Liberals

I don't know why I did it. I have Sirius radio and an eight-disc CD player in my car. But I did it anyway. I turned on AM radio. I guess acute onset of boredom while sitting in traffic is a corollary of residing in one of America's most congested cities. Because I was suddenly listening to Air America Radio.

The usual two-step: The host was railing against the Republicans and the Bush administration's serial stumblings. Then, a conservative calls in claiming to bestow some logic on the subject. Shouting match ensues. A pretty common and hackneyed engagement, unless, of course, the fact that the sky is blue is a new thing for you. One thing did, however, catch my attention about this particular shouting match.

The conservative caller continually said the word "liberal" and "liberals." Nothing particularly outstanding about that considering both parties seemed to possess a fetish for circumstantial ad hominem arguments, where labels are an inherent part of the game. But what was peculiar is the caller continually said "liberal" as if it were a pejorative term. I found that curious. So, when I got home, I looked up the exact definition of the word "liberal." There were definitions later in the entry suggesting generosity with material possessions and interpretations, but only the first three bare the attribute of relevance here.

1. Broad-minded; tolerant of different views and standards of behavior in others.
2. Progressive politically or socially favoring gradual reform, especially political reforms that extend democracy, distribute wealth more evenly, and protect the personal freedom of the individual
3. Not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy and traditional conventions and forms.

And with the same treatment, what follows is the definition of conservative.

1. Reluctant to accept change in favor or preserving the status quo and traditional values and customs, and against abrupt change.
2. Traditionalist person; someone who is reluctant to consider new ideas or accept change.
3. Supporter of conservativism; somebody who supports the doctrine or beliefs of conservatism.

And conservatism.

1. Reluctance to accept change unwillingness or slowness to accept change or new ideas.
2. Right-wing political viewpoint; a right-of-center political philosophy based on a tendency to support gradual rather than abrupt change, and to maintain the status quo.
3. Desire to preserve current societal structure; an ideology that views the existing form of society as worthy or preservation.


So I suppose it could all be a matter of value judgments. But, as someone who not only doesn't want to see the current societal structure preserved, considering its current banes of poverty, widening income disparity, racism, health care, health insurance, etc., but also wants to see it changed abruptly; I'm a liberal. Frankly, I don't see anything wrong with that.