I don’t know if I have the energy to finish this post, but I’ll start off by saying I read an article in the Washington Post (which I’m a subscriber) written by Robert J Walker titled “I’d be a republican if it weren’t for the republicans. So might many other African Americans.” It was a very interesting article and reminded me of my (now deceased) former teaching partner who was “African American,” had served 20 years in the Air Force (carrying a bullet too close to his heart to remove since the Viet Nam days), had his own church and was a phenomenal pastor, and an incredible educator as we worked together teaching 6th graders who came to our classes (mostly) from low socio economic families – many in “generational poverty.”

I always felt the same way about my friend (probably the BEST friend I’ve ever had) in regard to Mr. Walker’s article. He was – I want to say OBVIOUSLY simply because he was a “fire and brimstone” pastor – a devout Christian, but, as a Christian myself, I’ve been struggling as to why so many Christians remained devoted to the republican party once it was apparent it had been “overrun” by the “Tea Party” and then individual 1. The RACISM in the republican party should be OBVIOUS to anyone – for heaven’s sake, individual 1 STILL “rules the roost.” To me, it’s embarrassing watching republican “leaders” who KNOW BETTER kissing up to a TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president who has a KNOWN history of RACISM. And, clearly, the republican party is resorting to what has been referred to as “21st Century Jim Crow” as a strategy to remain in POWER instead of appealing to our nation’s populace with “the battle of ideas” aimed at making life better for MOST of Americans.

I’m not going to go over this article in depth, but you can find it by clicking HERE if you’re interested. Well, right after reading Mr. Walker’s article, I read an article in the Post written by Senator Tim Scott a republican from South Carolina. What caused me to kind of “cringe” as I read Mr. Scott’s article was his repeated reference to “wokeism” or “woke supremacy” in his defense of himself remaining a republican and, in essence, lashing out at anyone who thinks he’s an “uncle tom,” or words to that effect. His article can be found by clicking HERE. Well, I’ve heard republicans using the word “woke” kind of “across the board” as they attempt to define those of us who believe in equality of ALL Americans and divide us from the reality the republican “base” is INFECTED by white nationalists/supremacists. That’s just a FACT. One which I sensed Mr. Scott was attempting to skirt.

The FIRST thing I had to admit, to myself, after reading Mr. Scott’s article was that I had no idea what “wokeism” or “woke supremacy” actually means. I’ve heard people like Ted Cruz using the term and other right wing republicans and I’ve just assumed it was another of their terms they put into the “Big Lie Theory” “hopper.” Meaning, they’re attempting, but using a term OVER and OVER again to “wedge” it into out public persona. So, I had to try to find out what “woke” and “wokeism” actually mean – if anything.

There are many articles on the “web” regarding the meaning of “woke” but I chose to read the “Miriam Webster” definition of “woke.” You can click HERE to read it for yourself if you choose. Here’s what I’ve gathered from reading Webster’s definition and some of the other articles I read including Mr. Scotts. (regrettably) My conclusion is the word “woke” “originated” in the African American community and has been “tied” by conservatives to the “Black Lives Matter” movement along with ALL those who sympathise or outright support that movement. So, what Mr. Scott seems to be referring to when he uses the term “woke supremacy” is “Black supremacy.” I truly hope that’s not the case, I’m just trying to figure out what his point was.

I “get” he’s been demeaned by many for being a Black republican senator – considering he’s had to support a bunch of RACISTS in his own caucus. I have to admit, it’s been hard for me to understand how he’s been able to justify doing so, but what little I’ve seen from him, I have to admit I’ve considered him a republican who MIGHT attempt to work with democrats on issues of significance to “we the people.” So far, MOSTLY disappointed – he couldn’t even bring himself to vote to CONVICT individual 1 in the face of OVERWHELMING evidence of GUILT. I really have struggled to understand why he wasn’t one of the GUILTY votes – but, again, that’s his prerogative.

What he describes as “woke supremacy” would, likely, be ascribed by him as my own struggle to understand how his “ideology matches what ‘i would ascribe’ to match his skin color. He refers to it as the “tolerant left’s intolerance for dissent.” I’ve written about projection before and just because Senator Scott is Black doesn’t excuse him from using the “word salads” which dominate the republican dialect these days. The “tolerant left” isn’t being intolerant to “dissent,” it’s pushing for tolerance for inclusion and fairness for all. This would include Mr. Scott AND all those republicans pushing for the “21st Century Jim Crow laws” which CLEARLY are aimed at discriminating against “people of color.” I really don’t understand how Mr. Scott can NOT be aware of what is happening across this nation and how he can support it, even if by his own silence in it’s wake.

And, drilling the word “woke” into the minds of the right wing Americans who are pushing the “intolerance” Mr. Scott seems to oppose, seems to be a contradiction I couldn’t look away from. The fact Mr. Scott has received what amount to racially biased threats – which are abhorrent and WRONG – just as anyone else, he has the right to his own ideology – as long as it’s NOT negatively impacting others – and if believing that makes me “woke” according to republicans, so be it. However, the term “woke” originated in the African American community and even Mr. Scott can’t cause me to believe it’s becoming part of the racist “dog whistling” of America’s right wing politicians and, to a degree, it grieves me that Mr. Scott is participating in that, in essence, BRAINWASHING of the “republican base.”

Why do I support the Black Lives Matter movement? Because I’m sick and tired of learning about, and in the instance of George Floyd (and a few others), Black Americans being MURDERED by Police Officers who, in most cases, simply “get away with it.” I’m sick of witnessing the discrimination by teaching partner (and many other African American friends) have endured over their lifetimes and CONTINUE to endure – enough ALREADY! Sadly, this country, right now, is experiencing a WAVE of discriminatory LAWS being considered or PASSED in states with republican legislatures aimed DIRECTLY at African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, poor Americans and young Americans with the sole purpose of RIGGING the future elections in this nation. It’s an abomination and I didn’t read anything in Mr. Scott’s article referring to this.

These laws were concocted and written by the Heritage Action group funded by Charles Koch’s Heritage Foundation. Mr. Koch was an early member of the John Birch Society, his father one of the founding members. If you don’t know what they stand for I’ll let you figure it out – but, suffice it to say, these new “laws” are totally aimed at preserving the control of our election system by white people. You don’t have to look very far to see where this republican party is coming from so, I have to say, while I wanted to read Mr. Scott’s article to understand his point of view, it’s almost as if it’s fallen on “deaf ears.” For example, I’ve been following some of the cabinet level appointments of Joe Biden who are African American and profoundly qualified and Mr. Scott has voted AGAINST almost (if not everyone of them) all of them. He voted AGAINST Kristen Clarke, a highly qualified Black woman, to run the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division TWICE!

I guess what I’m saying here is, while I would defend Mr. Scott’s right to believe whatever he wants to believe, I’m failing to understand his reasoning when he refers to “woke supremacy.” Sadly, that feels to me like a Black US Senator sending out “dog whistle” rhetoric to a “base” which really NEEDS to here the TRUTH. And, when I say TRUTH I’m not speaking in spiritual or religious terms. (Disclosure, I’m a “Christian” who struggles to understand people’s “religion” who profess to believe in Christ – but, that’s a thought for another day) The TRUTH I’m talking about is that individual 1 is NOT still the president – even the TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING president. He LOST the election (by OVER 7 MILLION votes – a record “landslide”) he LOST over 60 court challenges to the result, in reality, he’s been a LOSER for most of his life – he’s managed by being in incredible BULLY.

The “walls” are closing in on individual 1 and he’s likely to be INDICTED, very possibly from multiple jurisdictions – one which SHOULD be the Justice Department – and he COULD be spending the rest of his days defending himself from legal jeopardy. And, that’s not even taking into account all the civil lawsuits he’s facing. He’s a “wannabe” mob boss who’s skirted the laws for years and it’s finally catching up to him. I wrote early in his regime he’d come to loathe the day he “won” the “White House.” (Of course, with the help of the Russians)

In unison, the caucus of republican Senators continue to “live in fear” of individual 1’s base – which is made up of people like David Duke, Don Black, and many other “leaders” of the white nationalist movement in America. I’m sorry, but Mr. Scott is choosing to be a part of that movement and, I believe, whatever his “ideology” as he refers to it, gets lost in the reality he’s associating himself with a group of Senators who are, at a minimum, supporting a RACIST agenda. It’s pretty much as simple as that. I could go on, but I hope I’ve made my point. (OK, I have to add one more thing. Mr. Scott seemed to call the democrats efforts to provide funding for “non-white farmers” as “reverse racism.” To me, that borders on outrageous! What was he saying when individual 1 was funneling BILLIONS to white farmers? Little of what he says makes sense to me)

Final Thought: Republicans are scrambling to find ways to keep themselves relevant via their attack on voting rights or their using what I referred to above as the “Big Lie Theory” “hopper.” That is, throwing around “word salads” to see what sticks. Phrases like “cancel culture,” or saying “woke supremacy” is as bad as “white supremacy,” or using Mr. Potato Head to make a point among others are all ways to avoid actually having a debate on ideas. All I hear from republicans is the HATE “liberals” and they’re UNIFIED in OBSTRUCTING Biden’s agenda – which, by the way, is POPULAR with OVER 60% of Americans. This is the classical attempt to RULE via the minority. Our system of government was designed to protect the rights of the minority via the “system of checks and balances” – the executive, the legislature, and the courts. It’s worked for over 240 years, yet republicans, including Mr. Scott, are attempting to find ways to prevent Americans from participating in the electoral process because they vote for democrats. To me, that’s simply CHEATING in plain sight!

One last thing: Mr. Scott referred to his “friend” Krysten Sinema who, he said, received “death threats” after voting against what he called the “job killing minimum wage hike” (That’s ANOTHER argument for another day – among many in his article). I don’t condone, in fact I condemn anyone making “death threats” to ANYONE and, I believe, they should be prosecuted for doing so – but, I find Mr. Scott’s mention of Ms. Sinema to be curious – just as I found a quick press briefing she held recently next to the Senior Senator (a republican) from Texas. It appears to me republicans are “grooming” Ms. Sinema to help her “steely” her resolve to continue supporting the arcane Senate procedure, the filibuster, used historically to support racism, among other obstructions. If fact, just as he did when President Obama was inaugurated, Moscow Mitch McConnell has publicly stated his intent to OBSTRUCT everything in the Senate as long as Joe Biden is president.

So, the reality is as long as the filibuster is not “reformed” or removed, Mitch McConnell continues to rule the Senate. And, I guarantee you this, if republicans succeed in SUPPRESSING millions of democratic leaning voters – or succeed in writing LAWS giving them the right to overrule the “will of the people,” depending on the results of elections, and then regain a majority in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, at that point will repeal the filibuster. Republicans, in my view, are grooming Ms. Sinema and, likely, Joe Manchin in order to be assured of their ability to OBSTRUCT. In today’s Senate and under today’s circumstances there’s NO chance there will be “bipartisanship” in the Senate.

I keep pointing this out, but, NOW, the 2022 election is the MOST important election in my lifetime. Progressives MUST flock to the polls in record numbers, once again, to vote a more significant democratic MAJORITY in the Senate and increase the democratic majority in the House so that the badly needed reforms this nation needs can be addressed. The needed response to the republicans MASSIVE effort at voter SUPPRESSION is a backlash which wipes as many of these republicans from office as possible. The sad reality is, if democrats can’t get the John Lewis Voting Rights Bill and the “For the People Act” passed this year controlling the House may be near impossible for democrats – due to the potential partisan GERRYMANDERING which will take place later this year without the “For the People Act.” Stay tuned………………

Once again, I’m violating my own (sixth grade) rules by publishing this without re-reading or editing. Call it laziness because that’s what it is! Sorry (if you actually got this far :o)