While the conventional wisdom in response to this answer would most likely be “why not write?” I believe that this choice is simply not an option. Writing, one of the most powerful and strongest tools known to mankind is something that binds nations and brings people together. Writing is one of the strongest defenses against evil and tyranny, which is why it is almost always the first right stripped away from citizens in times of regime unrest. Freedom of the press and the freedom to express someone’s thoughts and feelings is one of the strongest protections bound by the Constitution. Simply disobeying this right is doing one’s self and nation a huge disservice.

The gateway to the world, whether it is to release ones own internal pains and feelings or to simply teach others an important lesson is why one writes. Throughout history many leaders and generals have written books or even kept private diaries to deal with the pain and stress whether during, before, or after a war. Having others read your work and to make money off a book is not the reason to write, simply getting down one’s thoughts on paper is a tremendous aid in the healing process. Teaching by writing is one of the strongest and most successful ways of conveying a lesson or message to the reader. In a world with instant gratification and sometimes unchecked morals, a written piece has a way of imprinting lessons simply by having one come to conclusions themselves instead of being fed, many times, contradicting and erroneous beliefs. Writing creates a release that speech cannot capture, and that is the reason one should write, because not writing is not an option to survive and thrive in today’s world of communication and conflict.