Yeah, I admit it. I'm a Liberal. Thank Gawd I never had my head turned living in the land of Barry Goldwater. Being Liberal isn't a bad thing, no matter what your Conservative next door neighbor is likely to tell you. Americans have a lot to be thankful for when they look back over what Liberals have provided for them over the years.
In a world that has been ever increasing toward the attitude of "what's in it for me?" since the end of the Civil War, Liberals in Congress have been hard at work reminding their fellow Americans that the point of Government is about "We," not "I."
I doubt if most of you remember, but it was back in 1862 that Congress started passing bills that had been blocked by Southern lawmakers before the Confederacy left the Union. One of those bills was the Morrill Act, which made it possible for the new western states to establish colleges. Basically the bill issued land grants of 30,000 acres of land for each member of its congressional delegation. The states sold this land to establish colleges of engineering, agriculture, and military science. In 1890, a second act extended the land grant provisions to the sixteen Southern states who came back into the Union after the war. Many of these "land grant colleges," with additional government aid, grew into the large public Universities we know today. Without these Liberal sponsored grants, millions of Americans would not have been able to afford the college education they received and are still receiving today.
After the turn of the century, Liberals in Congress initiated and funded sewer and water systems, food safety laws, and founded the Center for Disease Control and the National Institute for Health. Between 1914 and 1924, they sponsored and saw to the passing of laws related to Truth In Advertising and Product Labeling. Conservatives of the times whined that such laws would be too expensive and be a burden to business. This, of course, proved not to be the case and life in America was better for these laws.
As the years went by, Congressional Liberals instituted the "New Deal" that put America back to work after the Great Depression. This was followed by the "Fair Deal" and the "Great Society." Liberals gave us labor laws, workplace safety laws, and laws establishing rural electrification such as the TVA. You can thank your social security checks to Liberal Congressmen. They also helped found the GI Bill, the National Weather Service, the Peace Corps, the FDIC, the Interstate Highway System, PBS, the Civil Rights Movement, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Internet, and the Family and Medical Leave Act.
Liberals have always provided the impetus to move society toward acceptance of the equality of every American through civil rights, women's rights, children's rights, and consumers' rights, often in the face of majority opinion stirred up by conservatives who talk about "family values."
I'll tell you about family values. It was Liberal Congressmen who sought to enact the 40 hour work week so working parents could be home with their children They sought laws against child labor and other protections for working men and women. Providing high quality child care for working parents was implemented by Liberals. Ask yourself, who has fought and continues to fight for better wages for the middle class and the poor? Who is fighting for a National Health Care system that won't line the pockets of the major Drug Companies? Who won the fight to keep the Social Security System from being ravaged by greedy politicians? In a word - Liberals! Those are OUR family values!
Now, who pushed for passage of bills that rewarded companies who outsourced American jobs overseas? Who passed an Education bill and then pulled the funding for it? Who passed a Medicare bill that raised profits for pharmaceutical companies at taxpayers expense? Who refuses to pass a fair minimum wage law? Who wants to cut Medicaid benefits for the poor to help pay for a war that was started under false pretenses? In a word - Conservatives.
And as far as Christianity is concerned, did Jesus say, "The meek shall inherit the earth?" Or did he say, "The powerful shall inherit the earth through preemptive strikes?" Did Jesus say, "Give away all you own to the poor and follow me?" Or did he say, "Build million dollar mega-churches by fleecing the poor and believe everything these rich ministers say to you?" Did Jesus say, "If a man strikes you on the left cheek, turn the other to him also?" Or did he say, "Before your neighbor strikes you, go on TV and lie about him, use any untruth you can think of to tear him down in the public's eye and when you win, gloat about how the fools will follow anything you say because you claim to be Christian?" Did Jesus say, "Love your neighbor as yourself?" Or did he say, "Hate anyone different from you. Don't let them have the same rights as you. Don't let them have the same opportunities as you. Don't let them have anything you have because they're ungodly sinners and you're not?"
Jesus taught his followers to help the poor and powerless. He did NOT teach taking from the poor to give to the rich. Jesus taught that his followers were to give to the government what belongs to the government and to God what belongs to God. He did NOT teach them to infiltrate the government in order to make Rome a Christian/Jewish nation anymore than he would want America to be a theocracy. Who are the ones wearing out horses driving blindly in a direction 180 degrees opposite of that which the Savior taught? Conservatives.
So keep your head held high, Liberals. You've a lot going for you. You are Democrats, you are Republicans, you are for the working class people, you are Christians, Pagans, Jews, Moslems, Heterosexuals, Homosexuals, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Transvestites, White, Black, Hispanic, and Native Peoples and a whole lot of other things - all of them American!
It's the Liberals who motivate and move this country to action. Don't EVER be afraid to call yourself a Liberal.
