Letter to the Editor: Submitted by Ann Fields

To the Editor:
What is “woke”? During the last political cycle, many politicians started to use the term “woke.” What does “woke” mean? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “woke” means “aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice).”
Another definition of woke is: “Woke means awakened to the needs of others. To be well informed, thoughtful, compassionate, humble and kind. Eager to make the world a better place for all people.” (AudreyLovesParis)

What is bad or wrong about being “woke”? Shouldn’t we be aware of the facts and the needs of others around us - poverty, hunger, polluted water and air, educational needs, racial injustice, and inflation, to name a few.

If we can agree on these needs, then we can try to make Iowa and the United States a better place by working toward solutions for these needs. Why is being “woke” a bad thing?

Ann Fields
Lansing