LETTER: It’s OK to be woke

In response to Victor Davis Hanson’s March 5 opinion piece on the “woke wrecking machine”: Either Mr. Hanson does not understand the definition of “woke” or he is ignoring it. “Woke” is defined per Wikipedia as “alert to and concerned about injustice and discrimination.” If we all behaved in a woke manner, the world would be a better place. Mr. Hanson blames wokeness for the suppression of free expression, dividing us along racial lines and mandating dogma on climate change, among other ridiculous statements, none of which he supports with facts.

Being woke does not diminish or eliminate the constitutional guarantee of free speech. That should permit the truth to be written and appreciated that this country was built on the backs of slave labor. This is part of American history. However, I don’t believe that favoritism should be used in job or college selection or home ownership. There should be equal opportunity for all based on ability and character (as espoused by Dr. Martin Luther King).

In regard to the origins of the COVID virus, the definitive answer has not been determined. Although the Department of Energy has joined the FBI in attributing this to a leak from a Chinese lab, the DOE attribution was with low confidence. Mr. Hanson did not include that part of the statement.