Mission Statement

The title of this publication, A Time to Speak, references the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Christian Bible:

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.” — (Ecclesiastes 3:1–8)

Given the irregularities and horrendous results of the 2016 American election; the normalization of hatred, bigotry, and violence; and the renewed calls for white male heterosexist capitalist conservative-Christian nativist supremacy, as well as the resulting marginalization of all Others, we live in a time to speak.

Those who post here believe that silence is complicity; that speaking truth to power is a survival tactic, as well as an American right; that accepting a regressive and dangerous politics of fear is a betrayal of ourselves and the American ideal; that written, verbal, and social-media protests serve as a powerful supporting mechanism for on-the-ground, face-to-face activism; and that a community of diverse but like-minded individuals engaged in the act of creation represents one of the most powerful forms of resistance and protest.

Those who post here reject the political platform of Donald J. Trump and the mainstream right-wing politicians who have kowtowed to him in a cynical ploy to maintain their own power. We reject the neo-Fascist worldview that this man and his party represent. Whether an individual contributor is part of a marginalized community or not, we stand with all marginalized peoples and reject the call for an 1850s-era ethos.

Those who post here believe in community, love, peace, empathy, and social justice. We intend to meet hatred with love and beauty, to meet ignorance with knowledge and understanding, to meet regression with progress. We do, however, reserve the right to express our anger and dismay. We will not allow an oppressive government regime, verbal attacks and threats of violence from an emboldened and self-interested extreme-right-wing citizenry, or ad hominem attacks from Internet trolls to sway us from our course, which is to further America’s progress toward finally meeting the ideals on which her myths are based — inclusion, freedom, equality, and opportunity for all.

Though the mission of this publication may evolve with time and circumstance, these ideals will always remain at the forefront of its work.