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To conservatives, there is no four-letter word more vile or offensive than “woke”. The mere mention of it agitates right-wing media to the point where they will waste a good portion of their on-air time ranting against the “Radical Left” and its “woke” agenda. Black Lives Matter and all-gender bathrooms are just two of the most popular targets for the anti-woke diatribes you hear from commentators on the right.
Former President Trump claimed “woke ideology” is one reason he launched his new social media venture, which doesn’t exactly sound like the most fundamentally sound business reason to create a company, but we digress. My point is, being “woke” shouldn’t be vilified; it should be encouraged, especially in politics.
At its core, being “woke” is simply about showing courtesy and respect to those around you. No matter what political ideology you align with, we can all agree that both those aspects are missing from present-day politics. But think about the discussion about gender identity and pronouns, one of the “wokest” topics out there.
In the end, if you meet someone — whether casually, for work, wherever and however — is it really such an ask, such a huge burden, to simply acknowledge that they think of themselves in a way that they want others to just…accept? Using “they” instead of “she” isn’t exactly painting the Sistine Chapel, or even ending the filibuster in the Senate for that matter. It’s just acknowledging this other person’s autonomy over themselves and their identity.
Is it really such a bother, such an inconvenience to recognize and respect how a person views themselves and prefers to be identified? This is why I laugh when people say “woke” as if it’s a bad thing.
It’s not. In fact, we would all benefit from being more “woke”.
