I guess letter writer David Walton pressed a couple of my buttons in his letter to the editor in this mornings paper. He tries to make me out to be a typical liberal, and although I have no shame in being called a liberal, I think a closer look at the issue is in order.....
Although I have at times called myself a liberal, I have more often tried to make the case that in reality, I am a progressive and not a true liberal. Most democrats that I know of, I tend to think of as progressives rather than liberals. To me a liberal is one who follows democratic issues rather than values. A progressive aligns him/herself with values more so than issues. Progressive values have to do with moving (progressing) forward and not getting stuck in old values that no longer serve the greater good. A conservative might say that if it's not broke, don't fix it! A progressive might say that if it no longer works to serve our greater good, then we need to change it.
Here are a few examples of why I do not consider myself a true liberal. I believe in the right to own a gun. I think that we need tort reform. I do not subscribe to open boarders. I am against affirmative action. I believe that unions (along with corporate greed as well as shear necessity) are equally to blame for jobs being shipped over seas. I think that small businesses are over regulated (especially in the area of Cal OSHA rules and regulations). I am 100% against quieting (in any way) the conservative talk show personalities that are dominating the air waves. I don't believe addicts should be getting social security just because they have rendered themselves incapable of functioning. I do not subscribe to big government. I have spoken out against raising sales tax on either a state or city level. Bad teachers should be able to be fired. English should always remain our official language (and no, we shouldn't have to press 1 for English). We should never have to apologize for anything our ancestors have done. No form of Sharia law should ever be tolerated in our country regardless of ones religious beliefs. And Christmas music should always be allowed to penetrate our air waves! Does this sound like a liberal?
On the other hand, according to my progressive values, I believe in gay rights, animal rights, women's rights, raising taxes on higher incomes (over $250), evolution, global warming, getting rid of GMO's, supporting organic farming, disemboweling Monsanto, exploiting green energy and doing whatever we have to do to wean ourselves from oil, and most importantly, the right to practice any personal freedoms that do not harm anybody else. These include legalizing marijuana, euthanasia, prostitution, all forms of gambling, and anything else I might chose to do that is nobody else's business but my own.
So call me what you want....progressive, liberal, moderate, but I tell you one thing, whatever I am, there are a lot of us!
About Me: I am a baby boomer and a true product of the sixties. Although a lot of great ideals came out of that era, my generation made a lot of mistakes as well. I have tried to take the best of those ideals, as well as the lessons learned from my life experiences along the way, and hone them into a philosophy that gives me direction and purpose. This philosophy of mine is a witless blend of one part liberal, two parts practical, and three parts spiritual, mixed with just enough dry humor....to make you want to puke. This wouldn't be such a terrible thing if it weren't for the fact that I like to write. But I do. I hope you enjoy.
Dad, you are not a liberal! Quit saying you are. You are voting for all the people that stand for what you are against. Please be honest with yourself, you are an independent, please vote accordingly!
Good point Becky. I vote democrat because they are more in line with progressive values than conservatives are and because I usually vote democrat, I have often labeled myself liberal. When it comes to voting on issues, I find myself voting conservative as often as I vote liberal.
First you identify yourself as a "liberal", and then you issue a denial. I find that mildly interesting, but not as compelling as your Political Darwinism or your admiration for Bill Maher.
In any case, small matter. "Progressive" works for me! Just substitute "progressive" for "liberal" in both your Political Darwinism post and in my LTTE. Easy enough, no?
By the way, your hero/mentor Bill Maher also thinks Sarah Palin is a "dumb t*wt". And, no, he did not mean "twit". When it comes to "thinking outside the box" you and Mr. Maher head and shoulders above the rest.
Seriously, we average dunderheads stand in awe. Without "out of the box" thinkers like you and Maher poor dumb folks like me would not know who the stupid tw*ts and idiots are. A tip of the hat to you, Sir!
Dave Walton is willfully ignorant. Another word for that is "stupid." He does not know the definition of the words liberal or conservative, nor does he wish to learn them. He is a waste of space.
Stupid people bring up Bill Maher as some sort of excuse for their own boorish behavior--as if two wrong make a right. This is infantilism. This is what David Walton is: an infant.
But make NO mistake, David Walton is NO conservative.