Missing the “wokeness” point

I don’t say this often. Sue Lani Madsen (“Seattle, convince us’ backward-thinking people’,” Nov. 20) makes a good point. Yes, “wokeness” can go too far. This is a viewpoint she shares with progressives such as Bill Maher.

However, the overall thrust of her piece is reflective of a primary problem that “wokeness” was created to address: the limited perspective and disproportionate aggrievement of a sizable number of our fellow citizens. Trump voters have found a way to ignore, downplay, or (worse yet) support Trump’s unprecedented corruption, perpetual lies and haphazard dismantling and abuse of our flawed but vital institutions, including our justice system and national security infrastructure.

They are prone to believe in conspiracy theories but not scientific reality. These are ignorant and dangerous views, which I am not supposed to point out, as it will offend their anti-elitist sensibilities. In fact, it might well lead them to show us all how free (reflexively defiant) they can be by doing something like not wearing masks or voting against their own interests.

What are we arrogant elitists to do, then, about those surrounding us who are so impervious to reason? Many are nice people who readily help you get your car out of a ditch or give you produce from their garden. But too many of them are misguided in ways described years ago by people like Richard Hofstadter and Eric Hoffer and recently by Jon Meacham. We have a lot more work to do.

Ron Doyen

Spokane