Tony Atkinson
1 min readDec 2, 2021

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You have common courtesy, which should forbid the use of derogatory terms and names. Then you have Political Correctness, a somewhat Orwellian term for the attempt to outlaw certain words, phrases and representations with the idea that if people don't have the words any more, they won't be able to have the thoughts and if they see the desirable state of things regularly represented in media etc, they will come to behave in the desirable way - "Monkey see, monkey do."

Wokeness is something entirely different. Wokeness is middle-class white people complaining that there aren't enough Black or gay characters in Harry Potter. It's demanding to know why Peter Jackson did not insert Black or gay characters into The Lord of the Rings. It's writing to the BBC demanding that the next Doctor Who be openly gay or non-binary. It's people insisting that every work of English Literature that does not include enugh PoC or LGBTQ+ characters in significant roles be removed from schools and exam syllabi.

Wokeness is White/Straight/Cis guilt gone barmy. It's a way for privileged young people to show their anti-oppression credentiuals from the comfort of their keyboards. Above all, it absolves them from actually doing anything!

It is of no appreciable practical help to anyone. As a Union rep I spent ten years not being PC, not being Woke, just playing hardball in negotiations until things got changed!

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Tony Atkinson
Tony Atkinson

Written by Tony Atkinson

Snapper-up of unconsidered trifles, walker of paths less travelled by. Writer of fanfiction. Player of games. argonaut57@gmail.com

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