Yes, I am a Liberal

(I originally wrote this with the intention of posting it on my Facebook page.  Seems that strategy may be a little too in-your-face.  But I like the piece, so I will post it here.)

Yes, I have been avoiding Facebook.  I figured all my friends of the conservative ilk were flooding the platform with half-truths, false logic, hateful rationales and downright BS.  And I committed to posting in general rather than post specific responses to each of those misguided conservative posts.  So, I have returned from a week of fishing at the beach and enjoying the sunrises and sunsets, and may have enough peace stored up to begin to respond.

And yes, I am a liberal, a progressive, a Democrat.  I proudly support the philosophy of our great nation.  We are a government of the people, by the people, for the people.  Not just the people we like or agree with, but all our fellow citizens.  I believe all men (sic) are created equal.  I believe no man or woman is above the law.  I believe every human being has civil liberties and rights that are inherent at birth.  I believe there must be a strong wall between church and state so that the religious beliefs of some do not become the law for everyone.  I believe we must always be on our guard against a power that would work contrary to these notions, especially efforts by the wealthy to secure their wealth at the expense of all others.  We must always be on our guard to avoid, as Jefferson said, the “tyranny of the majority,” and that we are unique as a nation because we have historically protected those who are minorities, those who are not successful in our economy, those who had the poor judgment at birth to select a race that was not in power, a gender that was not in power, a sexual orientation that was not in power.  I believe it is better to give than receive.  I believe we are judged by how well we treat the poor, the hungry, the naked, the sick, the outcasts.  I believe the quality of human life supersedes the ability to increase the quantity of wealth.

I celebrate all that the liberal philosophy has done for our nation.  It is liberal thinking that freed the slaves.  It is liberal thinking that gave Blacks the right to vote and abolished strategies that were designed to reduce voter participation such as the poll tax, attacks on mail-in ballots, additional scrutiny and credentials at the polls.  It is liberal thinking that gave women the right to own property.  It is liberal thinking that gave women the right to vote.  It is liberal thinking that established Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.  It is liberal thinking that turns to the government to solve problems and provide services that the private sector cannot or will not do.  It is liberal thinking that values the rights of adult women over the rights of something growing inside of them.  It is liberal thinking that says death by firearms is a major problem in our nation and we must address it in a reasonable way.  It is liberal thinking that views government as our government, not some enemy government.  It is liberal thinking that recognizes all humans are indigenous life forms on this small planet, that the notion of an alien-human is absurd, and that all humans have more in common than we have differences.  We are all pieces of a global pie and are constructed with stardust. 

It is liberal thinking that values freedom of the press as a strong arm to protect our liberties via the publication of the truth.  It is liberal thinking that provides free public education for all, not just for rich kids.  It is liberal thinking that structures our military and our law enforcement to obey civilian control.  It is liberal thinking that laments the persecution of any identifiable group of Americans (or any group worldwide.).  It is liberal thinking that recognizes our flag and our national anthem are symbols, they are not the United States.  Do not tell me that everyone I know who has given his or her life in the service of this country did so for a piece of red, blue, and white bunting with two holes on the side.  They gave their lives for the continuation of this great and noble experiment in self-rule.  It is liberal thinking that argues a person should be just as safe standing on the street corner yelling, “I am a liberal atheist,” as those who stand on the corner and yell, “I am a Christian conservative.”  (By the way, I think the term “conservative Christian” is an oxymoron, but that discussion is for another time and place.)  Each of these landmarks are liberal and each of these landmarks have been fought by conservative thinking.

Our nation was founded by a group of men who stood in opposition to the three major forms of government they experienced in the 1700’s.  Everywhere rulers were chosen by birthright or by military might or by some religion or another.  The people had no voice.  There was this incredible philosophical movement in the late 1600s and early 1700s that theorized that citizens could rule; that kings or queens should not be chosen based on who their parents were or on the battlefield or by some deity.  This notion of a government of the people, by the people, for the people was heretical thinking.  It was secular thinking.  It was liberal thinking and no one thought it would work.  But our founding fathers fashioned a document that declared our liberty from those other forms of government and defined the constitutional operation of a government ruled by the people.  It was the most liberal, most secular form of government on the planet.  And it remains so as long as we remember those basic beliefs.  Should we degenerate to a position that says this man is above the law, we should put some deity in charge, these people should have fewer rights, and these people should just go hungry then we have abandoned those tenets that made us great.  If we want America to be great again we should return to the secular liberalism of 1789.

I grew up in west Houston, one of the most conservative areas not only in Texas but in the nation.  It is the area that elected the very first Republican to the House of Representatives south of the Mason-Dixon Line since the Civil War by electing Bill Archer in 1974.  It is an area that was virtually all White.  It is an area that was all Christian, or at least as far as anyone knew.  I know the conservative philosophy.  I was steeped in it.  All my peers and all their parents were conservatives.  But I was empowered by my parents to think for myself, to question everything, to seek the truth, to accept nothing at face value, and to remain true to my core beliefs.  Doing all that lead me to liberal thinking.

I do not know how many liberals you know.  We are not evil people.  On the contrary, if you are ever falsely arrested we will defend you.  If you are ever hungry we will feed you.  If you are ever persecuted for holding a minority perspective or presenting a minority characteristic at your birth we will protect you as best we can. 

I met a Buddhist in college.  I did not know any Buddhists and was fascinated.  Sure, I could have proselytized, witnessed, preached, etc., etc.  But what I did was seek to understand him and understand his beliefs.  I was so fortunate that this person shared with me and we built a trusting relationship.  We did not hold the same beliefs.  I did not convert to Buddhism and he did not become a Christian, but we understood and respected each other.  All of this is to say that if you are a conservative and know a liberal I would encourage you to find out what they believe.  There are plenty of conservatives out there who simply declare liberals some dirty words or declare them fools, or declare them a threat to America.  Understanding is so much more powerful than castigating.

If you want to know more about what I think and believe just ask.  Or you can read my blog:  http://one-eyedbob.blogspot.com/

Thanks for reading this.  I will return soon to respond to individual posts on FAcebook.  Until then, I believe truth, facts, and dialog are pathways to a better future.