Question for Lounge-dwelling DU-ers: What makes you a liberal?

[Aristus]

I'm sure this has been asked before, but once more, with feeling.

I'm a liberal because I think we're all in this together, and need to look out for one another. And because if we are to be a true nation, and not just a loose collection of 250,000,000 self-interested individuals, we need to have a structure that reflects that desire. And because I believe we all have something to offer; white, black, yellow, red, gay, straight, purple, orange, tall, short, etc, etc. And because our government, with all its tremendous resources and a huge pool of talent in this country, can be a great force for good. We can change the world for the better. If not us, who? If not now, when?

How about you?

[underpants]

1. Not because I think people are hopeless but because.....

I know they need all the help they can get.

:bounce:

[VelmaD]

2. I have to go to a Halloween thing...

for work here in a minute but since you mentioned this to me on another thread I didn't want you to think I was ignoring it. I promise to come back later and answer. Ok? Ok.

[Aristus]

3. Mmmkay.

:-)

[VelmaD]

24. Ok, I'm back

I only have about 10 minutes til my staff meeting so I guess I'll have to make this brief. I'm a liberal because I believe in people but I'm also a liberal because I believe in government. I believe that when possible people should be allowed to make their own decisions and their own mistakes. But I believe we owe it to each other to have a social safety net to help pick people up. I'm a liberal because I believe it's the government's job to encourage us to be better to one another and to smack people's (or corporation's) hands when they get too far out of line. I'm a liberal because I'm an optimist. I'm a liberal because I'd rather look to the future than live in the past. I'm a liberal because I believe in equal access and equal justice under the law. I'm a liberal because there just isn't any other option if you want a better world for the generations that come after us.

That's the quick and dirty version. There may be mor elater once I've had a chance to think. :-)

[GOPisEvil]

4. I believe that government CAN assist people in improving their lives.

Also, I value individuals over corporations and quality of life over profit.

[La_Serpiente]

5. I have always been for progressive ideas

in regards to race. I also feel that liberals cherish non-violence as a value.

[The Lone Liberal]

6. I am a liberal, because:

When I view the world it is from the viewpoint of my belonging to that world. I am connected to everything in the world, I am part of everything in the world. I am all that is the world. I wanted to be one with the world. Therefore, when someone suffers I suffer, when someone experiences joy I also experience joy. I understand the hunger of a child half-way around the world, I understand the disappointment of the child one street over. I understand the amazement of a butterfly to a baby. I know what it is to be in valley of despair and what it is to be on the highest peak of success. I can feel the death of a dream and the birth of hope. I am a liberal because I am all-people and all-things.

[felonious thunk]

7. Because this is a great country

Because I know how great this country is and I see how much greater it can be. Because the past isn't what made this country great, the future is what will make it better. Because I see an injustice and I know that we have to work together to fix it. Because hate is wrong. Because war is hell. Because I want to stop suffering, even for people I might not agree with. Because we are the government. Because if realism become more like idealism and was no longer an excuse to hate, kill, be greedy, and destroy, think of what a beautiful world we'd live in.

[mac56]

8. An anecdote -

An idealistic young teacher explains to her class that she is a conservative, and asks the kids if any of them are conservatives too. Not really knowing what conservatives are but wanting to be like their teacher, their hands pop up into the air, and they shout out,”Me! Me!”

There is, however, one exception. A young girl named Lucy sits quietly with her hands on her desk. The teacher asks why she has decided to be different.

"Because I'm not a conservative."

“Really?” asks the teacher. "What are you?"

"I'm a liberal."

The teacher is a little perturbed now, her face slightly red. She asks Lucy why she is a liberal.

"Well, I was raised to believe in equality and equity, and in ensuring the common welfare. My mom is a liberal, and my dad is a liberal, so I am a liberal."

The teacher is now angry. "That's no reason," she says loudly. "What if your mom was a moron, and your dad was a moron? What would you be then?"

Lucy pauses and smiles. "Then," she says, "I'd be a conservative."

[Loonman]

9. Because issues are not black and white

Despite what neo-cons say.

[RebelOne]

10. Because I hate George W. Bush.

I had too much interest in politics until the 2000 election. I knew then that I did not want Bush to win because I was convinced that he was a total idiot. Since that time, I have been committed to getting him unselected.

[SOteric]

11. I'm a progressive because of the content of my character.

Because I value diversity and the worth of every individual and eschew bigotry, I'm am a progressive.

Because I treasure the multi-faceted jewel that is this planet and her fragile ecology, I am a progressive.

Because I believe that lip-service to education, and 'teaching to tests,' gets you a nation of people unable to think for themselves; I am a progressive.

Because I believe that character at home and thuggery abroad is an abomination of civilised behaviour and correct-thinking, I'm a progressive.

Inasmuchas I see the value of paying one's dues (taxes) to participate in an enviable society, I am a progressive.

Because I see the value of not casting the poor and the sick out onto the street to fend for themselves, I am a progressive.

Because I can spell, think, walk upright and my family tree has a distinct fork in it, I am a liberal and not a Republican conservative.

[commander bunnypants]

12. Cause I believe in people over profit

the guvment is here to serve the people, some people need help, I look out for the Underdog, poverty is a culture but thtough education folks can get out of poverty, i believe in the right to choose, to live one's life as they wish without interference-and chimpy is just plain ugly

Kill chimpy, kill chimpy, kill chimpy-damn voices in my head, sorry


DDQM

[rbnyc]

13. I confess an attachment to enmity.

I'm a liberal because I'm anti-Republican. I will never give up my banner until the enemy has been crushed.

Beyond that, I'm a liberal because I believe the needs of people trump the needs of corporations. I'm a liberal because I believe the needs of a woman trump concern for the unborn. I'm a liberal because I believe that the more resources and abilities a person has the more social responsibility a person has. I'm a liberal because I believe that nature is to be cherished, not exploited--we exist within it, not above it. I'm a liberal because I believe in the overwhelming need to find a replacement for war. I'm a liberal because it's possible for me to see beyond my own particular point of view and I don't fear things that I don't understand. I'm a liberal because I care.

[sasquatch]

14. Because there's no "I" in team

We all win or we all lose. We must respect the wishes of the majority along with respecting the rights of the individual. The worker has the right to be profitable if the company he/she works for is profitable. Religous beliefs are what one has the right to make his personal judgement on without he/she being forced into or allowed to be forced on others. Creating a great society so all can be able to prosper and live peacefuly. That's why I'm a liberal.

[Blue-Jay]

21. No, but there's an 'M' and an 'E'.

:D

Seriously though, I believe that we're all in this together. Each human being is important and connected. I'm not greedy. If I have to pay a few more bucks in taxes to house the homeless, I'll do it gladly. I support a less-intrusive government. Who is the pot smoker hurting? Nobody. Who does it hurt if Jane wants to leave all her earthly possesssions to her partner Jill? Nobody. If Chuck and Darrell want to get married and benefit from lower insurance rates, I think that's great. I'm a liberal because I believe that the common good is more important than me being able to buy a Jaguar. I'm a liberal because I know that there is "enough to go around" in this country. I'm a liberal because I don't think that insurance companies should be able to tell health care professionals what treatment is needed to help a sick person. I'm a liberal because I believe that Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness does not refer to net profits.

Name me ONE thing that a conservative has ever conserved.

[bowens43]

15. Conservatives made me a liberal ........

[ieoeja]

16. I don't like bullies.

I can ignore a certain amount directed my way. But from early on I have had a reflexive reaction to seeing someone else bullied. Social Darwinism is nothing more than a fancy way of saying bullying, and it disgusts me that a major political spectrum would actually embrace this philosophy.

I believe very strongly in freedom. While I freely admit there are elements on the Left who put security ahead of freedom (supporters of MADD, anti-firearm, communists, etc), I am not blind to the fact that there are simliar elements on the Right (the board of directors for MADD, law-and-order conservatives, anti-democracy corporatists and religionists, etc). Furthermore I recognize that currently the Republican Party pays far more heed to those elements whithin their party than does the Democratic Party. And exactly how stupid does one have to be in order to fear a Leftish coup by the military and/or federal law enforcement? Do Freepers actually believe cops and military guys are bunch of a raving Greenies?

I do compromise my liberal ways when it comes to economic matters. I am still conservative and liberal enough to oppose the extremist measures suggested by the more progressive members of this board ("100% tax on everything about N amount of dollars!"). But I do see economic freedom as a less essential right and am willing to bend further in the interest of economic security. History proved Laissez Faire a horrendous failure with extreme poverty and a never ending cycle of economic depressions which only worsened as technology increased. And we did not grow out of that morass. We legislated out of it (the New Deal in particular).

[ieoeja]

25. Let me correct something.

It has always bugged me slightly that I am "willing to sacrifice freedom for security" on economic issues. But thinking about this after writing it I think I have been looking at that wrong. It occurs to me that (aside from the most extreme nutcases) nobody is arguing for absolute freedom outside of the sphere of economics.

On the right to keep and bear arms I am pretty much an extremist. For instance, I'd be okay with allowing them on commercial airlines. And I doubt many people would go for that nowadays. Yet even I have draw lines. I really think, for instance, that it would be a really bad idea to allow prisoners the right to keep and bear arms in their cells.

Freedom of speech? Of course! Playing my radio at a volume that makes it impossible for my neighbors to sleep? No.

And so it goes. Find any subject, and you're going to find virtually nobody arguing for absolute freedom.

Except for economics. The limits on economic freedom that (non-radical) progressives wish to impose may not represent as liberal a viewpoint as that espoused by laisez faire conservatives, but they do still support an idea that is pretty liberal. Mainstream Right-wing arguments on the economy will fit in better with their other liberal arguments only if they also start arguing for disbanding all non-economic law enforcement and punishments as well.

[DBoon]

17. Richard Nixon

n/t

[kmla]

18. My reasons for bein' a liberal...

... I am an eternal optimist. I always expect the best from my fellow man. I give people the benefit of the doubt when it comes to making decisions. I genuinely believe most people are GOOD, not evil.
... I believe people don't really want a small government, they want a good one. One that lends a hand to those who need one, and gently nudges society in the right direction.
... I believe we are the stewards of the planet we live on, not the proprietors. Our time here is brief.
... I believe looking for a reason to dislike someone is counterproductive. "He's gay! He's black! She's a feminist! He looks like an A-Rab! They are not like us!" These are the arguments of xenophobes, not rational people.
... I like the idea that I can say what I want to, as long as it doesn't infringe on someone else's rights. No matter how stupid, or how smart, how inane, or even sacreligious. I can say it, and not be imprisoned.
... I like the idea of following the tenets of any religion I want. I don't have to worry about offending someone else (or a government official, for that matter) if I am a Catholic, or Protestant, or Wiccan, or Buddhist, or Muslim, or Episcopalian, or Baptist, or Methodist, etc. And these rights should be available to everyone. Not just Christians.

There's a few. Howzzat?

[PROGRESSIVE1]

19. I am a Liberal/Progressive becuase:

all people have a right to live! Everyone has a right to be given equal treatment and a fair chance to succeed! The Right Wing believes that the wealthy have a predetermined right to control the strings of power! We has Liberals believe that everyone should have a say and be considered! There cannot be descrimination based upon
gender, race, religion, political backround, handicap, and sexual orientation. All viewpoints must be allowed to exist in a free nation!

We are a great nation, we have the greatest opportunities, the greatest freedoms and no "MotherFUknow the rest" FReeper is going to take that away from me!!!

[MnFats]

20. because of what i've seen, and..

....because I turned 16 the year Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy, my two most heroic figures, were murdered, and then we wound up with "President" Nixon, who tried to sodomizethe Constitution to save his own ass; because each of the right-wing presidents in my adult life (Nixon, Ford, Reagan, the Bushes) have been evil criminals (OK, Ford may have simply been a bungler) who care so little for ordinary people; because the Dem leaders in my state and nation have been basically decent people (though some have BIG flaws) because the left (Wellstone, etc.) have had good ideas that would work if given a chance; because the Republican party has become one of greed that has no qualms about squashing nations large and small that do not do our bidding; because the Republicans' motto seems to be "I've got mine; if you don't have yours yet, tough hop. You must be a defective American."
well, the list goes on and on, and there's more but...

[thom1102]

22. I am a liberal because...

... well, I don't really know. Liberal ideology just makes sense to me. The idea that those for whom the system has worked well, owe a greater debt to that society rather than those struggling to get by. Equality for all, a strong seperation between church and state, the protection of all peoples civil liberties, a strong emphasis on an excellent and free public education system, watching out for the most vulnerable people in our society, and doing what we can to improve their plight. These are all the reasons why I am a liberal.

You know, when I was a boy, my parents forced me to attend Catholic religious education (CCD classes, otherwise known as "Sunday School"), and I was often dragged kicking and screaming weekly to those classes, but I have always had the capacity to absorb the material that is presented to me, whether I liked the subject of not. So despite being forced to go to these classes, the message seeped in, and that message was Love, and inclusion, and turning the other cheek, and do onto others etc. Now here is the kicker: what they taught us in CCD was everything that I have come to value as a liberal. So how can the right claim to be the religious ones when their message of hate and intolerance is the antithesis of everything I ever learned in CCD class about being a good christian? Where is liberatorrev when you need him!

[regularguy]

23. I was about 18 at the time,

reading Atlas Shrugged (after enjoying "The Fountainhead" pretty much) and suddenly just said to myself: "This is just so much fucking bullshit"! Been liberal ever since.

I think maybe it was the part where she celebrates people that steal from the poor to give (back) to the rich that pushed me over the edge. Observing President Regan sealed the deal.

[cmd]

26. I care about other people

i'm just one small dot in this huge world. I don't want to be a selfish dot grabbing from the other dots in the world. I hope to be known as one who plays fair and shares. I need help in doing this; so I hang out with other like minded dots. :hi:

[geniph]

27. Because Might Makes Right

only works until a bigger bully comes along.

Because the needs of the many usually outweigh the needs of the one.

Because I believe it is indecent for those with abundance not to help those with nothing.

Because this planet is all we have, and poisoning it would be the height of evil.

Because there is no difference between races, genders, sexual orientations, etc., when it comes to intelligence and ability, and all people should have the opportunity to excel.

Because I believe people's private lives are not the business of others.

Because the Bill of Rights is the greatest document ever produced by the mind of man.

Because social conformity is for insects.

Because I believe that all should contribute according to their means and be assisted according to their needs.

[Lady Freedom]

28. Because...

I think everyone should be the way they are without getting told it's wrong! If a woman want to be a supermom or not, a guy want to be the one to stay home and take care of the kids or not, someone want to not be a christain or want to be one,ect., is cool and no one should be able to say thats not right and punish them in some way for not being that way.

[grannylib]

29. Liberal because

Liberal = FREE
I believe liberals are free in the truest sense: free to question, to explore, to make up their minds on an individual basis (rather than have a blanket answer that will do in all circumstances), free to dissent, to have our own opinions...and most importantly, free to ACT on behalf of others...the poor, disenfranchised, hungry, naked, homeless, imprisoned,
We are a community - a global community, of diverse and beautiful HUMANS...and we cannot continue to act only in our own selfish interests...
Reagan was SO wrong when he asked the question, "Are YOU better off than you were four years ago?" Not only were most people NOT better off, it's a pathetically selfish question.
Liberals care about the rights and needs of others, believing that no one can be free when others are oppressed...
And if the slimy, heartless, greedy, hypocritical, name-calling, right-wing, looney-tune, lying, cheating, theiving, deserting bastards want to call me a bleeding-heart liberal for it,
THAT MAKES ME PROUD! *lol*

[supernova]

30. Because I care

Because I am my brother's keeper.

Because I see us all on this little blue marble. Unless we find aliens soon, all we have are all 6 billion of us. We treat each other shamefully. :cry:

Because I love the planet, the flora and fauna on it.

Because I value life-long learning and the quest to never give up trying to understand. Never understanding completely is no excuse not to try to learn as much as I can while I am here.

Because we are all equals. I don't divide the world into winners and losers. We are all human beings; some of us struggle more than others.

Because I value the way of peace rather than the way of war. Peace through strength is bullshit. Peace through cooperative relationships is the (much harder) way.

Because I care that the politicians I vote for value these things, I am a liberal.

[terrya]

31. Liberals represent the noblest of ourselves

Quite simply, being a liberal is one who looks out for those who feel disenfranchised from the powerful...minorities, the poor, the union members.

Liberals were behind every positive social movement in this country. From Social Security to Medicare and Medicaid. To the Civil Rights movement. Women's rights and gay rights.

Liberals look out for people who may feel powerless or left out.

That's my take on it.

And I'm very proud and honored to be a liberal.

Terry

[brainshrub]

32. I like this answer n/t