by BB Curtis

Let’s start with “woke.”  The word is “awakened” or “awake” or “enlightened,” but not “woke.”  Even buzzwords and phrases need to be grammatically correct, or they sound stupid, like being grammatically incorrect and belonging to the seriously under-educated.  We don’t have to dumb down everything.

Originally, saying that someone was woke was supposed to indicate that the person was progressive, forward-thinking, and respectful of the rights of others.  There was positive power infused in the word.  However, as is the usual course of human beings, some had to carry things too far and melodrama started to seep into the scene.  Woke has now taken on some negative connotations.  The woke culture was intent upon competing with the ultra-over-the-edge conservatives and, by doing so, handed the Right excuses to call the Left “Cancel Culture” even though a huge majority of cancelling is the brainchild of the Far Right:

• cancelling real history
• cancelling the right to a well-rounded public education
• cancelling access to decent and appropriate medical care
• cancelling truth
• cancelling reading
• cancelling science
• cancelling critical thinking
• cancelling the ability to peacefully protest
• cancelling freedom to practice the religion of your choice or none if you desire
• cancelling our rights to love whomever we please
• cancelling the right to vote
• cancelling large portions of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights
• cancelling rights for everyone who is not White and a heterosexual male

all the while deflecting those actions off onto the Left virulently.  The worst part is that the Right does this all the time and the Left just clumsily walks right into the dark alley and gets battered from head to toe as an overgrown and witless, willing victim every time.  

It is only fair to bring up what the Left is accused of cancelling. There is a faction of the Right that consistently moans about the Left’s Cancel Culture.  They yap about logos that were attached to products many decades ago when lack of sensitivity wasn’t taken into consideration while we still had back-of-the-bus rules, separate drinking fountains, separate public pools, separate schools, etc.  No one gave a shit about anyone’s feelings being hurt on the non-White side.  Most non-White organisms weren’t even considered to be human at the time so rights and feelings couldn’t exist in the minds of those in power.  However, when systemic racism and sexism became more focused issues recently, many companies looked at what they had and, seeing the insensitive and unconscionable in their packaging, products, etc., they took it upon themselves to make changes to those old swords and daggers.   Consequently, most of what the Right refers to as cancel culture were actions taken by large corporations and companies that decided to rethink those old paradigms and move forward in a more positive, inclusive, and sensitive demeanor.  They were not forced into making those needed changes by some militaristic mob of Leftists wielding repeating firearms, riot shields, machetes, clubs, and flagpoles. They didn’t require new, restrictive laws to do the correct thing. They did what was right to show respect for the civil rights of all and for the good of humanity as a whole.

So, some sexist things were toned down (green M&Ms in what some thought looked like hooker boots were replaced with something that can not be perceived as overly sexist), some racist logos were changed (no more 1800’s mammy or profile of an “Indian brave”), removal of offensive vocabulary from some books and songs – words that have been removed from polite society over the last 70 years anyway (we can be a little slow to keep up), warning labels were added, and removal and changes to language and visuals that have become unacceptable were implemented in books, records, movies, advertising, packaging, etc. all in an effort to embrace diversity, equity, and inclusivity. I’m going out on a high ledge to say that most of what took place during this rather mild but much needed overhaul should have happened decades ago.  Why it took so many dead-at-the-hands-of-police-officers-for-minor-traffic-infractions to get to that point is what bothers me more.

However, we are in a world where doing what is right will always be purposely misinterpreted and misconstrued by one side of the fence in order to stir the shit pot.  Twisting facts, values, and motives is a fulltime job of many on the Right, in particular those who are loud, have large audiences, and where there’s money to grab.  It’s despicable.  Most of it is greed-based, which is far worse.  If opposing values or principles were really the issue, there could be some room for compromise and, in many cases, no disagreements at all.  That is not possible when values and principles are on one side of the issue and only money sits on the other.

Now, to be perfectly honest, I’ve had an issue with the term “conservative” since the 60s. To me, the root word, conserve, makes an important point. Do I want to conserve resources? Yes. Do I believe in conserving energy? Yes. Is conserving the democracy that has made this country a world leader important? Yes. Then why am I not a conservative and am called a liberal? The fundamental beliefs and actions of the Right do not follow any of that. I’m not a tree-hugging liberal. I’m a tree-hugging conservationist – conserve. For years, not being really interested in politics until the early 2000s when W got into office, I questioned the sanity of most political people, wondering why they chose to mislabel groups. I’m not liberal about taxing the middle class. I’m conservative about that – like we don’t need to raise taxes on people who are barely scraping by. Where I saw myself as liberal was how I wanted to very liberally increase taxes on the wealthy instead of finding them more and more tax loopholes and other BS so that they kept paying less and less while my taxes weren’t really in line with being a single mom raising two children.

The long and short of it is that Joe Biden aligns with my beliefs even though some people define things stupidly. He is a compassionate leader and exemplifies the very essence of the good tenants of his Christian upbringing. We need a workhorse, not a performer. President Biden is a workhorse. President Biden has proven what he can do over and over as he continues to work for the betterment of this nation. Donald the Clown should find other employment but no kids’ birthday parties.

By the way, I’ve accepted being called Liberal although the label is clearly wrong, but the beliefs that form the foundation of the group are based on true civil rights and equality, and the majority of the company is wonderful.  I’ve even begun to accept the term Woke because of it’s fundamental set of beliefs and purposes. I like the thought that I might be enlightened, although I’m quite aware that I, as with us all, have a long way to go to have truly earned that description.  I embrace my beliefs because I know them to be good and true and are guided by fairness for all, compassion, and love. My hope is that more people find it in their hearts and minds to do the same.

©2023, Bobbi Bartsch Curtis. All rights reserved.