Woke Won

I don’t understand why people continue to fight against the Woke philosophy. I find no fault in its vision of equality and acceptance of every type of person and group. We must learn to be inclusive, our survival in the new Global World depends upon it. My only critique is that it hasn’t been taken far enough.

We need to re-think all of our ingrained habits. The future starts now for each of us. All it takes is a simple act of consciousness. I’m doing my part at home. The other day I decided to paint my work room. The choice of color was agonizing and took days. The room is very small and I was afraid that if I used a paint of color (not a colored paint) it would emphasize this and create a feeling of claustrophobia, so I chose white paint. This caused discomfort, particularly when at the local hardware store the salesperson was of another race. But I found a solution. Instead of insensitively saying “Excuse me, where is the white paint?” I said, with humility and lowered eyes, “Excuse me, I’m extremely sorry to bother you and would be honored if you choose to answer my question, but where is the white privilege paint?” Though the salesperson took a step back and warily gave me an alarmed look, I knew they understood my good intentions, that I was on their side, refusing the benefits I’ve received on the basis of my skin color. Anyway, I painted the room and take much pleasure in sitting in it, staring at the white privileged walls with overwhelming feelings of ingrained guilt that are difficult to imagine.

I’ve applied the same rational logic on those occasions when I dine out. There’s always that uncomfortable moment when, after the meal, the serving person asks if I’d like coffee. The problem is, and I apologize for it, I take my coffee without milk or sugar. Instead of brashly saying, “I’ll have a black coffee” as if I was the whip-wielding owner of a Southern plantation, I now say “I’ll have an Afro-American coffee” or, to show that I’m politically sensitive and aware of the concerns of the modern world, I’ll boldly say “I’ll have a Black Lives Matter coffee.” I’m surprised by the reactions I’ve received so far: each time it’s led to verbal abuse.

Finally, there’s gender. I think the simple replacement of “male” and “female” pronouns isn’t good enough. I was trying to explain to my son the other day how to hook up a hi-fi system. As a child my father, referred to plugs and sockets as “male” and “female.” Doesn’t this reveal the dangers of tradition? I understand how offensive this is, the “male” plugs having a protuberance which references a certain organ and “female” sockets having an opening which references another certain orifice. I refused to be the transmitter of this conception of gender to my child. I tried to think how I could use the words “trans,” “gay” or “queer” to explain the plug and socket arrangement, but was left at an impasse. That was a month ago. We haven’t hooked up the system, but, as we sit in this silent room together, I know the correct decision was made.