Three quotes to ponder.

[ken-in-seattle]

I am a liberal. We live in a liberal democracy.

That’s what we created in this country. That’s in our Constitution. ... I think we should be very clear on this. You know, this country was founded on the principals of the Enlightenment. It was the idea that people could talk, reason, have dialogue, discuss the issues. It wasn’t founded on the idea that someone would get stuck by a divine inspiration and know everything right from wrong. I mean, people who founded this country had religion, they had strong beliefs, but they believed in reason, in dialogue, in civil discourse. We can’t lose that in this country. We’ve got to get it back.
-- Wes Clark - September 5, 2003
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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 … 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."

-- John F. Kennedy, September 14, 1960

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Long ago, there was a noble word, LIBERAL, which derived from the word FREE . Now a strange thing happened to that word. A man named Hitler made it a term of abuse, a matter of suspicion, because those who were not with him were against him, and liberals had no use for Hitler. And then another man named McCarthy cast the same opprobrium on the word. Indeed, there was a time--a short but dismaying time--when many Americans began to distrust the word which derived from FREE. One thing we must all do. We must cherish and honor the word FREE or it will cease to apply to us....
-- Eleanor Roosevelt
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[Toots]

1. I love the Eleanor Roosevelt quote, it is so fitting in today's age

Long ago, there was a noble word, LIBERAL, which derived from the word FREE . Now a strange thing happened to that word. A man named Hitler made it a term of abuse, a matter of suspicion, because those who were not with him were against him, and liberals had no use for Hitler.

[chalky]

2. Thanks for that Eleanor Roosevelt quote. It will now be my sig

on all my emails.

:-)

[YankeyMCC]

3. "...those who were not with him were against him..."

What exactly does it take for people to realize how bad a leader Kommander Kookoobananas is? Does he actually have to grow the mustache and give himself a military rank?

That's a great quote from Eleanor Roosevelt. Where was she speaking when she said that?

[ken-in-seattle]

5. I don't have specific attribution for that on but here is one that does.

Of course, I do not believe in having everyone who
is a liberal called a communist, or everyone who is
conservative called a fasciast, but I think it is
possible to determine whether one is one or the other
and it does not take too long to do so.
Eleanor Roosevelt
Source:Eleanor:The Years Alone

[tavalon]

6. Maybe the mustache is the key

because he already holds the highest military rank, Commander-in-Chief, remember?

[TahitiNut]

7. Quote attribution: Eleanor Roosevelt, "Tomorrow is Now" (1963)

A posthumously published book.

[ananda]

4. Oh my god! Eleanor rocks!

God, just look at her quote and it's so easy to just substitute ***... like this:


Long ago, there was a noble word, LIBERAL, which derived from the word FREE . Now a strange thing happened to that word. A man named *** made it a term of abuse, a matter of suspicion, because those who were not with him were against him, and liberals had no use for ***. And then another man named McCarthy cast the same opprobrium on the word. Indeed, there was a time--a short but dismaying time--when many Americans began to distrust the word which derived from FREE. One thing we must all do. We must cherish and honor the word FREE or it will cease to apply to us....
-- Eleanor Roosevelt