This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
One can chalk up a huge loss this week to “wokism.”
That’s the concept that everything in the world has to be in alignment with the politically correct, socially acceptable, LGBT and abortion ideologies.
It happened after the corporation in the United Kingdom that owns the rights to Roald Dahl’s books, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” among others, decided it would edit all of those writings to conform them to “wokeness.”
The public backlash was huge.
And just as abruptly, the company announced it was reversing course.
“We’ve listened to the debate over the past week which has reaffirmed the extraordinary power of Roald Dahl’s books and the very real questions around how stories from another era can be kept relevant for each new generation,” announced Francesca Dow, the managing director of Penguin Random House Children’s. “As a children’s publisher, our role is to share the magic of stories with children with the greatest thought and care. Roald Dahl’s fantastic books are often the first stories young children will read independently, and taking care of the imaginations and fast-developing minds of young readers is both a privilege and a responsibility.”
A report in Washington Examiner explained that it was the U.K.’s Puffin U.K. that released a statement it would publish two editions of Dahl’s books, “one that maintains the original language and another with the editorial changes that included eliminating entire sentences and replacing gendered language.”
The report explained Dahl’s books use unacceptable language such as “fat” and “men” and the publisher claimed those had to be eliminated to be acceptable.
“Some books saw descriptions and sentences entirely deleted or changed to language that had no connection to the original text,” the report explained.” The publisher will now release two editions of Dahl’s books, which include well-known titles such as “Matilda,” “James and the Giant Peach,” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”
The originals will appear under the Penguin banner, and the “socially acceptable” edited versions under another name.
The announcement confirmed readers “will be free to choose which version of Dahl’s stories they prefer.”
Francesca Dow, of Penguin, said, “We have proudly published Roald Dahl’s stories for more than 40 years in partnership with the Roald Dahl Story Company. Their mischievous spirit and his unique storytelling genius have delighted the imaginations of readers across many generations.”
That, however, apparently wasn’t good enough, under the company’s recent announcement. But that decision, to censor Dahl, apparently was a failure, too.
The “woke” agenda has been growing quickly across America, used by those who advocate for racism being taught in schools, race-based policies being imposed on society, and even financial “reparations” being paid to those who say they are of a disfavored race.
The New York Post, however, warned just months ago that while the idea “began with noble intentions – to raise public consciousness about the enduring impact of racism, sexism and inequality” – it now is “a severe form of political correctness, forced upon the public, with little tolerance for argument or debate.”
The report explained, “The ‘woke’ insisted that people of color be called ‘BIPOC,’ artistic license be deemed ‘cultural appropriation,’ and Latinos be referred to as the gender-neutral ‘LatinX’ — a term few Hispanics like and almost never use. Gender itself was declared to be as elastic and expansive as possible, along with an endless array of pronouns to express every sexual identity. Embraced by progressive politicians and enshrined in Democratic platforms, anyone who questioned — or felt mildly curious about — these commandments was mocked, ridiculed, and ultimately canceled.”
