No thanks on the “wokeness”

In her Jan. 4 letter, Billie Lee informed us she is "proud" to be "woke." She defined the term as "being aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues, especially issues of racial and social justice."

Mrs. Lee contends that "It is the role of any officer of the state or union to leave their personal and religious situational beliefs at home" because "the broader public benefit" is "compromise that provides for social justice." This presupposition necessitates that intellectual and moral relativism prevail in the public square ... and concludes that "compromise" is the greatest virtue.

We all get to agree on ... nothing. Or anything. A kind of "lowest common denominator" public policy.

"Consensus is the process whereby everyone gives up what they believe in for something that nobody believes in," as Margaret Thatcher would say. This "compromise that provides social justice" becomes an imposition of personal beliefs on others, even when it violates individual conscience. (The Baker must bake the cake for a same sex wedding or be fined for "discrimination.")

Secular "wokeness" simply refuses to acknowledge that religious, ideological or philosophical neutrality in law is an impossibility.

In short, any notion that the principles of justice are objective, absolute and transcendent is antithetical to wokeness ideology. Justice for the sake of justice is simply too static for the "woke." The adjectives "racial" and "social" – or "economic"– must preface the term to justify evolving, whimsical, and often silly definitions.

"Self-evident Truths" such as expressed in our Founding document? Justice according to "the Laws of Nature and Nature's God?" In the world of "wokeness," these are "radical," "extreme," and "judgmental" beliefs that "must be left at home" by the unwoke bigots and racists who hold to them.

"Wokeness" tells us that gender is fluid; that men can be women and women can be men; or they can be neither. It tells us that we are guilty of disrespect if we refuse to use "preferred pronouns." It tells us that marriage is ... well, whatever we want it to be. That "equality" is equal individual outcome regardless of unequal individual input. That success based on merit, such as work ethic, self-discipline, thrift, honesty, virtue and character, is "white privilege" and racist "meritocracy."

And, it tells us that men who would step up to guide, protect and provide for their families are guilty of "toxic masculinity" and oppressive "patriarchy."

No thanks on the "wokeness." I prefer, humbly, to be "enlightened" to objective, transcendent Truth … instead of making up my own.

Rick Jore

Ronan