Apartment Management Magazine Somebody Awoke the “Woke” – That’s No Joke!
According to the great repository of knowledge of this Universe, Wikipedia, the term “awake” refers to the awareness of issues that concern social and racial justice. The use of the term “awakened” resurfaced in 2014 in connection with the Black Lives Matter movement as a label of vigilance and activism regarding racial inequalities and other social disparities such as discrimination against the LGBTQ + community, women, men and women. immigrants and other marginalized populations.
“Woke”, however, has an earlier debut. Centuries ago, the term was used instead of “awake”, which is the usual form of the past participle of awakening (I had to search because I had forgotten what a past participle was in my lessons. English in high school. I studied accounting in college, so what do I know about past participles? However, a past participle is the form of a verb, usually ending in “-ed” in English, which is used to form perfect and passive tenses and sometimes as an adjective, eg “watched” in “have you watched?” or “lost” as in “lost property.” Now I got a little more confused…). This then led to the use of the term “awake” as an adjective similar to “awake,” which has become common here in the United States.
In 1860, the term “awake” was adopted by supporters of Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party who called themselves the “Wide Awakes” movement formed primarily in opposition to the spread of slavery, and members of the group have often been encouraged to stay. “Awake”. A 1938 recording by black American folk singer-songwriter Huddie Ledbetter says it contains the phrase “best stay awake.” By the mid-20th century, “awake” had come to mean “knowledgeable” or “aware”, particularly in a political or cultural sense. More recently, however, the use of “awake” has now embraced the earlier meaning with an additional sense of being “alert to social and / or racial discrimination and injustice”. The most common usage of the term has been popularized by soul singer Erykah Badu’s 2008 song, “Master Teacher”, where in the song’s chorus he uses the words “I stay awake”. In 2017, “woke” debuted in the Oxford Dictionary.
Today’s “awakened” movement has brought with it “the cancellation of culture” by means of “awakened activism”. We’ve all seen it in the news several times over the past year, cases of statues falling or broken, school names changed (What President Washington, the “father of our nation “did to an awakened activist?), speakers banned from college campuses to avoid violence or simply to quell dissenting opinions, or even the seemingly history-altering curriculum that is now taught in schools across the country.
Over the past two years, the “awakened” have really “awakened”. As rental housing providers who despite how little income we can earn or the equity in rental properties we may own, we are banished along with all the other perceived social ills that exist in the world today. . Many of us are now vilified by the media, or attacked by those to whom we praise or who are elected by popular vote. If there was a time when it was easy to “own”, these times “are not” today. Not by far!
This “awakened” initiative to “cancel culture” is what worries me the most. Of course, absolutely, we have to address the fact that social injustices exist, but should this come at the cost of eradicating those who are perceived to be “asleep” (the opposite of “awake” is “asleep”) or the ‘unawakened’? “Slowly but surely it feels like we’re all” dog-eared “here. Some might remember the phrase by the way,” Death by a thousand cuts. “It’s there. that we are. Will “canceling culture” lead us down the path and over the cliff of “canceling private property?” I don’t know and I certainly hope not , but it looks like we’re slowly moving in that direction unless something is done, and that’s where YOU come from.
In recent years, we have been subjected to chants of rage for “canceling the rent”. More and more we are subject to rent regulations such as lower and lower “caps” on increases, protections against eviction for just cause, anti-harassment orders for tenants and many more rules. and regulations that we find it difficult to follow and understand. . Much crazier proposals such as removing our right to quit a losing money company (a / k / a, proposing to impose restrictions or eliminate Ellis law entirely) or forcing us to grant a right first refusal to buy our properties from our tenants who are struggling to pay their rent let alone commit to a mortgage payment (a / k / a, Berkeley’s “TOPA” or Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act) is sufficient to drive us all crazy. And don’t even get me started on the multitude of unfair eviction moratoria and rent increase freezes that many of us have now been subjected to for over a year with (as of writing) no end in. seen for many. No wonder I drink!
So where does all this “go” to? I have to say that we have major problems to face here, gentlemen. But, while there seems to be a constant barrage of issues that we must now overcome and deal with, nothing is insurmountable with all of this. We can and have retaliated, and we can and will prevail. All it takes is “numbers”. If we can all be on the same page, eliminate our apathy that may exist in some of us, and the constant expectation that “so and so” will take care of things for us (this “such” besides, it is the very large owners who, by the way, are tired of constantly putting up with the small owners), we can make progress in reversing the situation which seems to worsen in which we find ourselves. I’ve seen it before. Just look at our results on propositions 10 and 21 – we can do it.
I must say, however, that I am often frustrated when we here at the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles issue a “call to action” to get you involved by calling a board meeting, writing to a representative. government and donating to our Legal Fund or one of our Political Action Committees (CAPs). In case you haven’t realized it, here in California politics it takes money to influence our state and local governments. Yet why, when it comes to paying membership dues, are less than 20% of members making the voluntary contributions we ask for for our Legal Fund and PACs? This is a bad statistic and it shows me that housing providers are not on the same page. It really saddens me. Also, despite what could easily have become total devastation for all of us, so many people failed to help us overcome propositions 10 and 21 (“so and so” fortunately helped us anyway).
Often times I hear members by email asking me about the status of one or more of our four ongoing trials, asking or sometimes demanding an update from me, saying if our chances are good that ‘they will help the cause, and I always answer you with the latest update, then “nothing”. No help ! Did I say something wrong? I ask you to help just for yourself, your property rights, your livelihood, your wealth and your financial security. This is why I am as passionate as I am, and why I am never afraid to ask anyone for money to help our valiant cause and seek justice for all housing providers. By the way, I’m in the same boat as well, owning a rental property as well and helping our legal fund and PACs as much as possible.
I encourage you. Help us regain our rights and ease the regulatory constraints we face. Give and encourage others to do the same. Know that the voluntary contributions on your renewal bill go to a worthy cause – to you and others like you. Heed our calls from time to time for financial assistance. We’re a simple, non-profit company with a limited budget and resources, and your base dues don’t cover much, and with your help we can do a lot more.
Always know that our team here at the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles will always have the best interests of you, its members, at heart. We want to serve you in the best possible way. And, please, consider making a contribution today to our Legal Fund at www.aagla.org/legalfund or to one of our PAC at www.aagla.org/contribute. It takes money to win, and with money we will win.
