Through Thom Tinted Lenses by Thom Reese

WHAT THE WOKE?

That is so woke.

He’s such a woke.

That’s way too woke for me.

Wait a minute. Until a handful of years ago I only used the word “woke” when I woke up in the morning. And to be honest, I don’t really think I used it very often then. I was more likely to say something akin to, “Grrrraaaahhhhhh! Is it morning already?” Which based on the evidence of my clock, the sunshine streaming in through the eastern window, and my dog begging to go outside, should have been pretty obvious.

So, what’s with all of this woke business? Why is this word suddenly on everyone’s lips? And why has it become a derogatory term?

Let’s look at the definition of woke. As a verb it means, “the past tense of waking.” Okay. We pretty much all knew this. As an adjective, Dictonary.com defines it as, “having or marked by an active awareness of systemic injustices and prejudices, especially those related to civil and human rights.” The Cambridge Dictionary defines it as, “aware, especially of social problems such as racism and inequality.”

So, in essence, woke means being aware of what’s going on in society, in particular where injustice and discrimination are involved.

But woke is used as an insult. It’s hurled at people as a put down. In many circles, someone who is deemed woke is to be despised, or at the very least, marginalized, their opinions of no value. So, are we to assume that it is now a bad thing to be well informed or aware of societal problems? Or even worse, to become involved or to speak against injustice.

Apparently so.

So, let’s take it a step further. If woke means one is aware of and/or speaking out against injustice such as racism, wouldn’t that make the opposite of woke mean that the person is in favor of injustice and racism?

Ouch!

Now, I know, some of you might be offended by this concept. Certainly, that’s not what you meant when you were belittling the woke among us. So be it. But before you jump on a bandwagon to join the anti-woke parade, you might want to stop for a moment and think about what it really means, about what it really says about those who consider woke to be offensive. What is their motivation behind this? Why are they so frightened of woke?

One possibility is that some of these people don’t fully understand the meaning of the word. Fair enough. But wouldn’t it be prudent to learn that meaning before declaring that a person with woke leanings are in league with Satan himself? I’m willing to give the ignorant a partial pass. But only partial. We are, after all talking about adults. Ultimately the burden is on each person to educate themselves on important issues of the day, especially if they’re to become vocal on that topic.

But what about those that are fully aware that woke means the person is not only aware of, but concerned about civil injustice? What is their motivation for essentially shouting to the nation, “I don’t care about the underrepresented. I’m in favor of systematic bias.” And don’t be fooled. This is exactly what they’re saying. But again, why?

I would submit that the reason comes down to our good old friends: greed and the lust for power. Because what happens when the populace realizes that a wrong is being perpetrated? When they, in essence, become woke? They challenge the status quo. They lobby for change. They vote for people with new ideas. And when there’s a call for a shift in the power dynamic, it frightens those in authority. It unnerves those who – even unknowingly – benefit from that imbalance. If minorities gain a bigger voice, the majority’s voice is lessened, their advantages dwindle as our social structure is brought further into balance.

Now, allow me to take a step back and offer some small concession. Many of us have lived in a world where we – largely unknowingly – have benefited from systems and practices that exclude others. A child or young adult who has grown up with certain advantages is likely blind to the fact that everyone does not benefit from that same advantage. To them it’s not a privilege or an advantage, it’s just the way things are. The way they’ve always been in their life. But at some point early in adulthood a person must shrug off the naiveté of youth and examine the world around them. They must become aware. They must, in essence, become woke. If they refuse to recognize the struggles of others, or simply turn their backs on their plights, that now has become a condition of the heart, a conscious decision to ignore the needs of others.

So, right now, in this what-the-woke time we’re living in, I challenge us all to open our eyes and truly examine our neighborhoods, our cities and counties, our country, to become open to the possibility that perhaps just because something has always been done one way, does not mean that it should continue in that same fashion. Sure, it’s uncomfortable. It’s opening Pandora’s box. It brings with it a potential seismic shift in our society. And change can be scary. But it’s also inevitable. The 2020s are not the same as the nineties, the nineties not the same as the sixties. Time moves on. Society moves on. Isn’t it better to be a part of that change, to help make our world a better place for everyone, rather that clinging to well-worn divisive positions. Rethink woke. It may not be the vile you thought it was.