What it means to be a liberal

[BigBearJohn]

Latin, "libèclis", Suitable for a
freeman, generous. Fr. "liber",
free. 1. Generous, bountiful
2. Not literal 3. Not narrow in
opinion or judgement; tolerant

[BlueEyedSon]

1. JFK: "What is a Liberal"

Sen. John F. Kennedy, acceptance 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."

But first, I would like to say what I understand the word "Liberal" to mean and explain in the process why I consider myself to be a "Liberal," and what it means in the presidential election of 1960.

In short, having set forth my view -- I hope for all time -- two nights ago in Houston, on the proper relationship between church and state, I want to take the opportunity to set forth my views on the proper relationship between the state and the citizen. This is my political credo:

I believe in human dignity as the source of national purpose, in human liberty as the source of national action, in the human heart as the source of national compassion, and in the human mind as the source of our invention and our ideas. It is, I believe, the faith in our fellow citizens as individuals and as people that lies at the heart of the liberal faith. For liberalism is not so much a party creed or set of fixed platform promises as it is an attitude of mind and heart, a faith in man's ability through the experiences of his reason and judgment to increase for himself and his fellow men the amount of justice and freedom and brotherhood which all human life deserves.

More: http://www.turnleft.com/whatis.html

[BigBearJohn]

2. Thanks for posting this. I loved it!

[itzamirakul]

3. Re: JFK's Liberal speech...

Simply beautiful! Why didn't Kerry read this? Why don't we email it to our Democratic leaders? I had never heard or read it before and I was a fully adult voting citizen when Kennedy was elected.

These kinds of speeches and perhaps writings MUST be repeated over and over.

I am going to email a copy to both Clinton and Schumer - both of whom fully disgust me at present - but they represent me.

[BigBearJohn]

4. Great idea. I will do the same thing. It gave me goosebumps reading it.

[BlueEyedSon]

6. Wow, I 'm really glad I took the time! nt

[BigBearJohn]

8. For all you people out there who are hesitant to post

I can't tell you how many times I've wondered whether I should post
something -- only to find several people thanking me profusely for
posting it. Don't automatically assume that people here are
already aware of something you feel is important for us to know.

[itzamirakul]

11. Exactly. BigBearJohn! You are so right...

I don't read EVERYTHING that is posted on DU or onother boards so sometimes I luck up on imortant information that others might consider old.

Don't forget the newbies, either.

Repetition is one of the best teaching tools that we have and we need to use it as often as possible.

Also, it is important to take turns posting in different forums...some folks are dedicated to a particular forum and just don't read other forums. It took me a long time to go to DU Lounge, but once there, I found loads of fascinating information and a lot of help. So let's spread this information around and keep reposting it periodically.

[itzamirakul]

9. Please take a little more time and

see if you can archive the speech in Demopedia for research purposes. That way these kinds of valuable ideas will not be totally lost and buried as new posts come in.

I haven't archived anything yet so I don't know how easy or difficult it is to do this but this is SO VERY worthwhile!

Again...thanks for bringing it to our attention.

It is a valuable WEAPON to use when the world "liberal" is disparaged by the rw and by our own centrists. In fact, I think I will email a copy to the DLC! THEY, especially, need to read it, since they seem ashamed to be associated with the word liberal.

[BlueEyedSon]

10. Ill look into it

[BlueEyedSon]

13. Take a look

http://demopedia.democraticunderground.com/index.php/What_is_a_Liberal%3F

[itzamirakul]

14. Gosh, BlueEyedSon, it looks GREAT!...

I'm really glad that you archived it there. So many people will have a chance to see it now.

:) ^5

[Hugin]

5. It means never having to say you're sorry?

Oh, wait! That's the other guys!

Hey, this is a fantastic thread... Keep it going.

[BigBearJohn]

7. Sing it loud

I'm proud to be a Liberal
and have been so from the start
I won't deny my heritage
'cause at least I have a heart

And I'd gladly standup
next to you
Proudly, not in fear
Cause there ain't doubt
in anyone's mind
We're gonna be back in 2 years

[ultraist]

12. "We're gonna be back! " With a bigger and wider tent

Liberal is a broad and inclusive position. Our numbers are growing.
excerpts
http://www.americanprogressaction.org/site/pp.asp?c=klLWJcP7H&b=289262
The ability of the Democrats to match the Republicans in funds (in fact, the Democratic National Committee actually raised more money than the Republican National Committee, and Democratic and Democratic-oriented organizations spent more in support of Kerry than their Republican counterparts did in support of Bush) was largely due to the use of the Internet, a medium that Democrats and liberals dominate in the same way that Republicans dominate AM radio.

These new groups -- and particularly those like MoveOn that are based on the Internet -- are most clearly expressions of the growing importance of professionals and college-educated women in the Democratic Party. Many were founded by high-tech professionals, and their members are drawn primarily from the college-educated workforce that has been turning Democratic. In fall 2003, when MoveOn surveyed those of its million-plus members who had voted in its Democratic primary, it found that the single largest group was college-educated women -- a perfect match with the profile of new Democratic Party.

Some Republican and hawkish Democratic commentators have branded these new movements and organizations part of the left. New Republic Editor Peter Beinart even compared them to the communist-infiltrated left of the late 1940s that backed Henry Wallace for president. But the outlook of these new, primarily upscale and highly educated activists is Clintonite and center-left rather than left wing. These people support environmental regulation and women's rights, vehemently reject the social strictures and anti-scientific attitudes of the religious right, and favor tolerance and fairness in social policy. But, like many college-educated liberals, they are also fiscal conservatives. When MoveOn held a poll in January 2004 on what ad the organization should run on the week of Bush's State of the Union address, its members chose one attacking the Bush administration's budget deficits.

[itzamirakul]

15. Kick! n/t