In war, there are casualties. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ “war on woke” is no exception, writes Dean Obeidallah, as groups cancel gatherings in the state.
Governor DeSantis's policies targeting the LGBTQ community, restricting academic freedom, and banning diversity programs have negatively impacted Florida's economy. Several organizations have canceled conventions and events in Orlando due to concerns over DeSantis's "anti-woke" agenda, resulting in an estimated $20 million loss in revenue for the state. Despite this, DeSantis's spokesperson dismissed the economic impact as a "media-driven stunt." However, boycotts in the past have caused enough economic pain to lead to policy changes, so organizations avoiding Florida are doing the right thing by not spending money there while these policies remain in place.
Yo, listen up, here's the story
About a little guy that lives in a woke world
And all day and all night and everything he sees is just woke
Like him, inside and outside
Woke his house with a woke little window
And a woke Corvette and everything is woke for him
And himself and everybody around
'Cause he ain't got nobody to listen (To listen, to listen, to listen)