Speak Out! Nevada City, California. November 21st, 2020.

"We are gathered here today to practice the art of conversation, of speaking our truth and listening, considering and questioning. Consider this event a sign of good will that we all wish to come together in our differences with kindness and respect, to slow down and listen to one another.

"Because this is all of our home. Because we all care about our community, and we will not be silenced. Some of you in the market may be upset today at this moment, because I'm here, and you are hearing me speak. You may simply wish that I would just go away and recede into the background, into silence, to disappear as it were from having a voice, from having this conversation. I want to acknowledge your discomfort and thank you for understanding that this is my right to be here, as it is yours. I hope we will all see this collaborative performance as an opportunity to co-create, to learn and to grow together as a community.

"The fact that there is public outcry that is not being respectfully considered is a symptom of the fact that we need to have this conversation. Our democratic republic in the modern era has lost many of the public spaces where conversation and debate should be. This amounts to a political world dominated by mainstream media that renders the people mere spectators, such that those who are meant to represent us can easily hide themselves away and insulate themselves from the will and wisdom of the people. That wisdom will be needed if we are to create a better world that serves the highest good of all living beings, which is an intention that very many of us share."