Liberal

Is it really so bad to be liberal American?

I am a liberal. Is that bad? I want to see how many of the readers are, seemingly, all Republicans and most Democrats profess to be conservatives. Why?

The American Heritage Dictionary, Fourth Edition, defines "Liberal" this way: "Favoring proposals for reform, open to ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broadminded."

So let us ask ourselves: 1. Am I broadminded in my beliefs? Hmm. 2. Am I tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others? Hmm. 3. Am I open to new ideas for progress? Hmm.

Well, how did you score? Being a liberal, I scored a hundred. I sincerely hope you got close.

Some will say, a dictionary definition of liberal is different in political terms. Is it? In the 1930s, against tremendous opposition from conservatives, FDR managed to reform legislation and called it Social Security. In the 1960s, overcoming the narrow-minded South, Lyndon Johnson was successful in passing civil rights legislation, which was very progressive at the time. Again in the 1960s, after beating Barry Goldwater and his crowd of conservatives, LBJ again passed reform and progressive legislation which we now know as Medicare.

America will be facing social legislation in the future, such as health care for 24 million children who do not have it, and many will die. This will be reform. How will you vote?

So let us all critically examine our true beliefs. If you are conservative and generally oppose reforms and behavior of others, please try to be broadminded about and tolerant of beliefs of liberals, like me. I promise, because I am a liberal, I will be tolerant of yours as a conservative.

Jack Kennedy
Sherman, TX