I Am #Woke

#WOKE

The word woke is being used by a handful of politicians in Canada, especially Pierre Poilievre.

Like it’s a diminutive word that we should be shamed with.

Nope.

I am #woke.

I am a middle aged white guy who’s made mistakes (and will probably continue to make mistakes).

BUT I’m committed to repair.

I join a growing range of people that believe that lifting people up and out of their situations rather than putting them down. I believe in freedom, but I believe in taxes, governments and other institutions that deliver structure, equity and justice.

I don’t believe in companies hiding behind governments, profiteering at the expense of the public.

I believe in a social contract, one that obliges me to act for the greater good.

I wear the word #woke with pride and responsibility.

Pierre Poilievre is dangerous.

He wants us to argue. He wants us to be in a constant state of rage.

He uses words like ‘slave’ and ‘master’ like they’re not invoking a horrible history of colonization.

He has actively converted the ‘Conservative Party of Canada’ into the ‘Convoy Party of Canada’ or ‘Conspiracy Party of Canada’. He thinks ‘cancel culture’ takes away from his history, but it’s not pie.

Pierre Poilievre is leaning into the extreme right and we need to be concerned that any political party in Canada – or elsewhere – would make this kind of mistake.

Giving someone quality of life or quantity of respect costs much less than he’ll have you believe.

I don’t use a lexicon that is built by angry racists, terrorists and bullies and embedding it into public policy is just wrong.

I am not afraid to say that I am #woke.