In a Ted Talk, Richard Wilkinson talks about why economic inequality is so detrimental not only to people who are at the bottom of the inequality but, also, to those at the top. I’ve always put it this way: if you are at the top and your policies cause economic inequality, then you are causing poverty. Poverty often leads, through desperation, to increased crime. Sooner or later, regardless of how many gated communities you build or how large your SUV is, you’re going to be a victim of that crime.
What the Occupy Movement Seems to Want
Earlier today, I collected together a list of items that seem to represent what Occupiers are looking for when they say they want to end or reduce economic inequality. My curiosity came out of some conversations where friends stated that the Occupiers don’t seem to know what they want. I found that to be untrue. As evidence, here are some of the things that came up in comments on the OccupyDSM facebook group:
(I bolded “seem” because I think it’s important not to co-opt the Occupy movement’s agenda or speak for it. This is just my sense, from collected comments, of what it’s platform might be.)
1) CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM
2) OVERTURN CITIZENS UNITED
3) PUT WALL STREET CRIMINALS IN JAIL
4) Close GITMO
5) ensure that the Internet remains open and free
6) HEALTHCARE HEALTHCARE HEALTHCARE
7) Resurrect Habeas Corpus
8) Repeal the Patriot Act
9) Make insider trading by members of our Congress illegal!
10) Stop “entitlements” for wealthy corporations!
11) Bring our Troops home – now – all of them!
12) Tax Wall Street transactions.
13) remove most of the perks that politicians enjoy
My First “Real” Script
So, for this year’s 48 Hour Film Project entry, I got to be lead scriptwriter. Since we drew Horror as our genre, I spent the 20 minute car ride from The Des Moines Art Center to the team leader’s house coming up with the story skeleton that combined two things I find scary in horror films: murderous hillbillies and ghosts. At our destination, I led the film team through the process of fleshing out the story with names, characters and plot points. Finally, around 10pm I started writing the script (under the watchful eyes of the Script Supervisor) and finished around 4am.
It was, for all intents and purposes, my first complete script intended for production. Although I can see a hundred ways it could be improved, I was pretty happy with it. I felt it had a nice inciting incident, a reasonable climax and represented a more or less complete story.
Of course, then I happened upon a comment where someone referred to the dialogue as “utter shit.” Now I feel compelled to write more scripts to prove I can do better.
In either case, this is the script that I locked and printed at 5:32am on Saturday, July 30, 2011: The Door Script in PDF format.
And here is the film that was produced from it: