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I guess I would fit the description of a "Southern Liberal Gentlemen." I am certainly a social liberal as I believe my tax dollars would be better spent on providing health care than building war machines. I believe in a womans right to control her own body. I believe all levels of education should be free of charge. But in some ways I am a conservative. I do believe in saving a dollar where we can. For instance for each dollar spent prenatally we save ten dollars on healthcare for the child after it is born. Because healthy babies are cheaper to raise than sick ones. Being a social liberal doesnt mean I want to just throw money at everything. I just have a different idea on what i want for the taxes I pay and want it to go for the greater good. I think I have the Southern thing covered. I was born in the back room of Sadlers country store in a holler in rural Hardeman County Tennessee. Now as to whether I am a gentleman, Am I PJ8?
Perhaps you haven't met a liberal southern "gentleman" yet is because he is polite enough to keep his mouth shut while he is thinking that you are an idiot for believing as you do.
My husband and I have been married for 60+ years. We disagree about several major topics. However, I understand why he feels as he does, and I think he understands my thinking. We just do not talk about these things. There is too much going on in this old world to waste time discussing the unsolveable issues.
As cpg35223 stated earlier, it's important to look at the qualities that make for a strong foundation in a relationship. One of those qualities is shared values. How can you have a relationship with someone who doesn't share your values? That's why political views matter. Who you vote for isn't just about which team you support like like whether you root for the Cowboys or the Broncos. It goes deeper because it reflects what you believe in, what matters to you, and what your priorities are. If someone told me they voted for McCain because they believe in the idea of giving tax cuts to businesses in order to create jobs, I may not agree with them, but at least I can respect their opinion. But if they tell me they voted for him because they didn't want a black President, not only would I not agree with them, I also wouldn't respect them as a person. I'm like Avienne. I don't have to agree with someone on every issue, but certain "fundamental" things like a woman's right to choose and gay marriage we have to be the same page on, which is why I would never date someone who opposes those things.
As for James Carville, he looks like Patrick Stewart's evil twin. If they painted his head green, he could pass as the creature from the Alien movies.
Since Liberal is a dirty word (I am surprised it is not ******, must be a oversight on the Forums part) naturally Southern Gentlemen avoid being it. Who would want to put up with that kind of a fundamentalist attitude to life? For me, I never did like closed minded unintelligent people.
Let's throw out some complicating factors. Are talking liberally both socially and fiscally? While I fall into the first description, I certainly don't fall into the second. My contention is that the state should stay out of our bedrooms, our doctors offices, and every other realm of life as is practical. If gays want to marry or if people want to smoke pot, it's simply not the business of the government unless others are harmed by their actions. For once government gains power in a specific area, it never relinquishes it again, for good and for bad.
Southern Gentlemen (or at least southern men) who are Liberals
Quote:
Originally Posted by cpg35223
Let's throw out some complicating factors. Are talking liberally both socially and fiscally? While I fall into the first description, I certainly don't fall into the second. My contention is that the state should stay out of our bedrooms, our doctors offices, and every other realm of life as is practical. For once government gains power in a specific area, it never relinquishes it again, for good and for bad.
Careful now, CPG, you're starting to sound like a conservative. A true liberal would want the government to control your money and every facet of your life. Wouldn't you call our present administration liberal? Creating a health care crisis then solving the problem with a massive healthcare plan sure is going to control your money. It is not going to help any survivors of late term abortions, however. When you read the healthcare plan it is scary.
Please remember, Violet, is looking for a liberal that lives in the South. There have got to be lots of them somewhere, look at the mess the US is in.
Last edited by Nite Ryder; 09-15-2010 at 11:43 AM..
Careful now, CPG, you're starting to sound like a conservative. A true liberal would want the government to control your money and every facet of your life. Wouldn't you call our present administration liberal? How many of them have taken an oath to uphold our constitution, then promptly forgotten about it?
Please remember, Violet, is looking for a liberal that lives in the South. Which reminds me, Violet, have you checked for someone in Arkansas?
Clearly you don't understand what a liberal is. Despite what you may have heard on Faux News, liberals don't want the government to control everything. What they do want is government to safeguard our rights, help provide access to things like education and health care for the people who can't get it, and protect us from threats (which includes big corporations who would gladly forgo safety measures on things like oil drilling and food production to save money). And if you think our current administration is liberal, then you've definitely been watching too much Fox Noise. Our current administration, much like every one that came before it, is a corporatist administration, one more concerned with the interests of the big corporations that fill its campaign coffers than with the people who voted for it. Would a liberal sign a health insurance reform bill mandating people buy the junk product of corporations (a Republican idea BTW) instead of creating a public health insurance option? Would a liberal sign a financial reform bill that lets banks continue to gamble with consumer deposits? Would a liberal defer to an oil company with a history of safety violations to clean up its oil spill rather than take control itself? And if you wanna talk about upholding the Constitution and then forgetting it, tell that to the people who want to do away with the 14th amendment or the ones who think freedom of religion doesn't apply to Muslims.
Maybe this is why the OP can't find a liberal. Too many people don't even know what a liberal is.
Clearly you don't understand what a liberal is. Despite what you may have heard on Faux News, liberals don't want the government to control everything. What they do want is government to safeguard our rights, help provide access to things like education and health care for the people who can't get it, and protect us from threats (which includes big corporations who would gladly forgo safety measures on things like oil drilling and food production to save money). And if you think our current administration is liberal, then you've definitely been watching too much Fox Noise. Our current administration, much like every one that came before it, is a corporatist administration, one more concerned with the interests of the big corporations that fill its campaign coffers than with the people who voted for it. Would a liberal sign a health insurance reform bill mandating people buy the junk product of corporations (a Republican idea BTW) instead of creating a public health insurance option? Would a liberal sign a financial reform bill that lets banks continue to gamble with consumer deposits? Would a liberal defer to an oil company with a history of safety violations to clean up its oil spill rather than take control itself? And if you wanna talk about upholding the Constitution and then forgetting it, tell that to the people who want to do away with the 14th amendment or the ones who think freedom of religion doesn't apply to Muslims.
Maybe this is why the OP can't find a liberal. Too many people don't even know what a liberal is.
That's because Liberal stopped being a political philosophy a long time ago and became a label instead. And, quite frankly, the so-called Liberal Movement is so disparate, that you would be really hard pressed to identify a unifying set of principles. Kind of like the conservatives.
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We disagree about several major topics. However, I understand why he feels as he does, and I think he understands my thinking. We just do not talk about these things. 
There is too much going on in this old world to waste time discussing the unsolveable issues. 
I don't have to agree with someone on every issue, but certain "fundamental" things like a woman's right to choose and gay marriage we have to be the same page on, which is why I would never date someone who opposes those things.
- Love that!
Southern Gentlemen (or at least southern men) who are Liberals
