So what does "Liberal" mean these days?
lib·er·al (adj):
1.favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs.
2.favorable to or in accord with concepts of maximum individual freedom possible, esp. as guaranteed by law and secured by governmental protection of civil liberties.
3.favoring or permitting freedom of action, esp. with respect to matters of personal belief or expression: a liberal policy toward dissident artists and writers.
(definitions courtesy of dictionary.com)
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The above definitions indicate that the term “liberal” is, in general, a positive thing. They use words like “progress” and “freedom”, words that we tend to think of as ideals to strive for.
The last few days have left me with a severe doubt that the term liberal means anything like what it is supposed to. The attacks on Sarah Palin from the “liberal” side of the aisle show nothing but an amazing lack of progress and a disdain of personal choices. Her family values and personal decisions have been dissected and criticized by the people who are supposed to be championing individual freedom.
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A woman should have the freedom to decide whether or not to have a baby, but be sure to read the fine print stating that, if you choose to have it, you must give up your dreams to stay home and take care of it.
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Or, women should have the right to marry each other, but if they choose to marry a man, must be prepared to take on the subservient role of housewife and caregiver.
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Or, women should be free to make their own decisions based on what they feel is best for their family, but be prepared to have people who didn’t know your name a week ago weigh in on whether they approve of those decisions or not.
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Yeah, we’ve come a long way baby.
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Yes, Sarah Palin needs to be put under a microscope just like all of the other candidates. Her statements need to be examined and evaluated. Are her claims about the “bridge to nowhere” accurate? Dig away – I’d like to know the truth! But steer clear of speculation on whether she is “forcing” her daughter into a shot gun wedding unless you were at her dinner table for that particular discussion.
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The criticism of her for going on the campaign trail with a four month old baby? Just as inappropriate as the criticism of John Edwards when his wife was diagnosed with cancer. Their family + their call = none of our business.
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During the RNC last night, I popped onto Twitter for a bit to see what was going on. The “conversation” there really bothered me. Not because people had criticisms of the points that were (or weren’t) being made by the RNC speakers, but because the tone of those comments was anything but “liberal”. In fact, they showed a complete distain for Palin’s and McCain’s personal beliefs.
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At one point Palin was called a “witch”. McCain’s service to his country and heroic acts were mocked and turned into a drinking game. Had I been at a local bar with a bunch of drunk uneducated fools, I would have had an easier time brushing this off. But these were bloggers whom I have read and admired for their wit and insight. They didn’t spend time analyzing points of view or political positions. They resorted to immature name calling and condescending blather. It was assumed that anyone reading MUST agree and no thought was given to the insulting nature of the tweets i.e.”Who BUYS this stuff?”. I wonder what the reaction would have been if insulting tweets had appeared during Obama’s speech at the DNC? Would they have been as accepting and open-minded about an alternative opinion? I found the whole experience distasteful enough that I cancelled my Twitter account.
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Yes, discussion needs to take place and debates need to happen to ensure that America gets the best leaders possible. But ladies, let’s set the example by making sure that those discussion and debates are focused on the political issues at hand and not on tearing down another simply because s/he has made choices that are different than ours. That is the antithesis of liberal.
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Can I just add here that apparently Palin’s teleprompter was on the fritz during much of her speech and she had to ad-lib parts. You can’t even tell. Unlike what happened when Obama’s teleprompter went out – see for yourself:
So perfectly put! I stayed away from Twitter during all the speeches for that same reason. I know people will act the way they choose when it comes to politics, but I choose to stay away.
I completely agree with you that Palin’s choices as a woman and mother should be irrelevant in a person’s voting decision. It should be about the issues only.
And while I think it’s OK to strongly disagree with a candidate’s position and state your dislike the candidate, I agree it’s not OK to group their supporters into one group and make fun of them for supporting that person. We all have different opinions, and those opinions should be respected.
I’m glad you decided to write about this!
I wrote about the same thing on my blog. Way to go! I totally agree with you.
I wrote about the same thing on my blog. Way to go! I totally agree with you.
I wrote about the same thing on my blog. Way to go! I totally agree with you.
I wrote about the same thing on my blog. Way to go! I totally agree with you.
I wrote about the same thing on my blog. Way to go! I totally agree with you.
I just dread this time every 4 years. Everyone seems to turn into ogres. It is so frustrating to me. If you disagree with a party’s way of handling things, fine. But why must people get so evil about it? I don’t agree with any of Obama’s stances on any of the issues but I don’t go around blasting the guy. It makes me so mad. Why can’t people agree to disagree in an orderly and respectful fashion? Grrrr…