Woke

Canada needs intelligent voters.  There are too many who are led astray by leftie fearmongering and labelling.  They use the politics of envy and resentment to keep their cadre loyal to their anti-conservative cause.  They are superior-minded and "woke."

Conservative values of personal responsibility and accountability are disdained by the “woke”, as mere codes for oppression from the privileged in society.  They know better.  Their notion of “woke” claims a they have acquired a special knowledge of social injustice.  They also have special insight of who are the enemy.

People started using this term widely, assigning “woke” to themselves to boost their confidence and reassure themselves that they had the moral high ground, and were truly the ones fighting for a better world.  Often it was used as a way to protect from the opinions of others by categorizing the outsider as non-woke and people that are with them as “woke.”  These progressives considered 'outsiders' as brainwashed by society, or even evil strangers to truth.  It became a filter to dismiss and cancel everything that the outsider was associated with, regardless of whether it was rational or reasonable.

Naming non-progressives and connecting them to their disdained organizations is their trade, inventing a cadre of conservative conspirators who are viewed as suspect, flawed, and perhaps less than human.  The woke are mostly found among the supporters of the NDP and identifiable among the Rachel Notley or David Eby crowd.  These superiors have some very nasty people mixed among them.

In response, conservatives sometimes use the “woke” term to quickly identify the hypocritical leftists who think they're the enlightened, even though they're extremely closed-minded and are incapable to accept their hypocrisy and arrogance.  “Woke” has become synonymous with internet political activism.

Originally, the term was meant to identify an awareness of important social issues.  However, like the worn-out old term “politically correct,” the expression “woke” has come to mean the opposite.  Technically, going by the dictionary definition, “woke” means being aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues of racial and social justice.  In response, we are now more likely to see it being used as a pejorative negative label, to identify people who wrap themselves in false superiority — they are the “Wokerati.”

Since Trudeau came to power, the term “woke” was adopted as a generic slang term broadly associated with left-wing politics, social justice activism, and socially liberal causes such as anti-racism.  It could be viewed as wannabe activism.

Perhaps “woke” isn’t much of a word form at all, but simply an indicator of stupidity.  It would seem if one is a leftie, “woke” has become both a sense of self and of empty meaningless.  “Woke” is the title of identity politics, and a toxic odour that threatens Canadian freedoms, individual rights, and social responsibility.

Should the word “woke” be retired?  Perhaps not.  Since the political emergence of Trudeau, a new strand of leftism has emerged which has been influential.  As it is so pervasively with us, average Canadians need a simple way of responding.

“Woke” seems like a perfectly good label.  It's so good, it now gets a hostile reaction from the activists.  Perhaps “woke” no longer a clear meaning.  It’s an ideology that sees identity groups like sex and race as primary units of society, which attributes some as victims and others as the oppressors.  It invents various ‘structural’ and ‘systemic’ forces that imagines the "woke" as victims, while believing the “establishment” has unfair advantages and privilege.  The slap back alternatives against “woke” have been used such as “cultural Marxism” and “political correctness,” but none has quite the same sting as “woke.”

There are ways to fight back against the “woke” culture.  Canada is not a backward country full of prejudice and gross discrimination.  We have our history which overcame prejudice, and we are a work in progress and more advanced than most in this world.  Canada is imperfect.  There's been bigotry toward ethnic groups, gays, Jews, and immigrants.  But there is no gulag in Canada.  There are no laws permitting honour killing.  Canada is not China.  Canada has human rights law.  Canada achieved incredible progress, and Canadians enjoy extraordinary freedom.  Yet to advance their discredited political agenda, the political left acts out as if we are in a totalitarian state.

We've all heard that John A. McDonald’s name on a public school or his statue is white supremacy.  It is not; he is a Canadian hero.  We've observed separating people into racial affinity groups or political value groups for their education, is “progressive.”  It is really a form of segregation.  It has been said any disparity of outcome is evidence of systemic oppression (false).  We hear Canadian society is evil.  Canada is actually one of the better examples of tolerance and acceptance.

It's undeniable western society has a history of some bigotry, racism, discrimination, homophobia, and related ills.  In humanity's past, many have not been treated fairly or even humanely.  There have always been some who claim they're superior to others by religion, ethnicity, family name, or money.  For it's easy to treat others as less, if one believes they are inferior or don’t measure up.

While frustration and righteous anger over mistreatment has been around as long as civilization itself, it seems like things are coming to a head with the virulence that is emerging within Canadian elections.  The lies of the left never end as espoused by the “woke,” but they still are lies.  Therefore, many conservatives retreat for the sake of short-term comfort.  It’s time to stand up and fight back.

Remind oneself we're free.  We indeed live in a tenuous time, where pressing the wrong 'like' button on the 'Net can bring consequences.  But giving in hurts in the long run.  The loss of self-respect and not defending values are important.  Each generation in its special and unique circumstance must defend what is socially uplifting.

Be honest.  Do not say anything about yourself or others that's false.  Refuse to let your mind be colonized by nonsense.  Speak up and it will inspire others to speak up.   Stick to traditional values.  We know mob justice is never just, so don’t be with the mob.  Find ways to challenge your discordant friends privately, for public betrayal is wrong.  For any mob that comes for them, might come for you.

Set an example for your family and community.  That means being courageous in the right way within the law.  If you don’t like what's happening in your subgroup, leave it.  Get out and do your own thing, for there's a reasonable limit for change from within.  I make that particular call to my old federal Liberal Party friends.  The great example was the Reform Party which knew that the old Progressive Conservative Party could not be changed from within.  Reform saved Canada for a time, so become more self-reliant.

The push of the "woke" is irresponsible.  This can happen when people who are "woke" call out or cancel those they perceive as not "woke" enough.  "Cancelling" someone occurs when one person does something to which others who are “woke” object, and then that person gets roundly shamed and criticized on social media ands discriminated against.  That person's reputation is sometimes ruined, and they might not ever be able to recover from being cancelled.

No matter what one's religious persuasion is, there are deep words in the wisdom of Jesus when, before a woman was to be stoned to death for the accusation of adultery, he said, “He who is without any sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”  Can you think of something you've said or done in the past that was stupid or ignorant?  Who we are, is not the mistakes that we've made.

Our ego is sneaky.  It is always looking for a way to judge ourselves as superior to other people and other groups.  When we judge ourselves to be "woke" and others to be " not woke,” that's in effect putting ourselves in a superior position.   We have the moral high ground.  We should be wary of any version of "my tribe is better than your tribe."

In response to "wokeism," there is a brewing strong "anti-woke" belief.  Moderates and conservatives are pushing back against progressives who have a “woke” agenda.  The judges are now being judged.  If we think of "woke" as having its roots in "awakening," that has a very deep and even spiritual meaning.  If we feel the need to tell everyone how enlightened we are, and criticize others we perceive not to be, are we enlightened?

If our goal is to decrease racism and increase social justice, what's the best way to do that?  What is the conduit for change?  How do we effectively help others to see some reasonable corrective action for societal injustice is in order?

The fundamental reality is we are most likely to influence others by having a relationship with them.  When we "cancel" those who believe differently than we do, we lose the very connection through which we are most likely to influence.  No relationship, no change.  Have a relationship, have change.  The “woke” are perpetually angry.  Those who genuinely want to promote social justice build relationships, which is the very opposite of the “cancel culture.”

Finally, whatever is true, whatever is honourable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by scripture, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things, center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart. (Phil 4:8)