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An odd view indeed, that liberals are somehow marginalized and underpriveleged. As a liberal I come from the proud tradition of the working man who built the country in the steel mills, the paper mills, the mines and the car manufacturers. From the same stock as the teachers and nurses and who made sure all the kids of the working class were brought up to be productive citizens. My liberal leanings came from parents who spent as much time doing for others as for themselves because my father had a job that was steady and a mother who could stay home while still living a middle class life with reasonable hours, vacations and healthcare. So to be from that tradition is to work to keep the ranks of the underprivileged low not champion being underprivileged, find solutions to the anger built of hopelessness, and to demand a system that takes into account the least among us as well as the powerful.
An odd view indeed, that liberals are somehow marginalized and underpriveleged. As a liberal I come from the proud tradition of the working man who built the country in the steel mills, the paper mills, the mines and the car manufacturers. From the same stock as the teachers and nurses and who made sure all the kids of the working class were brought up to be productive citizens. My liberal leanings came from parents who spent as much time doing for others as for themselves because my father had a job that was steady and a mother who could stay home while still living a middle class life with reasonable hours, vacations and healthcare. So to be from that tradition is to work to keep the ranks of the underprivileged low not champion being underprivileged, find solutions to the anger built of hopelessness, and to demand a system that takes into account the least among us as well as the powerful.
I BELIEVE the poster (me) described liberals as "identifying" with society's 'outsiders', not "being" them. But you make my point for me. The blue-collar working men you descend from WERE the 'marginalized', back then. Their interests ran counter to those of the "Big Shots" who OWNED the steel mills, mines, railroads, etc etc etc.
That's part of the whole 'conundrum'....my family were ALSO 'marginalized' in the same way...Catholics, too.....(can't get much more "un-privileged" than that, 80 years ago). Most of my ancestors were democrats 'all the way', when that meant championing the 'downtrodden' against society's 'movers and shakers'.
But that was long ago. If you think MY dad would have supported some of today's 'liberal' positions, you'd simply be mistaken. Worker's rights and fair wages? Fine. Partial-birth abortion and gay marriage? Probably "NO" would be an understatement.
I think MOST thoughtful people today avoid 'straight ticket' labeling of themselves. They're liberal in some ways, conservative in others. "Labels" like 'liberal' and 'conservative', we apply to the 'other guy', not ourselves..
I think MOST thoughtful people today avoid 'straight ticket' labeling of themselves. They're liberal in some ways, conservative in others. "Labels" like 'liberal' and 'conservative', we apply to the 'other guy', not ourselves..
Interesting take. I've been 'accused' of being jackboot right wing, a commie pinko, a flaming liberal, and a facist socialist. Too bad these people weren't all in the same room at the same time, they just might hear how ridiculous they all sound.
I BELIEVE the poster (me) described liberals as "identifying" with society's 'outsiders', not "being" them. But you make my point for me. The blue-collar working men you descend from WERE the 'marginalized', back then. Their interests ran counter to those of the "Big Shots" who OWNED the steel mills, mines, railroads, etc etc etc.
That's part of the whole 'conundrum'....my family were ALSO 'marginalized' in the same way...Catholics, too.....(can't get much more "un-privileged" than that, 80 years ago). Most of my ancestors were democrats 'all the way', when that meant championing the 'downtrodden' against society's 'movers and shakers'.
But that was long ago. If you think MY dad would have supported some of today's 'liberal' positions, you'd simply be mistaken. Worker's rights and fair wages? Fine. Partial-birth abortion and gay marriage? Probably "NO" would be an understatement.
I think MOST thoughtful people today avoid 'straight ticket' labeling of themselves. They're liberal in some ways, conservative in others. "Labels" like 'liberal' and 'conservative', we apply to the 'other guy', not ourselves..
Well as I am Catholic and prolife (meaning I believe life is sacred and must be considered so in all stages prenatal to natural death), was married to a transgendgered military officer, and I consider myself liberal, perhaps it is a word that is not easily defined.
Location: Jonquil City (aka Smyrna) Georgia- by Atlanta
16,259 posts, read 24,763,471 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by janeannwho
An odd view indeed, that liberals are somehow marginalized and underpriveleged. As a liberal I come from the proud tradition of the working man who built the country in the steel mills, the paper mills, the mines and the car manufacturers. From the same stock as the teachers and nurses and who made sure all the kids of the working class were brought up to be productive citizens. My liberal leanings came from parents who spent as much time doing for others as for themselves because my father had a job that was steady and a mother who could stay home while still living a middle class life with reasonable hours, vacations and healthcare. So to be from that tradition is to work to keep the ranks of the underprivileged low not champion being underprivileged, find solutions to the anger built of hopelessness, and to demand a system that takes into account the least among us as well as the powerful.
Kind of the same with me too! There were 5 of us and we lived in a 2 bedroom house- we had an "extra" bedroom made out in the basement of the house. No air conditioning, one black and white Curtis Mathis TV set and one car. Yet we never felt "poor" in any way at all. We all had clothing, food, toys and got to do things like summer camp and vacations. My folks worked hard and, while they drank and fought alot more than they should have, we were never neglected in any way. We were certainly not the Cleavers but life was OK for the most part. Especially when you went to "coloured town" as they called the Negro neighbourhood back then and you saw how bad off most of them lived and how unfair life was towards them. The plight of the Negro is what made me a liberal- plus the fact that my mother was working in JFKs campaign. I just decided then that I did not wish to live in that kind of country.
Well as I am Catholic and prolife (meaning I believe life is sacred and must be considered so in all stages prenatal to natural death), was married to a transgendgered military officer, and I consider myself liberal, perhaps it is a word that is not easily defined.
Probably because nobody's liberal regarding EVERY thing....just some. And vice-versa for being conservative....
Probably because nobody's liberal regarding EVERY thing....just some. And vice-versa for being conservative....
I think prolife is extremely liberal, but only if it is really prolife and not just pro fetus. I do not think I hold many values that I woudl consider conservative. I think it is a liberal philosophy for citizens to possess the mean for uprising against an oppressive govt so I support the 2nd amendment. You see, I think it is others who label the belief as conservative, but I do not thinkthey are exclusively conservative values. Love of country, God, neighbors are all liberal values.
Nixon was just fine of a president. He had a big mess to tackle left over by the previous president.
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