Proud to be a Liberal

I've been going round and round with this notion since early last week when I saw a CNN report on the U.S. elections that claimed that Barak Obama may have difficulty in the General Election if he cannot free himself from the liberal label. (That, of course, the Republicans and their cronies at Fox and the rest paste on Obama every chance they get) The report showed footage of one of Obama's appearances on the campaign trail going through a list of his stands and explaining why they are not liberal, as if being liberal were something terribly wrong and to be ashamed of!

Why, over the past decade or so, has it become such a negative thing to be considered a liberal? The conservatives and neo-cons are proud to stand up and defend their labels, so why don't the democrats do the same thing?

In these musings I did a Google search for the definitions of the two labels. Here are the ones which encompassed all the definitions found:

Merriam Webster Dictionary:

liberalism
Main Entry:
lib·er·al·ism
Pronunciation:
\ˈli-b(ə-)rə-ˌli-zəm\
Function:
noun
1: the quality or state of being liberal2a. often capitalized : a movement in modern Protestantism emphasizing intellectual liberty and the spiritual and ethical content of Christianity b: a theory in economics emphasizing individual freedom from restraint and usually based on free competition, the self-regulating market, and the gold standard c: a political philosophy based on belief in progress, the essential goodness of the human race, and the autonomy of the individual and standing for the protection of political and civil liberties dcapitalized : the principles and policies of a Liberal party.

From the On Line Free Dictionary:

lib·er·al
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(lbr-l, lbrl)
adj.
1.
a. Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry.
b. Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.
c. Of, relating to, or characteristic of liberalism.
d. Liberal Of, designating, or characteristic of a political party founded on or associated with principles of social and political liberalism, especially in Great Britain, Canada, and the United States.

What is there to be ashamed of in these definitions? In this fast changing, globalized world, where nothing is the same as it was 5 years ago, we need to to be "not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox or authoritarian attitudes.." It is a time when we need to be "favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress and tolerant of the ideas and behaviour of others.." These are the principals that business and industry have been adhering to on order to grow and succeed in this fast paced High Tech Information Age.

Now take a look at the defintions for Conervatism:

\kən-ˈsər-və-ˌti-zəm\
Function:
noun
1capitalized a: the principles and policies of a Conservative party b: the Conservative party2 a: disposition in politics to preserve what is established b: a political philosophy based on tradition and social stability, stressing established institutions, and preferring gradual development to abrupt change; specifically : such a philosophy calling for lower taxes, limited government regulation of business and investing, a strong national defense, and individual financial responsibility for personal needs (as retirement income or health-care coverage)3: the tendency to prefer an existing or traditional situation to change.

From The Free Dictionary

con·ser·va·tive
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(kn-sûrv-tv)
adj.
1. Favoring traditional views and values; tending to oppose change.
2. Traditional or restrained in style: a conservative dark suit.
3. Moderate; cautious: a conservative estimate.
4.
a. Of or relating to the political philosophy of conservatism.
b. Belonging to a conservative party, group, or movement.

With conservatives trying to "favor these traditional views and values.., and preserve what is established.." the United States now: suffers a worrisome large gap between the haves and the have nots; struggles with mistrust and fear of those who represent change and progress; has implemented constitutionally questioable methods in the name of "conserving" America and its freedoms. These are all catlysts to the strong division bewteen and the low tolerance of one for the other that the nation suffers today. (United we stand - Divided we fall) And yet the Conservatives continue to stand up proudly for their Conservative Values, while disdainfully criticising those supporting Liberal Values.

I am disappointed that Mr. Obama did not stand up, define and defend the Liberal label and then proudly declare that yes he is a Liberal. According to all definitions I found, he is. By not doing so, he has allowed the Conservatives to succeed at converting the Liberal label into something degrading, fearful and shameful. The shame is that the liberals do not stand up and return the respectable term to its rightful, repsectful place in the U.S. political debate and options.

I share with you just such a defense that I found on my Google search:

A Liberal Definition by John F. Kennedy:
Acceptance Speech of the New York Liberal Party Nomination
September 14, 1960
What do our opponents mean when they apply to us the label "Liberal?" If by "Liberal" they mean, as they want people to believe, someone who is soft in his policies abroad, who is against local government, and who is unconcerned with the taxpayer's dollar, then the record of this party and its members demonstrate that we are not that kind of "Liberal." But if by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people -- their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties -- someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal," then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal." (The rest of his speech can be found http://www.liberalparty.org/JFKLPAcceptance.html )

Mr. Obama, you missed the chance to draw another parallel of yourself to Mr. J.F. Kennedy on this one, and to once again eloquently expose and defend the "liberal" values of reform, progress and change that your campaign represents.