almost shooting back' is a fundamental part of the human condition. to think otherwise is to deny our heritage. i'm not talking 100%. nothing is that pure. but i don't need a statistician to supply figures and temporary facts to backup my position. all i need to do is look around.

the world's problems of hunger, inequity, war, injustice - none of these would exist if we as a race did 'shoot back'. instead we hide in the bush waiting and waiting and waiting until someone has had enough and gathers the troops. that's why we like and need leaders, would be lost without them, in fact. because a leader helps us to 'shoot back' when all around us there are those shooting at us.

although they're everywhere, i'm not talking bullets or bombs. i'm talking more fundamental weapons. the corporation who screws us. the telephone message which says our business is valued while keeping us on hold. the government which clearly is unjust and does not represent all the people, but only part of the people. i'm talking about friends not being friendly, enemies taking advantage, unfairness when none should exist.

this is when we should shoot back, individually and collectively. this is when we throw the television out the window and don't take it any longer. what a great line. that's shooting back. and in the end wasn't he crushed?

shooting back is a novel about a woman who learns to shoot back and in doing so learns who she is. it is a fantasy. no one could live through the things she endured and maintain any grip on who she was. but it is a wonderful fantasy all the same. i truly enjoyed writing it. some of you might enjoy reading it.