Woke — a term coined by modern politicians and propagandists — has flooded our information and social media systems. But, what does it really mean?
Woke is a popular, yet negative descriptor for those who promote the rights demanded and guaranteed in America’ s Declaration of Independence and Constitution. The Declaration, demanding independence from a monarchy, stated, “We hold these truths to be self-evident . . . all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
After fighting for these rights, our Constitution ensured rights by stating, “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” To ratify this government-forming document, ten amendments were added that further stated the civil liberties of the people. Those amendments, the Bill of Rights, enumerated rights endowed to American citizens.
Some Americans believe that these documents were divinely inspired, yet so many now use the term woke to denigrate those who stand to protect our inspired documents. Why have we allowed anti-constitutionalists to reshape our country, to call us names, to divide us and to harvest anger?
Let’s be frank! This trend is directly opposed to our Constitution and all that it stands for.
Americans, let’s go back to our Utah values of welcoming others into our state, protecting the most vulnerable, and welcoming new ways of thinking.
Miriam Bugden, Salt Lake City
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