OMG, is there a worse thing today than to be called "woke"?
"The woke radical left is coming for your guns and want your children to hate themselves!"
And then I saw this online, and I knew a post was going to be necessary. The problem, at least to this older white man of privilege, is that woke simply used be a form of saying "aware". It had nothing to do with manhood and certainly not shaving.
For me, I'm aware
in its history, that America committed genocide against the indigenous that were here centuries before the Europeans arrived;
in its history, that America enslaved black and other people of color, and it started in the early 1600's;
those slaves had a lot to do with the building of America;
that when freed in 1863 and after, former black slaves and their descendants were terrorized and discriminated against for decades, preventing family wealth creation and overall community stability;
America brutalized the Chinese in the late 1800s (as they built our western railroads) and then interned American citizens of Japanese descent in the 1940s;
white people, but particularly white men, have had a disproportionate amount of advantages;
America is a country built on immigration;
America has often exploited its immigrants;
there are a variety of sexual preferences in America, yet until recently, only cisgender heterosexuality was widely accepted;
there is a history of police brutality across America;
America has created more opportunity for its people then any other nation in history; and
America trends towards justice over time.
But that's the end of being woke. To me, woke has and will always mean understanding our history and its impact on our fellow Americans. It also implies treating people fairly and without prejudice. But that's it.
Because I am foursquare against its perversion into Destination Wokistan, where racial, gender, and LGBTQIA+ identity politics are the coin of the realm and where anyone can claim "I am uncomfortable" and expect, no - demand - acquiescence. I also have zero interest in white people hating themselves - but rather a huge interest in them being informed citizens.
So, woke = aware. But woke does not equal some nutty far left utopia that doesn't, and won't, exist.
As I say often and to literally anyone that will listen:
There are great black people. There are great Asians. Great students. Great trans people, and yes, even great old white men. But there are also black jerks. Asian jerks. Student jerks. Trans jerks. And most definitely, old white men that are major jerks. But being in a particular segment doesn't mean you get some special pass - a jerk is a jerk.
Put another way: everyone should be treated equally in America. For example, a black trans woman mishandling our nation's most secret documents deserves the same exact justice as Donald Trump: swift, fair, and certain.
More? Here's a wonderful and recent podcast on the subject by my hero, John McWhorter.
I want to thank all of you that had kind and affirming words for my take on Biden's student loan forgiveness.
Indeed, it was nice to see cool kid Kevin Monza and the seasoned veteran Fi Deuce both make the same point: the numbers now are simply higher. Kevin shared some numbers of his own that were not pretty, and he's one of the lucky ones: he has a great job and plenty of money to pay back his school loans. But many have the debt yet not the cool outcome of a Kevin Monza.
The fact is the increase in the cost of an education from a decent or better school has far, far outpaced the rate of inflation. And another fact is the University Industrial Complex has brainwashed society into thinking a four year degree as the only path to success - leaving the millions better suited for vocational work feeling like second-class citizens. Which is bonkers.
And shocker, but Fi's hubby Hunter also had something to say. Although he did nail it with his two screen grabs on this subject . . .
I especially loved this one.
I've got to include this, because it is definitely Unwashed. Also, unhinged. This is from family thought leader Don Jr. Interested in attaining Great MAGA King Status? If so, I have a lovely bridge for you to consider buying, that goes directly from Manhattan to Brooklyn! I also have some lovely land near some marshes in Florida! You and President Trump can both be Floridians!
Great MAGA King Status. Let that sink in. No, it's definitely not a cult. But maybe a racket?
Because Arthur thinks Trump might want to get familiar with a set of statutes with a funny name.
I've always thought this was a good line of prosecution, but this is the first time I've heard credible evidence that Trump is likely to be prosecuted under the RICO act:
As I've said here before and as I replied to Arthur: I don't care how Trump and his crime family go down, I just want them gone and out of our lives forever.
For whatever reason, this Killer movie keeps popping into my mind. Thank you to any one that is reading this newsletter.
KLUF
No, I can't play The Fixx and "Wake Up" again - it would be the 4th time. But I've still nailed it.
