank you for sharing what's going on. So much of the news being reported is so vastly different from the news from people I know in LA that are in the midst of this. Be safe. And continue being a good human.
Yes, it was infuriating to hear that the news narrative was trying to spin this as the National Guard inciting all the violence and the LAPD adequately de-escalating everything. The LAPD were the ones I personally saw shooting unarmed peaceful protesters on Sunday. I did not personally see any National Guard soldiers.
The footage of the Australian reporter getting shot while doing a live feed definitely shows an LA Police Officer aiming right at her and firing. Shameful. To Protect and Serve. Whatever happened to that?
Thank you for sharing this, it was an extremely powerful and necessary read. I really appreciate you using your platform to take a stand, refute false narratives, and thoroughly explain the importance of us coming together as a community and working for change. Im super sorry for what LAPD did to you, but I hope you are able to recover quickly! We will win this fight! There’s no other option. My mask and goggles are already purchased for tomorrow :)
Thank you for going off topic, not to mention putting your body on the line. You're more than a writer and a writing teacher and when you feel passionately about something, especially when the something is the survival of democratic values, I think it's crucial to speak about it. I hope you're feeling better.
You voted for these incompetent idiots. Have you seen the stats showing how Newsome ruined the state? And your DEI sisters have not been up to the job. That mayor couldn't run Mayberry, much less LA.
I'm no fan of Newsom (I think he's an opportunist), and I'm not saying CA doesn't have its issues, but incompetent? The state has no deficits, had a surplus of $363 million last year, and generated almost $17 billion more in revenue than planned. And that's with $135 billion in losses due to the LA fires. Projections for next year are even higher. https://calmatters.org/politics/2025/01/gavin-newsom-2025-california-budget/
For a state that's the fourth largest economy in the world, those are numbers the US government (or frankly, any government) can only dream of. Again, not without its issues, but California is an example of the success of progressive values. The country would be lucky to have Newsom running it. Gee, it almost seems like DEI is beneficial for everyone.
You might not know this, but some people actually celebrate living in areas where people from different cultures and ethnicities co-exist.
That's part of the problem. When you outlaw words, you can't be interested in learning, much less the truth. What's even worse is your generation's presumption of wisdom. How can write or stage great arguments when you don't have them?
California has a $38 billion deficit. How can they have surplus with half a million illegal aliens to support? Stop lying. We're not talking about ethnicities coexisting, we're talking about a Mexican colonization on taxpayer dime.
Are you kidding? Once the richest state in the country, CA now has one third of the nation's homeless. Five million people have left California in the last four years. They lose businesses to Texas, and other red states. Crime is at an all-time high, with posses looting high-end malls with impunity.
And that's not even mentioning the worst wildfires in LA's history. No other area with the same vegetation has wildfires, except California. The policies, regulations, and mandates make it impossible to get anything done. You begged to the president for funds, and yet you held no one responsible, as if people in Iowa and Delaware have to pay for your blunders. Finally, you fired the incompetent fire chief, who only got the job because she was a woman.
And the mayor.. Please. Do I have to present her to you?
I came here after reading this post in my email, but before reading to the bottom to see your head bleeding. This regime (I refuse to use the word administration) is brutalising its own citizens en masse for peacefully exercising their most basic rights. This demonstrates how incredibly fragile its grip on power is. Please keep each other safe, but keep resisting while you still can. XX
I really appreciate you using your platform to share this point of view. Thank you, Audrey. I’m so sorry for what the LAPD did to you. Deeply messed up. I hope you’re healing okay.
Remember Kent State? I do. We saw this movie in the 1960s , but like many sequels, this one really sucks. Thank you for this post, Audrey. I’ll be out there tomorrow doing my part.
Thank you for writing this. It’s always a good reminder that the personal is political and artists and writers have a duty to tell the truth about the world as well as the power to shapeshift the cultural and political landscape through the themes and ideologies we choose to focus on in our work. I hope your recovering quickly and a heath note they don’t really mention about concussions; (I’ve had two) there usually seems to be a slight depression after the fragile brain is rattled, so keep an eye out, take care, and as always, fuck fascism.
This is the most important and gripping thing you have sent out. I would love to read more of this, whatever you do with it. Thank you and get well soon!
Thank you it was scary to publish because it feels so “off-brand” for me, but it’s usually the most vulnerable things I write that end up having the biggest impact on people.
OMG- I hope you're healing okay. Thank you for sharing what's going on. So much of the news being reported is so vastly different from the news from people I know in LA that are in the midst of this. Be safe. And continue being a good human.
Yes, it was infuriating to hear that the news narrative was trying to spin this as the National Guard inciting all the violence and the LAPD adequately de-escalating everything. The LAPD were the ones I personally saw shooting unarmed peaceful protesters on Sunday. I did not personally see any National Guard soldiers.
The footage of the Australian reporter getting shot while doing a live feed definitely shows an LA Police Officer aiming right at her and firing. Shameful. To Protect and Serve. Whatever happened to that?
I also personally saw LAPD shooting directly at people clearly labeled “press” while the protesters yelled, “what are you doing???”
First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me
First They Came – by Pastor Martin Niemöller
Thank you for sharing this, it was an extremely powerful and necessary read. I really appreciate you using your platform to take a stand, refute false narratives, and thoroughly explain the importance of us coming together as a community and working for change. Im super sorry for what LAPD did to you, but I hope you are able to recover quickly! We will win this fight! There’s no other option. My mask and goggles are already purchased for tomorrow :)
And helmet, I hope!
Thank you for going off topic, not to mention putting your body on the line. You're more than a writer and a writing teacher and when you feel passionately about something, especially when the something is the survival of democratic values, I think it's crucial to speak about it. I hope you're feeling better.
Thank you Anita, I am feeling better! Healing and resting up at home right now.
You voted for these incompetent idiots. Have you seen the stats showing how Newsome ruined the state? And your DEI sisters have not been up to the job. That mayor couldn't run Mayberry, much less LA.
I'm no fan of Newsom (I think he's an opportunist), and I'm not saying CA doesn't have its issues, but incompetent? The state has no deficits, had a surplus of $363 million last year, and generated almost $17 billion more in revenue than planned. And that's with $135 billion in losses due to the LA fires. Projections for next year are even higher. https://calmatters.org/politics/2025/01/gavin-newsom-2025-california-budget/
For a state that's the fourth largest economy in the world, those are numbers the US government (or frankly, any government) can only dream of. Again, not without its issues, but California is an example of the success of progressive values. The country would be lucky to have Newsom running it. Gee, it almost seems like DEI is beneficial for everyone.
You might not know this, but some people actually celebrate living in areas where people from different cultures and ethnicities co-exist.
Aaron, don't give any time or attention to people who use "DEI" as a pejorative. It's the quickest and easiest way to identify racists.
That's part of the problem. When you outlaw words, you can't be interested in learning, much less the truth. What's even worse is your generation's presumption of wisdom. How can write or stage great arguments when you don't have them?
California has a $38 billion deficit. How can they have surplus with half a million illegal aliens to support? Stop lying. We're not talking about ethnicities coexisting, we're talking about a Mexican colonization on taxpayer dime.
Are you kidding? Once the richest state in the country, CA now has one third of the nation's homeless. Five million people have left California in the last four years. They lose businesses to Texas, and other red states. Crime is at an all-time high, with posses looting high-end malls with impunity.
And that's not even mentioning the worst wildfires in LA's history. No other area with the same vegetation has wildfires, except California. The policies, regulations, and mandates make it impossible to get anything done. You begged to the president for funds, and yet you held no one responsible, as if people in Iowa and Delaware have to pay for your blunders. Finally, you fired the incompetent fire chief, who only got the job because she was a woman.
And the mayor.. Please. Do I have to present her to you?
Hell yeah. Thank you for writing this.
Thanks, Genie! I’m glad to hear that it’s speaking to so many people.
I really like this Audrey layer. Thank you. I'm not in the US, but I stand with you this weekend, and beyond.
I came here after reading this post in my email, but before reading to the bottom to see your head bleeding. This regime (I refuse to use the word administration) is brutalising its own citizens en masse for peacefully exercising their most basic rights. This demonstrates how incredibly fragile its grip on power is. Please keep each other safe, but keep resisting while you still can. XX
This is the most powerful post that you have shared. THANK YOU!! WE can all show up. WE MUST. Take care of yourself.
In solidarity.
Thank you Oneika. I know that everyone has different ways they can help but I hope that people all do something.
I really appreciate you using your platform to share this point of view. Thank you, Audrey. I’m so sorry for what the LAPD did to you. Deeply messed up. I hope you’re healing okay.
Thank you so much. I am getting better. Still have a bit of a headache, but at least the wound is healing
Thank you.
Sorry you were collateral-ized, please get well. That being said, you absolutely just sold me on your services.
Remember Kent State? I do. We saw this movie in the 1960s , but like many sequels, this one really sucks. Thank you for this post, Audrey. I’ll be out there tomorrow doing my part.
Hi Audrey,
Thank you for writing this. It’s always a good reminder that the personal is political and artists and writers have a duty to tell the truth about the world as well as the power to shapeshift the cultural and political landscape through the themes and ideologies we choose to focus on in our work. I hope your recovering quickly and a heath note they don’t really mention about concussions; (I’ve had two) there usually seems to be a slight depression after the fragile brain is rattled, so keep an eye out, take care, and as always, fuck fascism.
❤️❤️❤️🤜🤛❤️❤️❤️
Fuck yeah. Wishing you a speedy recovery.
Thank you Albe the recovery has been going smoothly. I am resting safely at home ❤️
This is the most important and gripping thing you have sent out. I would love to read more of this, whatever you do with it. Thank you and get well soon!
Thank you it was scary to publish because it feels so “off-brand” for me, but it’s usually the most vulnerable things I write that end up having the biggest impact on people.
Thank you speaking out Audrey. Sorry , that happened to you.