Nothing consumes the conservative MAGA crowd with rage more than the words, terms and phrases liberals use to successfully describe themselves and their political ideals. Especially when those terms become a popular part of the American cultural vernacular.
Case in point, the word WOKE.
Conservatives despise that word. And just as withcritical race theory, Back Lives Matter, DEI and the word liberal, itself. The American political right has gone all out to demonize the whole idea of WOKENESS and turn it into something that is symbolically negative, repulsive and vile.
And contrary to precious American cultural values.
The values of white Protestant Christians, something the current POTUS pretends to be, as an example.
The anti-WOKE crowd has achieved a substantial matter of success as well, even as some Democrats on the hill, and in local legislatures around the country, reject the term WOKE, just as much as their Republican enemies have already done.
They have become afraid of being associated with WOKENESS and all that it implies.
So, what exactly does WOKE mean?
There’s no need to really get deep into the weeds here but being WOKE simply refers to having a cultural sensitivity and strong personal awareness of social injustice, economic disparity, bigotry and hate. To be WOKE is to be cognizant of the many wrongs of the world from the perspective of the American left.
Why is that idea so frightening to people?
There is also an underlying issue that is simply too important to ignore. WOKENESS is often in complete alignment with the political ideas and goals of African-Americans, who as a distinct cultural group are fiercely loyal to the democratic party and to the principle of a strong, robust federal government that is the guarantor of the civil and human rights of people of color.
Also being WOKE, as the term is used, has long been a part of the African-American vocabulary, and WOKENESS is not in any way regarded as offensive or suspect. If a person is WOKE, they are not walking around with blinders on and are mindful of the political and economic crimes of those Americans who are determined to see Black people remain as second class citizens in their own country.
To be WOKE, if you’re Black, is to be ready for what comes next.
As the term WOKE, has become more prominent across American culture, as a whole, some white people see a political advantage for themselves in demonizing the word.
If you listen carefully to conservative media nowadays it is easy to hear WOKE used in the same entirely dismissive manner liberal has been used since the beginning of the civil rights era in the 1960s. WOKENESS often also means, thinking and believing what Black people believe.
WOKE has become code for Black.
So, there you have it. WOKE means Black except when it explicitly does not.
The term liberal has been thoroughly trashed in right-wing media and is clearly used as an insult. Conversely, conservative, as a political descriptor, remains a valid and respected word in all circles.
Is that fair? Of course, not. Conservative media is just better at that kind of thing.
WOKE has been doused with gasoline and is on fire right now. Conservatives want to destroy any remaining positive significance so-called WOKENESS has in American culture.
Do not doubt this.
The drumbeat on the political right, will continue nonstop about dangerous WOKE people. All in an effort to frighten gullible white Americans in regard to left-wing politicians in our country who want to take what belongs to the white population and give it to POC, and especially those undeserving African-Americans who are always complaining about civil rights and the painful legacy of slavery as it impacts their lives in today’s troubled world.
This strategy of fanning the flames of racial resentment against Black people isn’t anything new. Such methods are almost as old as the republic. WOKE is simply the new pet term to demonize in the era of the unpredictable Donald Trump and America’s slow decent into fascism.
Now there’s a word people should really be talking about.
Clowns In Politics
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Oliver M. Greene is a freelance writer and online content creator, as well as a keen and discerning observer of the American political landscape.
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