In simple terms, woke means to be aware of discrimination and other social issues. If you want to live in a more happy and caring country, where all people are actually equal and deserving of rights and opportunities, then you are woke.
Ron DeSantis, Florida governor and candidate for the Republican nomination for president, says that he’s going to save America from wokeness. He thinks being woke is something terrible. In fact at a recent fundraiser, DeSantis made his point.
“So in Florida, we say very clearly, we will never ever surrender to the woke mob,” he said. “Our state is where woke goes to die.”
Then, too, Nikki Haley, another candidate for the Republican nomination, is outspoken and proclaims that “wokeness is a virus more dangerous than any pandemic, hands down.”
Even Donald Trump, the multiple-times indicted king of monkeyshines, says “I don’t like the term woke because I hear the term ‘woke woke woke’ — it’s just a term they use, half the people can’t define it, they don’t know what it is.”
It seems evident that those seeking the Republican nomination are falling all over themselves to distance themselves from being woke.
In conservative circles, this anti-woke movement has gained traction. Its seeds can be traced back 10 years or so. As social justice movements, like Black Lives Matter, gained momentum, a counter-narrative began to emerge. Some conservatives argue that any push for racial and social equality would morph into an overly sensitive and divisive culture, promoting political correctness at the expense of free speech and individual liberties.
Those less concerned about social issues, including discrimination, argue that being woke fosters an environment of what is called cancel culture and stifles open dialogue by suppressing dissenting opinions. They contend that genuine progress can only be achieved through robust debate and the free exchange of ideas, rather than through silencing opposing viewpoints.
The Republican Party has generally been receptive to anti-woke arguments, attempting to position itself as a defender of traditional values and a bulwark against what is perceived as an encroachment on personal freedoms. Numerous conservatives have aligned themselves with the anti-woke movement, employing harsh words and name-calling to galvanize their base.
On the other hand, the Democratic Party has taken a more complex view. While some Democrats acknowledge the concerns raised by the anti-woke movement, others view anti-woke as regressive and resistant to societal progress. This division reflects the broader ideological struggle between those who emphasize social justice and equality and those who prioritize individual rights and freedom of speech.
The anti-woke movement’s influence on the Republican Party is evident in its policy and messaging. Issues like immigration, affirmative action, and identity politics have become central themes for many conservative politicians. They argue that a fixation on woke culture impedes a fair and balanced approach to these topics.
The Democratic Party seems stuck in the middle. The influence of the anti-woke movement has inflamed internal debates about the party’s direction. Moderates caution against excessive focus on social issues, fearing it may alienate even more conservative-leaning voters. They advocate for a broader platform that encompasses economic concerns and national security.
The anti-woke movement’s impact is evident across America. It has spawned alternative media outlets, online communities, and conservative think tanks that amplify its messaging. These platforms offer a refuge for those who feel silenced by what they perceive as the dominant woke culture, providing a space to express their opinions and engage with like-minded individuals.
The positive in all of this is that we can debate the good, the bad and the ugly. That is what we believe we are about in this country. The negative is that while we believe we are free to treat our fellow Americans as we please, our words and actions have meaning and influence our future.
History is a great teacher. Remember President Lyndon Johnson, a Democrat. He signed the Civil Rights and Voting Rights acts into law in the mid-1960s. That was very unpopular with white Southern Democrats and thus the White House turned over to the Republicans.
Then President Richard Nixon kowtowed to the Conservative anti-woke movement of the day, and thus began the war on drugs. Years later, John Ehrlichman, Nixon’s right-hand man, was quoted in a Harper’s Magazine article as saying, “You want to know what this was really all about? The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies — the antiwar left and Black people. Do you understand what I’m saying?
“We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or Black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and Blacks with heroin and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities.
“We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news.
“Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.“
That strategy worked then … and it’s still working.
That’s why being woke is important. It’s through awareness, searching for what is true, challenging the status quo, amplifying marginalized voices, empathy, constructive dialogue, and commitment to understanding diverse perspectives that we create a more inclusive and equitable society.
That’s not liberal or conservative. That’s woke, American, and human.
Bill Gindlesperger is a central Pennsylvanian, Dickinson College graduate, Pennsylvania System Of Higher Education (PASSHE) Governor, Shippensburg University Trustee, and Chairman of eLynxx Solutions. The firm provides enterprise-levelcloud-software forcommunicating, specifying, approving, procuring, producing, reporting and activities necessary to obtaining direct mail, packaging, promo, marketing and all other printing. He is a board member, campaign advisor, successful entrepreneur, published author and commentator. He can be reached at[email protected]
