The quick rise of woke to omnipresent is an objective marker of how much American politics has changed over the past few years.
A good book in libraries contains graphic descriptions of violence, sex, and incest. In one passage, the eldest daughter of one of the key protagonists conspires to get her father drunk, then sleeps with him. In another course, a father is instructed to murder his only son. Worse yet, the book is full of woke ideology, urging readers to act justly, walk humbly, and love mercy in response to injustice.
Should this book be banned from schools? Can we have our children exposed to this kind of thing? The book is titled "The Bible."
It is impossible to know precisely how many copies have been printed in the roughly 1500 years since its contents were standardized. Still, research conducted by the Foreign Bible Society suggests that the total number probably lies between 5 and 7 billion copies.
Who will be the first to cast the first stone, contact their local school boards, and demand this harmful book be removed from school libraries and classrooms?
A new set of issues is poised to loom over the coming campaign, from critical race theory and nonbinary pronouns to cancel culture and the fate of university courses.
Years ago, I would have said these topics could divide the liberal arts on some campuses, not American politics.
There's a now a woke part of the federal budget. Wokeness was faulted for the silicon valley Bank collapse.
Parents or politicians can certainly opt out of having their children watch a film or read a book, but they should not prevent all other students from seeing it. They could also appreciate the opportunity to have a discussion with their children about racism, its negative impact, and the struggle for equality.
Therefore we will adopt a new rule here... WE WON'T SAY #WOKE.
Hopefully, a deep-pocketed individual could fund an online service that allows any child to read the literary works they choose. https://yieldgiving.com/
Until now, the philanthropist's team at Yield Giving has discreetly contacted nonprofits they were interested in funding before donating. #YieldGiving https://www.leverforchange.org/challenges/explore-challenges/yieldgivin…
She's committed to donating half of her wealth as part of the Giving Pledge set up by Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, and his then-wife Melinda French Gates.
When Scott signed up for the initiative in 2019, she wrote: "I have a disproportionate amount of money to share. My approach to philanthropy will continue to be thoughtful. It will take time and effort, and care. But I won't wait. And I will keep at it until the safe is empty."
Melinda French Gates previously said she had a "great respect" for Scott and her approach to philanthropy, which could inspire many others.
There are other ways to research, for instance, I volunteer as an instructor at NYPL, which has an expansive collection, expert curators and librarians, and a variety of fellowships and learning opportunities; the New York Public Library is an invaluable resource for writers, scholars, students, and creators worldwide. https://www.nypl.org/research