We need to take back the term “woke.” The right has controlled the narrative on this and, honestly, most issues for far too long. The left has been far too concerned with the optics of being “the good guys.” The right has used the cultist (and fascist) playbook of repeating lies loudly and consistently and controlling information sources. It is how they successfully sidelined left-leaning voices and created the MAGA cult. It is how fascism has risen, not only in America, but around the world.
While the vast majority of MAGA is unreachable, a few do peel off from the herd. More importantly, independents, some of whom voted red (I refuse to use the term Republican for a party that has fully succumbed to fascism. I now refer to them as the Fascist Party of America or FPA.), and some of whom stayed home, can still be reached.
My experience with confronting those who say they’re anti-woke is that they can’t define the word. They also have no idea of its origins. They’re parroting right-wing talking points. Don’t waste your breath on them. But you should know these things.
Per Merriam Webster: Woke is now defined in this dictionary as “aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice),” and identified as U.S. slang.
Well, that alone would explain MAGA’s hatred of wokeness. These people are the least aware of and attentive to facts and issues of any I’ve have the misfortune of wasting my time trying to have a reasonable discussion with.
Which suits the FPA just fine. In fact, it’s been a large part of their game plan all along. Red states actively suppress education. They need an uneducated, compliant population. How else can they get people to vote against their own interests?
The second part of this is the origin of the term “woke.” Per Wikipedia: The Oxford English Dictionary traces the earliest such usage to a 1962 New York Times Magazine article titled "If You're Woke You Dig It" by African-American novelist William Melvin Kelley, describing the appropriation of black slang by white beatniks.
Woke originated as black slang for staying awake and aware of important facts and issues, especially those directly affecting black people. As with much of slang, it entered mainstream usage via musicians.
Of course, that’s another strike against wokeness for the FPA, which is made up of fascists and racists (oh, and self-serving cowards). Anything originating within the black population has to be bad, right? Can’t have that in Amerikkka!
The right doesn’t even begin to understand wokeness. And they don’t want to. But you and I should. We need to take the narrative back. We need to repeat truth consistently and loudly. Repetition has been shown to be a requirement of breaking through to the collective consciousness of a nation (and world). When we allow bullies to stop our words, when we go silent, the bad guys control the narrative.
It's time to get loud. It’s time to make our voices count. I will not be silenced. I will not avoid words the fascists have (too successfully) made “wrong.” I’m done. I am awake. I am aware. I am WOKE!
Welcome to True North, a new section in Eclectic Ink. If you’re not interested, you can unsubscribe from individual sections or from all of Eclectic Ink. If you are, read on.
The name of this section refers to part of the Canadian anthem: “True north, strong and free.” Some of you might not be aware that I am Canadian. Or that Canada has formed a strong grassroots resistance to American aggression toward our country. I am an active part of that resistance.
Please know that Canadians are aware that a large part of the American populace does not support the fascist regime currently consolidating power in the U.S. We honour your resistance as well. We stand with our American cousins. But never with MAGA and never with the fascist felon currently occupying the White House.
If you are offended by my choice to fight to protect my country, Ukraine, Americans who also resist, and the free world in general, feel free to unsubscribe. Don’t bother trolling my account. Your responses will be deleted and I will block you.
To all others, welcome to True North. Slava Ukraini!
Hi Dascha. Your very favourite brother in law here!
If you put it all together the only conclussion is that Trump is in the employ or allied with Putin. He is attacking allies of the US. He orchestrated a public attack on Zellinsky. He cut funding to Ukrain. The US voted with Russia, North Korea and Iran at the U.N. He is overseeing the dismantling of the US civil service which is essential to the operation of the government. He fired the head of the Joint Chief of Staff and installed his follower. Does it get any clearer? His mission is to raise up Russia and make the US defenseless.
Agree completely. I’m woke af and proud of it. Love, love, love fellow humans 💙