What it means to be a Liberal

[n2doc]

What it means to be a liberal

By Geoffrey R. Stone. Geoffrey R. Stone, a law professor at the University of Chicago, is the author of "Perilous Times: Free Speech in Wartime."
Published October 10, 2006

For most of the past four decades, liberals have been in retreat. Since the election of Richard Nixon in 1968, Republicans have controlled the White House 70 percent of the time and Republican presidents have made 86 percent of the U.S. Supreme Court appointments. In many quarters, the word "liberal" has become a pejorative. Part of the problem is that liberals have failed to define themselves and to state clearly what they believe. As a liberal, I find that appalling. In that light, I thought it might be interesting to try to articulate 10 propositions that seem to me to define "liberal" today. Undoubtedly, not all liberals embrace all of these propositions, and many conservatives embrace at least some of them. Moreover, because 10 is a small number, the list is not exhaustive. And because these propositions will in some instances conflict, the "liberal" position on a specific issue may not always be predictable. My goal, however, is not to end discussion, but to invite debate.

1. Liberals believe individuals should doubt their own truths and consider fairly and open-mindedly the truths of others.
2. Liberals believe individuals should be tolerant and respectful of difference.
3. Liberals believe individuals have a right and a responsibility to participate in public debate.
4. Liberals believe "we the people" are the governors and not the subjects of government, and that government must treat each person with that in mind.
5. Liberals believe government must respect and affirmatively safeguard the liberty, equality and dignity of each individual.
6. Liberals believe government has a fundamental responsibility to help those who are less fortunate.
7. Liberals believe government should never act on the basis of sectarian faith.
8. Liberals believe courts have a special responsibility to protect individual liberties.
9. Liberals believe government must protect the safety and security of the people, for without such protection liberalism is impossible.
10. Liberals believe government must protect the safety and security of the people, without unnecessarily sacrificing constitutional values.

Consider this an invitation. Are these propositions meaningful? Are they helpful? Are they simply wrong? As a liberal, how would you change them or modify the list? As a conservative, how would you draft a similar list for conservatives?

- - -

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

- How do you define a liberal? How do you define a conservative? E-mail us by 2 p.m. Tuesday at [e-mail] with "define" in the subject line. Include your name, hometown and contact information. Responses will be published online and in Wednesday's Voice of the People.
more at:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0610100318oct10,1,1903801.story?coll=chi-opinionfront-hed

[Jackpine Radical]

1. Liberals believe...

that the most important business of society is to provide each child with the emotional and physical resources necessary to develop into the best person the child is capable of becoming.

[pooja]

2. If we did 1-4, there would be no need for the rest.. The people are

the govt and we decide.. and in that context we need to remember that all people are members of the human race and each one of these members are special and deserve peace. The reason why people thought of America as the shining dream is because we hold a document that says all are free. All have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness... I'm not sure when we decide money means happiness? I'm not sure when a lexus in front of a 4000sq foot home became important. What is important is a home with love. What is important is a family dinner with all members of the family in attendance. What is important is that my freedom doesn't cost another person their soul. Freedom is free... It doesn't cost people there lives (we waged that war, and lost many brave people in doing so). My ever fervent wish would be that all our soldiers would pick one day to say "I'm not fighting today"... That signal would show this world how beautiful democracy could and should be.

[EST]

3. K & R

In my universe, a liberal must be able to tell the truth, unerringly, and demand the same standard of any person who wishes to represent liberals.

Thanks for the OP-this topic needs to be discussed a lot more.