GOP stands against ‘woke’ ... but what does it mean?

As I write this, I am enjoying my morning coffee in a mug that proclaims “awake not woke.” A friend gave it to me, and I think it’s funny.

“Woke” is certainly the word of the moment. But what does it really mean?

I’ve been asked this numerous times by readers when the term comes up in one of my columns (and it often does).

It’s a fair question. Depending on whom you ask, you can get a very different answer.

That’s especially true when it comes to political party. Democrats seem to see the word as a badge of honor, while Republicans have harnessed it as something that must be stopped – and a blanket term for everything they dislike about the left.

A new USA TODAY/IPSOS Poll found a that majority of Americans, including 78% of Democrats and 37% of Republicans, see “woke” in a positive light, and define the term as “to be informed, educated on and aware of social injustices.”

Yet nearly 40% of those surveyed (and 56% of Republicans) say the word constitutes something more negative, “to be overly politically correct and police others’ words.”

Political correctness is part of the right’s aversion to wokeness. Yet “woke” has come to hit on much deeper societal concerns, and that’s why it has become a touchstone for many conservatives.

2024 Republican presidential hopefuls embrace ‘woke’

At the recent Conservative Political Action Conference, the word was a common refrain among declared Republican presidential candidates, including former President Donald Trump, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy (recently dubbed the “CEO of Antiwoke, Inc.”).

“I’m running for president to renew an America that’s proud and strong, not weak and woke,” Haley said at CPAC.

Others are getting on board, too. Earlier this year, Indiana GOP Rep. Jim Banks has recently formed the “Anti-woke Caucus,” with an aim to “defund wokeness.”

No one, however, has elevated the fight against “woke” more than Florida Gov. Ron Desantis. He has repeated frequently that his state is where “woke goes to die” and that he’ll never surrender to the “woke mob.” If he gets into the 2024 presidential race, as expected, you can bet this anti-woke mantra will be central to his campaign.

Still, what does it mean?

Despite its frequent use among politicians, it’s infrequently defined, leaving most of us to our own definitions. If conservatives are going to keep using “woke” as a rallying cry, there needs to be a much clearer consensus about its meaning and what the right hopes to accomplish.

A Desantis spokesperson has called it a slang term for “progressive activism” and a “general belief in systemic injustices in the country.” That’s pretty vague.

In an attempt to get a clearer definition, I reached out to several organizations on the right.

Zach Goldberg, a self-proclaimed “wokeness studies scholar” at the Manhattan Institute, says “woke” means more than just left-wing radicalism. He says the essence of woke is “the belief that outcome disparities between groups – be they races, sexes, or ‘genders,’ etc. – are largely if not entirely the product of oppressive social forces and structures.”

I think that hits on what Desantis and others are worried about. The woke ideology is about more than preferred pronouns and avoiding offensive words. It’s a view of America that pits “oppressors” against the “oppressed.”

Carrie Sheffield, a senior fellow at the Independent Women’s Forum, says “woke” has evolved over the years, much like feminism. The word originally was used to signal awareness of racism and injustice. But, Sheffield says, its meaning has swung so far to the left, it now undermines tenets of Western civilization such as capitalism.

She argues that critical race theory – as it has been adapted at the K-12 level – is teaching schoolchildren to dislike each other.

That kind of division is dangerous to the future of our country. If that’s what Republicans mean when they’re talking about “woke,” they need to do a better job explaining it.

Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at ijacques@usatoday.com or on Twitter: @Ingrid_jacques

More than 50 Columbus residents recently gathered to hear and share in an alternative vision for what it means for all of our neighbors to feel safe when calling for help.

The Columbus Safety Collective is a group of directly impacted people, advocates, and other community members calling upon the city of Columbus to implement a non-police crisis response team. The gathering — the People’s Safety Forum — came just days after the city allocated more than $1 million to support such a program.

Non-police emergency response teams work. This is a worthwhile investment from the city. However, it is significantly less than what the Safety Collective outlined as necessary for an effective pilot. What this means is that there is more work to be done to make sure the new program is a success.

While the city’s allocation is an encouraging first step, our neighbors experiencing crises that do not require contact with or intervention by the criminal legal system will bear the weight of waiting for a fully funded solution.

This is not a gamble, nor does it make the community less safe. In fact, the contrary is true.

Crisis Assistance Helping Out on the Streets in In Eugene, Oregon responded to an estimated 24,000

Food waste and food insecurity go hand in hand

As a volunteer at one of the many Mid-ohio Food Markets in the Columbus area, I’ve regularly seen the visitor car line wrap around several street blocks. Food insecurity exists in America.

And so does overconsumption. I mean the ravenous demand for every convenience, comfort, or whim that, in this case, relates to food. We can’t even keep up with our own demand for more: one fourth of food nationwide ends up in the landfill.

In Franklin County, that’s one million pounds of food a day.

Food waste and food insecurity are related. If we cut down on 10% of food waste, let’s say, that’s 10% less land needed to grow food destined for the trash that can go towards food for people who need it. This also pushes down market prices, making food more affordable for everyone. We can lovingly change our habits. Buy only what you will eat.

Take leftovers to work. Freeze the food you cannot eat. Use scraps. Take note of what’s in your pantry or fridge before you go shopping. Our neighbors, earth, and pocketbooks will thank us.

Terri Schell, Columbus

More should pay more

President Joe Biden wants to raise taxes on the rich. Anyone over $400,000 will have their taxes raised.

The rich did not create the problem. I believe anyone making over $100,000 should have their taxes raised.

The government should not be subsidizing families who refuse to live within their means. If you want to live the big life — two new vehicles, motorcycles, $300,000 homes, cellphones for the entire family, and expensive vacations, work for it.

The government has dug a big debt hole by giving money away — buying votes. With a $31 trillion national debt, they should stop digging!

I paid my taxes willingly and would have paid more, except for the fact that government spends every penny it gets and more, just to buy votes.

President John Kennedy said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what can you do for your country.”

Robert Griffey, Circleville

Fix the price on cancer medication

Life saving cancer drugs are extremely expensive and the newest one can cost over $7,000 per month.

The government could reduce these costs quickly and easily by allowing the drug companies a lifetime patent on the drug in exchange for an agreed upon fixed cost.

I know competition is supposed to bring down costs but it does not work that way for life saving cancer medicines.

Michael Oser, Columbus