To Democrats/Liberals?

Question

After the last couple elections, there has been talk about how the democratic party needs to show it has values/morals. So my question is, how do you, as a dem/liberal, define morality? And where do you get that definition? Is it based upon what's legal? Can something be legal and morally wrong (or visa versa)?

Jason H.
While I wasn't really looking for a referendum on your specific political views, I was intrigued by your answer. Specifically, as to why you think it is the Conservatives who are saying the liberals need to showcase their morals in order to win elections. Wouldn't be self destructive to tell you opponent what he needs to do to beat you?

Answer 1

I can't speak for democrats but I have been called liberal enough times...

I know I define morality the same as anyone else - being in line with what is good. The difference is what you define as good.

I get the definition from how I was raised, what I see as the wrongs in the world and having read many, many books on others views of the same thing.

For some, prostitution is immoral. For others it is not. Who decides? If you use a religious template then it is clear, but those same religions have also said that slavery was moral etc., so they are not absolute either.

I do not base my morality on what is or is not legal; yes, I think things can both be legal and immoral and illegal and not immoral (like prostitution above).

The problem that the democratic party has is not so much the morals, because the republicans are pretty good about talking a big storm up and then those same individuals seem to forget their own morals. The democrats do not have the ability to rally the way republicans do, but I think that too is waning (not that the Dems are getting any better at it mind you).

But it is all a pendulum. The country will go back and forth between the 40's & 50's mentality and the 60's & 70's

Answer 2

First of all democrats and liberals are not the same thing. Democrats are a party of moderately liberal people that are afraid to do their job. Just like Republicans are a mixture of conservatives that are more interested in holding congressional seats than doing their jobs.

The value of a liberal is very simple. You move forward in life with a hard effort to change things for the better. Don't criticize others on the basis that they are different. Hold your word even when it is your enemy that you are giving benefit to by holding your word.

I get this definition from #1 the definition of the word liberal, #2 the intent of our action as to what it actually being attempted.

Is it legal, yes. ACLU, for example, will defend a terrorist if needed to keep our laws intact and same right given to everyone. Convervatives would prefer for that a suspected terrorist have the law be ignored. The problem is if you ignore the laws once, then the next time they are needed they are just as ineffective as the one time you ignore them. That is what it means to hold to your word. Conservatives have never understood that.

Laws that are morally wrong have been passed a great many times in history. There are small moral issues with every law passed. No Child Left Behind has a great many problems that punish schools wrongfully in special circumstances that the law never considered. Is it morally wrong? very much. Is it legal? yes.

Answer 3

The main difference between the liberal and conservative morality is the way it is expressed. Conservatives believe that their morals should be implemented; they believe that to be truly "moral" you need to make laws that back up those morals and force others to abide by them. Liberals have a wide range of moral beliefs (as I'm sure conservatives do) but are generally in favor of having laws lenient enough to accommodate many peoples' morals. Of course, a line has to be drawn (ex, murder cannot be tolerated regardless of people's morals) but as far as making laws against things like homosexual marriage, etc. because noone is being actively hurt, liberals will tend to attempt to allow that option to exist. As for something being both legal and morally wrong, that is very possible. A good example is adultery; though there is no law against it, most people would agree that it's reprehensible.

Answer 4

My morals are based a great deal on my religion as well as on my experience.

I don't think everything that is immoral to me needs to be legislated though, and I don't think someone else's "morals" need to be legislated upon me.

The basic tenet of the law should be as follows: people should be free unless said freedom will infringe upon the rights of others.

Gay marriage: the test? Harms no one, they should be allowed to get married.

Murder: clearly infringes upon someone's rights, and should be and is (all would agree) illegal.

Of course there are going to be things that fall into a grayer area and good people of differing camps can disagree and both can be moral and upstanding people.

The last thing that truly, truly upsets me in such discussions are people that are so quick to call someone else "immoral". Of course the irony of it is I can quickly lable those people as "immoral", therefore being just as bad as the people that anger me.

It's human nature to feel that way, and it's our struggle with our own nature to try to overcome such reactions. Like all people, I screw up from time to time (especially if it involves Mister Truth or Scorpion). With respectful people I will always stay respectful.

Whomever sited the Golden Rule, I think they hit the nail on the head. And nearly all world religions have a tenet similar to that.

Answer 5

In 1994, lifelike and conservative Democrats interior the U.S. domicile of Representatives prepared themselves into the Blue dogs Democrats, depending on the Republican victories on the polls that November. the reason become that the Blue dogs felt the celebration had moved so a procedures left that it had "choked them blue." The call is a connection with an beforehand time period, Yellow dogs Democrat and also to the "blue dogs" artwork of a Louisiana artist. Neither the Blue dogs Coalition, nor the Democratic administration Council, are seen as conservative because the beforehand Dixiecrat and Boll Weevil incarnations of conservative Democrats.

Answer 6

You are so stupid to think that only Conservatives have morals.

Not even the Catholic Church have morals. Remember the Priest-rape-little-boys scandal? They tried to cover up, when anyone with a little decency would have turned them in. Even criminals in prison don't like rapist, much less child molesters and still all the Church did was to move them to another parish.

And they have the nerve to then say that homosseuals shouldn't raise kids.

One of the reasons I am ashamed to say I was raised Catholic.

Answer 7

I'm not a Democrat, but I am a liberal, and what is morally right to me, is the golden rule. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
Pretty simple and right to the point.
To me this says it all. Don't steal from people, unless you would want them to steal from you. Don't hurt people, unless you want them to hurt you. Don't try to force your sexual orientation on people, unless you want them to force theirs on you. Don't tell people what they can and cannot do in the privacy of their own home, unless you want them telling you what you can and cannot do in yours. Don't invade a country based on a lie in order to obtain control and wealth in a region of the world, unless you would have them invade your country based on a lie in order to gain power and wealth.
Pretty simple.
The only people saying Democrats and liberals need to show that they have morals, are conservatives.
Show me how conservatives show that they have morals. By saying gay people don't have rights? By claiming that the first amendment that states freedom of religion only means the freedom to be christian? By saying that freedom of the press only counts when the government wants it too? What kind of morals are those?

Answer 8

Morality starts with not invading countries that pose no threat to the US while spending hard working American tax dollars like its going out of style. Sounds like our president is helping our dems look better everyday.

ex republican
John P.

Answer 9

libs will have to check with the party first before they can answer