WORDS: Why not be ‘woke?’

Words help us understand the world we live in; words help us survive and thrive. Words are important. Knowing what a word means, its definition, is a critical life-skill. When I encounter a new word, I try to understand its antonym — the opposite — because knowing what something is not can help illuminate what it is.

So let me ask the question, what is “Woke?” We hear it all the time these days from political leadership so it must be important, right?

To be woke is to be vigilant to one’s surroundings, attentive to circumstances, attuned to fraud and deception, awake to threats, misdirection and dishonesty; woke means to be alert and engaged. The opposite of alert would be inattentive, distracted, dazed, to be shrouded in brain-fog, etc. The antonym of woke is groggy, asleep, brain-dead or zombie.

So now I am seriously puzzled why political leaders are encouraging us to NOT be woke. Why do they want us to be zombies? Why would someone encourage others to be gullible, easily manipulated, inattentive or live in a brain-fog?

If being woke means to be sensitive to the needs of others, ought not church leaders be preaching a gospel of woke? We find ourselves in an inverted world wherein up means down, in means out, nice means rude and selfishness is a virtue.

Long live the Zombie King!

BRYAR THORNWALKER

Post Falls