by Justin Teoh
When the idea of having an online monthly magazine first popped up in my head before bedtime one night, I did not question whether I could pull off such a feat (as any reader would expect an answer to). Instead, I asked myself why this idea did not cross my mind sooner. Watching the waves of humanity oscillate in an increasingly violent manner whenever I peer through my handheld window to the world, I have always felt obligated to use my voice and speak up where someone has not already. However, there is only so much good a detailed thread on Twitter can do, not to mention the impermanent impact of such efforts, as sadly, these posts on social media soon fall into obscurity in a matter of days and weeks as fresh news crowd them out of mainstream relevance. I wanted to calm the storm, much like how Jesus did for his disciples, as transcribed in the Gospels. I felt more than helpless; I have frequently put aside my perpetual anxiety over the state of the world in favour of completing endless mathematical problem questions to secure a good A-Level grade. It was during my reluctant exam preparations that I conceived the idea of Getting It Strait, which also coincided with the murder of George Floyd (may he rest in power) at the hands of the American police. Sure, I was securing my future first by focusing on my studies, but my resulting silence on such a monumental human rights issue that was happening in real-time made me feel a pang of guilt so painful to bear that I had to do something about it.
When we look at modern history regarding social unrest, be it the protests in Hong Kong, the crisis in Yemen or the Terror Bill in the Philippines, the flame revolving around social inequality and injustice requires a persistent effort to not get put out and to make a change in its wake, that would ease or remove the respective plights that these groups of people fight for on behalf of humanity. We as conscientious human beings should also be equipped with the moral obligation to provide support to each other whenever needed. As Audre Lorde puts it: “Revolution is not a one-time event.” One of our goals for Getting It Strait is to keep this saying running and for the magazine to act as a platform for further discussion and advocacy through as many publication mediums as possible, to celebrate breakthroughs and to promote inclusivity towards people who face discrimination of any kind, even more so during this time when we are seeing multiple histories being written concurrently.
While I acknowledge that I have yet to experience the full spectrum that comes with freedom fighting, I hold the position that the practice of educating oneself on such issues is of paramount importance, and thus can and should take place wherever in the world. It may seem trivial to the public eye at large, but harmful social interaction in a “faraway” country can still manifest somewhere else: if we do not pay close attention, it could even happen in our own backyard. You probably have heard the saying from Burke that “Those that do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” The events that have happened in the past few years are enough to inform us that despite our best efforts, learning from history is just not enough – new, cruel and evolved forms of harm continues to be perpetuated among marginalised and oppressed masses. It is therefore more important than ever that we arm ourselves with as much up-to-date information as possible, and disseminate this knowledge to others in our immediate reaches. “We are all of us calling and calling,” David Grayson says, “across the incalculable gulfs which separate us.” Similarly, this magazine aims to bridge the straits of fear and uncertainty with critical knowledge and testimonies, answering the repressed calls of wanting to be heard — hence the name, Getting It Strait. While institutions lecture students on sociological theories and personal ethics, we imagine that our publications would very well serve as a treasure trove of contemporary sources to analyse and react to.
Allison Lee and I hope that we can remove the obstacles that come with putting out “provocative” works, i.e. online competitions with specific niches and submission fees, school administrations who would rather “play it safe” and other news outlets that subject such works to censorship. No journalist or artist should have to face crude reactions for addressing complex questions to the public, for conveying truths that would otherwise go buried to the world. Apart from the occasional grammar check, submissions will be reflected in the best to its original form.
Now about the logo, to which the team lovingly refers to as “Pencil Face”. A literal straight face does not inform much, but with the added pencil tip it suggests volumes of thoughts just waiting to spill out onto the proverbial page as glorious, powerful words – words that reject the status quo, yet manifest our intense desire to write things into awareness and action. “Pencil Face” also reflects the general expression of the modern, impassioned young adult: dissatisfied, yet determined. This is a face that wants to set the record straight, with or without your permission.
And we will do so. In our first issue, we will attempt to reflect the ever-dynamic climate of Pride Month, the Black Lives Matter movement, the Yemen Humanitarian Crisis, and other global happenings of June. Our next issues will also similarly be published around the end of each month to allow room for contributors to be inspired, shaken, or reflect on the major events of the past month, therefore producing work that will resonate with a present-time urgency. We are also willing to publish past texts and illustrations that are relevant to the monthly issues, because we know very well that the movements we are witnessing today have their roots way back in time, and the foundational works born out of such historical times continue to have a profound, generation-crossing effect on people in the present.
With the creation of Getting It Strait, we invite you to share your concerns with us, to spark difficult yet necessary conversations with those who need to hear it or do some soul-searching. In doing so, we hope that you, dear reader, find some much-needed hope, and develop a necessary sense of empathy for the plight of others that might motivate you to become an activist yourself. Above all, we hope that our magazine inspires you to become active agents of change, starting from your own corner of the world, eventually rising to greater heights. Do not be afraid to move past your doubt, because once you have achieved this, you will have gained the power to move rivers and mountains. As Virgil wrote in the Aeneid: “Flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta movebo.”
If I cannot move Heaven, I will raise Hell.