Legal Insurrection Readers Weigh in With Their Definitions of ‘Woke’

Legal Insurrection Readers Weigh in With Their Definitions of ‘Woke’

We wrote last week about how conservative commentator/author Bethany Mandel’s awkward answer to an interview question on how she defined “woke” set off a pile-on fest among the Very Online Left, who accused Mandel and other conservatives who frequently use the term of racism and of being clueless as to what it actually means.

As the case almost always is with the left, though, they get to define and redefine the terms when it suits their purposes. And then when their words end up backfiring on them (as has been the case with their calls to “Defund the Police”) they turn around and play word games by claiming that you can’t weigh in on a topic if you allegedly can’t define it.

The debate over defining “woke” has turned into a classic case of left-wingers trying to control the debate by creating this alternate reality where they make up their own “truths” and “facts” even in the face of information that runs contra to everything they claim. And because their political opposition supposedly “can’t define” those “truths” and “facts,” then in the left’s view they have no business injecting themselves into the debate.

In the aftermath of the Mandel firestorm, Professor Jacobson noted on Twitter that one didn’t need to be able to explicitly define “woke” in order to know what it was when they saw it:

People are arguing over the definition of "woke" – this is woke, you know it when you see it pic.twitter.com/h2CsJF8oHH

— William A. Jacobson (@wajacobson) March 17, 2023

[Video courtesy Andrew Marcus]

Legal Insurrection also posted that video clip to Twitter and asked Facebook followers what their defintion of “woke” was.

Here are some of the responses:

“People who DON’T want lower taxes, smaller government, freedom of speech. And DO want everyone to defer to their vision of society with no discussion of such vision.” – D.J.C.

“A primitive religion that must apply to all but them.Includes human sacrifice and defamation of those of any other belief.” – B.W.C.

“Let’s see- telling your employees to ‘be less white’ (Coke), getting rid of icons on Land o’ Lakes, Uncle Ben’s, Aunt Jemima. All products I won’t support.” – A.M.

“Woke means you’re so open minded your brains fell out. Your feels outweigh your lack of logic and reason.” – Conservatarians FB page.

“People who don’t have a clue about the real world and real science deniers . example, men [can] have babies …total nonsense.” – J.A.

“Having the ability to deny reality and to formulate a bizarre fantasy world that can never be achieved.” – R.C.

“Their rule is ‘no rules’ Except, of course, if you break the no rules rule then you are subject to abuse because there is no rule against abusing anyone or otherwise depriving them of a peaceful life.” – P.A.

“A group of people who are trying to force everyone in the world to be like them. Will not permit folks to live their life as they choose.” – W.B.

From “P.E” on the LI Facebook page:

From “B.M.” on the LI Facebook page:

What’s your definition of “woke”?

— Stacey Matthews has also written under the pseudonym “Sister Toldjah” and can be reached via Twitter. —

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