Can you be a liberal, and be 'old fashioned', too?

[Padraig18]

I ask myself this question periodically, because I tend to be very 'traditional/old fashioned' in some areas, primarily as regard the family. The latest thing to happen that made me ask myself that was the 'underwear bill' in Virginia. Now I happen to think it's silly fad, I also don't think it's something the government should concern itself with. My basic reaction is, "Why do their parents let them out of the house looking like that?".

Am I a reactionary, and just don't know it?

:shrug:

[WI_DEM]

1. Of course you can

[pbartch]

19. I'm OLD FASHIONED about some stuff but am still

Liberal about lots of areas.....pro choice for one thing!

[Az]

2. In this day and age? Hell yeah

Liberals are out of style these days. The definition of old fashion if you will.

[jswordy]

3. No yer just older and you maybe have forgotten that kids need rebellion

If you basically live and let live, you are liberal enough for me.

;)

It is also nice, though, if you believe your purpose in life is to help others. And that all boats should rise.

On the undie thing, I heard two men talking in the store yesterday about it and one said to the other "They need to do that!" and the other agreed.

If this type of authoritarianism rankles you like it did me, you're OK.

[Padraig18]

4. "Live and let live"

That sums me up fairly well.

:)

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

5. Nine letters: FDR. HST. JFK.

That's "old times"... innit?

[progressoid]

6. That's not old fashioned - it's just common sense

Just because you are a liberal doesn't mean you have to stop bathing, wear Birkensocks, and become a tree huggin vegan (although go ahead if you want). Dobson and OReilly etc have conditioned people to see libruls as ultra wacked out commies. Don't let the labels throw you.

Hell, most American liberals would be considered conservative in Europe.

[MissMarple]

7. I understand your reaction. I used to feel that way myself.

:D But, regarding the pants, sometimes parents have to pick their battles and issues. A lot of stuff becomes a non issue because they outgrow it. Drugs, alcohol, dishonesty, and lack of respect for others are some of the ones that I will go off on. And if wasn't the pants thing, it would be something else. Every generation does it. In the 1930's my step dad said his friends left the house in clean corduroys and pristine white shirts, they walked in the school door rumpled, dirty and with their sleeves rolled up. :eyes:

[Placebo]

8. You Freeper Scum.

Just kidding. :P

But I hear you, I often find myself saying, thinking, and doing much more "traditional" things around my parents, like "Act your age!"

I guess they're more liberal than I am.

[Padraig18]

9. Whew! I'm reassured, reading these replies.

I can rest easier now. Thanks!

:grouphug:

[grace0418]

10. That's the beauty of being liberal!

You're absolutely allowed to have your opinions and personal beliefs. Liberals just don't force them down everyone else's throat. One of my brothers is really into his Catholic church. Granted, it's a super liberal church that has no problem with gays and women priests, but it's still a Catholic church and I (as a recovering Catholic) don't happen to agree with the Catholic church's teachings or history. But he and I get along great, in fact he's one of the most liberal people I know. And he NEVER forces his ideas on faith down my throat. So it's all good.

[Zuni]

39. I am a very religious Christian

and I do not feel my faith in any way interferes with my politics. I believe in the seperation of church and state, absolutely. I do not feel the government has to support a religious view for me to live as a Christian.

My faith in my savior, Jesus Christ, does not make me puritan or bigoted or conservative. The Death Penalty is unChristian, for example.
It was Jesus said, after all,"let he who is without sin cast the first stone." I feel it is the Lord's job to judge and I should just try to be good to my fellow man, and to all of God's creatures.

Ad all these judgemental "Christians" should remember what Jesus Christ was really about, and learn from his teachings

[grace0418]

44. Exactly. YOU get it.

And you are a Christian in the true sense of the word. Love God, love your neighbor, help the poor, don't cast stones. It's not that difficult but those right-wing "Christian" fundies sure don't seem to get it.

[Zuni]

45. Thank You

I feel the world would be a far better place if people actually listened to what Christ said, and not just invoke his name as an excuse for all manner of ills

[grace0418]

46. Amen to that

and you're welcome.

[ScreamingMeemie]

11. I am proud of my "old fashioned" "traditionalist" life. I won't let my

daughter dress like a baby slut, I walk up to kids in the mall all the time and tell them their pants are falling down. Basically, I embarass my daughter, but I hope ,on some level, she'll be proud of me for it someday. :hi:

[Padraig18]

She knows you love her.

You can forgive an old fogey a lot, if you know that they love you.

:hug:

[Karenina]

17. My son broke his hand

banging against the wall, pissed at me cuz I interrupted him and his girlfriend (not convinced of her age and after previously telling them BOTH, ES GEHT NICHT) doing the horizontal bop in MY FLAT while I was in the next room.

He says I'm a hypocrite who made a "pre-emptive strike."

I'm just "old-fashioned." :silly:

[cally]

28. Hugs

I swear teens are insane at times. What do the expect you would do. :shrug:

[Karenina]

33. I asked him

why they don't hang at HER flat. Hmmm... Parents nearby. Then I asked why he respected HER parents wishes and not MINE. "YOU'RE supposedly a LIBERAL." Sorry, NO TEENIE FUCKING IN MY FLAT! So maybe I'm not so liberal after all. :shrug:

[Dark]

47. Oh, like your generation didn't do stupid shit too. . . eom

[Karenina]

48. Back in the day...

I did LOTS of over-the-top shit runnin' wild in the streets of NYC. My mother, to her dying day, may she rest in peace, was NEVER privy to my shenanigans.

[Book Lover]

12. Depends on what you mean by "old-fashioned"

Don't recall the exact quote, but the story goes that once Woody Guthrie and some Stovepipe-Hat Capitalist once were discussing the state of America, and Woody said something like, "You want to go back in time before the New Deal. I want to go back in time when we all lived in villages and helped one another."

Me, I sometimes write with walnut ink and hand bind books. I study languages like pre-Coptic Egyptian and Akkadian so they can't be called dead languages. That's over-the-top old-fashioned!

[AuntiBush]

13. Yes! Yes, yes, yes!!!

:hi: I am adamantly liberal minded, and feel the utmost sincere love, compassion and tolerant to all fellow human beings! Yet, I hold staunchly to old-fashioned values.

Raised by my grandparents both born in WVA, they migrated into the big city after WWII for jobs. Yet, they encouraged me to check-out all religions on my own as a child, and taught me to be always "love my neighbors" even across the vast oceans. Still, they were old-fashioned in many respects.

But, my grandparents didn't allow any type of "FEAR" play into our Family's thinkings or lifestyles, ever!

I rather feel sorry for those in our country, void of education, and cultural diversities. Bu$hits*Co studied them well over the years. That's what Democrats must embrace and study, not just for their votes, but to save them for the most evilest in charge.

[guitar man]

14. I hope so

I'm actually a populist when I get right down to it. According to the RW talkbots, that makes me an America-hating commie pinko scumbag. I get all warm and fuzzy when RW'ers call me that :)

I agree, these kids with the pants are the most ridiculuos and repulsive thing I have ever seen. I agree govt. shouldn't get involved, but if they must, I would also propose a "butcrack bill".The low riding pants with the undies is one thing, but some of the beer gutted hillbilly freeper ass crackers with the low riding pants and the "plumber's crack" syndrome are way more offensive to look at.

[Starlight]

15. Conservatives just *PRETEND* to have traditional values...or any values

for that matter. What's more traditional than taking care of our elderly & disabled? Teaching our children? Meeting our obligations to the community? Conservation? Thrift? Charity? Hard work? Respect for the earth & environment? Ethics? Honesty? Concern for future generations? THESE are the real traditional values!! :kick:

[icymist]

16. I'm Liberal and my heart is with the Victorian age.

BTW, what's the 'underwear bill' in Virginia?

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

20. isn't that a bit of an incongruity?

:shrug:

[icymist]

49. Huh!? My heart still can't be Liberal and in the Victorian Age?

eom.

[Zuni]

40. It is our leaders protecting us from evil!

:evilgrin:

[icymist]

50. Hmmmm. I'm not sure if I want you to explain how....

all our leaders.....in fact, any of our leaders here are "protecting us from evil". To be truth with you, I don't get what you what. Are you trying to say that somehow our underwear, what we wear under our clothing, has some Natrional bearing on the outcome of things within the scope of influence in the world?

[ikojo]

18. I live a very conservative lifestyle and consider myself

progressive or liberal if you so choose. Just because I choose to live conservatively does not mean everyone should.

Regarding the sagging law in Virginia...parents don't always know what their teens look like once they get to school. Teen girls are NOTORIOUS for leaving the house dressed one way in front of mom but arriving at school or their final destination dressed differently.

[CubsFan1982]

21. Reactionary?

Don't you have to be old and grizzled to be a reactionary?

[Withywindle]

22. I'm a liberal and...

...I still write letters.

Like, on paper. Put them in envelopes. With stamps. And then into that big blue box on the corner. :thumbsup:

[CubsFan1982]

26. Letters? On paper?

I do not know of what you speak! :D

[Withywindle]

29. Too young to remember, are ya?

Sometimes I even use...



my hand....


and a PEN.

[CubsFan1982]

30. Wow

You just blew my mind! :)

[Strawman]

23. I sometimes like to drink an Old Fashioned and I'm liberal

Cheers! :)

[JohnKleeb]

24. Of course

I have my old ways and my new ways.

[Wat_Tyler]

25. It's odd that you care about it.

Maybe it's symbolic of a divide on the left, between the more libertarian left, civil libertarians if you like, and those who value structure and tradition more.

[angstlessk]

27. I remember my grandmother refused to go the beach cause her bathing

suit had a hole in the knee. So I guess you can be old fashioned then or now. But what will old fashioned look like in say 2050 when the young wipper snappers are grandparents?

[cally]

31. The low rider pants are obscene

I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to just give a little tug and embarass them into some sense. As a parent, I don't forbid them and I definitely don't want a state rule. I try to deal with it by common sense. Point out when they are really too low and then let my kids decide. If I made a rule, I'm sure it would be broken. Any parent who thinks rules will change the child's behavior never faced a rule breaking teen. It's all about values and that's what I try to instill.

[Left Is Write]

32. Yes, I think so.

As for that Virginia bill, I think it's ridiculous. It's a fad. It will pass, as they all do. There are already indecent exposure laws on the books; if someone violates those laws, cite them. Otherwise, the offended can look the other way.

[tigereye]

34. i think they should worry about more important things

than how kids wear their pants. I don't like how it looks either, but parents hated bell bottoms, and hot pants, and halters and platform shoes, and the like, they were horrified by flapper clothes in the 20s. I think teens always push the envelope.

as far as old fashioned goes, I think politeness, consideration and kindness to others are liberal values and old-fashioned values as well. Depends on what aspects of life you are talking about, I guess.

[American Tragedy]

35. I'm kind of old-fashioned. I just don't seek to impose it on others!

It should be always be up to individuals to determine their own lifestyle and moral code.

Legislation like this is merely a part of the constant conservative aim to enforce a charade of conformity. They know that they can never change people's hearts, so they just punish anybody who violates their ideal of the status quo.

This is the logical flaw of the authoritarian right-wing: they don't recognize that if you literally have to physically prevent citizens from burning a flag, you've already lost the battle. You can't instill patriotism or faith or morality via coercion.

[Zuni]

36. There is nothing wrong with political liberalism and traditional values

they are not incompatable.

I am a bit old fashioned myself, and I miss some aspects of the past (though I don't miss much of the ignorance)

[Shredr]

37. The jeans thing is just a fad, like you said

Kids always need a way to express themselves, rebel a little. When I was in HS, we'd fold over then roll up the bottoms of our jeans. Looking back, it was so stupid, but at the time it was the height of cool.

[fujiyama]

38. Of course

This is what bothers me about many conservatives. They believe that the aspect of family life is a very conservative notion and it especially pisses me off that they can't respect all types of families - including gay couples (and especially in matters of marriage and even moreso adoption).

[Jamastiene]

41. I think so

in a lot of ways. I mean the idea of monogamy is old fashioned, but I believe in it. The idea of families eating dinner together on a regular basis is old fashioned but I think it's heartwarming and good for kids. My best memories from childhood are of old fashioned activities. My family, although it wasn't the standard idea of what family is, always did that when I was a kid. I can still remember my mother telling me we'd go see my "aunt" Norma over the weekend and she'd teach me more about politics. She is the one who explained what the cold war was to me. I'll never forget it. I sure miss her. I lost touch over the years. Her son was one of my best friends growing up. He was 10 years older than I was but he taught me a lot about politics and discussing current events. I think although my family wasn't a traditional family I had a traditional family life. It's not bad as far as I am concerned. I miss the family dinners and watching 20/20 and 60 Minutes and all that. The only reason people get upset at right wingers is because they have the wrong idea about what family is and what morality really is. They seem to think it is about alienating people who aren't rude and obnoxious like them.

[B Calm]

42. I'm old fashioned and I believe in LIVE and LET LIVE!

It's not my right to have Washington politicans legislate my moral values on you.

[RazzleCat]

43. About them "baggy" "saggy" pants

I near lost it with laughter about a year ago. I was in a mall when I say a cop walk up to (what looked like some young gang bangers) and say something like, hey let me help you their, looks like them pants are going to fall down, he then gave the kid a huge "wegie". Then he (the cop) said something like, would not want to cite you for flashing son if those should of fallen all the way, and just walked off. Now maybe what he did was wrong, maybe it messed (in a bad way) with the kids head but as far as I was concerned it was near classic street theater.