Let's Be Woke

Do you remember those name tags people used to be forced to wear at gatherings? Hello. My name is ___________.

The  latest says Hello. I am woke. Woke means being awakened to the needs of others. It means being well informed, thoughtful, compassionate, humble and kind. It means being eager to make the world a better place for all. It is a byword for social awareness. Being woke means that we are aware of discrimination of all kinds, of misogyny, or of homophobia.

According to Al Jazeera, the term woke "first emerged in the US in the 1940s from the word “awake” and was used to describe someone who is well-informed on issues of social injustice – particularly racism." That is how the word was used initially, until the uber conservatives decided to make it into something negative. Now the word woke is just another example of the deep divide in the US.

I hope I am woke. I hope I am well informed and kind. If I am not all the things that being woke represents, then I am not well informed. I am not thoughtful or compassionate or kind. It means I don't want to make the world a better place for everyone, not just for those of whom I approve. That is not who I want to be. 

But millions of Americans believe that being woke is bad. Worst of all are the so-called political leaders who use being woke as a pejorative, as an insult, as something to be avoided. These people are so over-the-edge that they boycott products just because the manufacturer supports equal rights for everyone.

I don’t understand why being ‘woke’ is to be avoided at all costs. Why is being kind and empathetic such a bad thing? Why is supporting equality not a good thing? Nobody is demanding that women, racial minorities and members of the LGBTQ community get more rights than those available to white males. But why should they not have equal rights? Rights are not a pie. Giving rights to others doesn't mean fewer rights for white men. 

I would much rather be woke than be an ignorant, brainwashed, hate-filled person incapable of critical thinking and blindly following a cult-like politician or political party.

Why are so many people filled with hatred toward the LGBTQ community? Why do they want to control what I and others are allowed to read? Why do they hate Jews or Muslims or anybody who doesn't embrace their idea of a white Christian religion? 

Here's a news flash: Jesus Christ was a Middle Eastern, non-white man with black hair and dark skin. He didn't speak English. He didn't have blue eyes and fair skin as so often depicted. And his gospel was one of love, of forgiveness, not of hatred. Jesus was woke.

Let’s be woke.