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To the editor:
Watching conservative politicians struggle to define “woke” when asked by journalists is painful. So I thought I might help. Let’s begin with what “woke” isn’t. It is neither solar panels nor electric vehicles; pride parades or drag shows. “Woke” isn’t green investments, a legal theory not taught in public schools, transgender athletes or the plethora of issues GOP politicians blanket under the word. Conservatives are merely attempting to co-opt the term to employ it as an insult to any and all things liberal. I suggest they stick to what they know like “supply-side” economics and unfettered gun access.
The term “woke” originated in the black community some 90 years ago as a slang form of woken. Black Americans describe being or staying “woke” as awareness to racial injustice and inequality as well as the harm it causes. Interestingly, when asked in federal court what “woke” means, Ron DeSantis’ general counsel Ryan Newman replied “the belief there are systemic injustices in American society and the need to have policies that address them.” Apparently DeSantis’ lawyer shares the black community’s understanding of “woke,” so why doesn’t he?
The fact is blue-collar voters are once again being played by the GOP. Ronald Reagan played them with “supply-side” economics, George H.W. Bush and his son played them with “tax and spend liberalism” and Donald Trump played them with MAGA. Now, the GOP is hoping to ride “woke” into the White House.
For over 40 years, working-class Americans have been getting ripped off by GOP gimmicks and they keep falling for them. The nonpartisan Rand Corporation analyzed incomes since the start of the Reagan Revolution through 2018 and found that $50 trillion has been redistributed from the bottom 90 percent of Americans to the top 1 percent.
Working-class Americans are right to be angry, but anger is easily misplaced. If you feel you are losing ground, it isn’t your imagination. It also isn’t due to the welfare state, illegal immigrants or identity politics. It was, is and will always be good, old-fashioned greed at the top.
Joseph Cannisi
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