Why is it such an insult to call someone a "liberal" in America?

Question

I was talking to an American backpacker about gun control and he called me a "liberal" like it was a bad thing or something. Can someone fill me in on this point of American culture?

Answer 1

It isn't a bad thing...just something that those who aren't try to use as one. Try just saying, "thank you" when they call you a liberal. Usually stops them cold.

Answer 2

Our political system is a false dichotomy. Liberal (Democrat) and Republican (Conservative). It's the only two choices we get.

It's a bad term for people that watch too much Fox news and listen to right wing radio. Those types live in a bubble and can't really think for themselves; they let the media think for them. They never talk to people with different views; and when they do, they don’t know how to react and get confused because they haven't examined the issues for themselves. If the people they watch and listen too say liberal is bad, then it must be true. I consider myself a liberal on issues like abortion, gay rights, and immigration; but conservative on fiscal issues.

Guns are our constitutional right and a lot of us take our constitution seriously. There's history behind that issue.

I think most Americans are moderate now. I think you can find some solutions on the left and some on the right.

Answer 3

i think nobody likes to be called words that remind people of negative images, meanings, or messages. People end up associating those negative messages and meanings with the person being called the unwanted name.

Thats why everyone has a name they cant stand being called.

Also, it depends where in america you are. I imagine in red republican south and central USA and even in the coasts in some counties -some people would cringe being called that because they are absolutely positively 100 percent the opposite of whatever meanings and images the word "liberal" brings to their mind.

But i live in a town (Berkeley) where some people would also be upset if they were called "Liberals". Berkeley is one of the wildest most politically active and "liberal" places that people can imagine. People here get upset because "liberal" is associated with being self-righteous, arrogant, know it all, annoying, at least in my mind.

Answer 4

i did not see this technique, yet i'm assuming which you're talking on the subject of the Salem Witch trials. I visited Salem, MA this previous March or perhaps did a excursion of the Salem witch museum. It became very academic. It became a shameful 2d in American historic past. sure, it became a mob mentality that swept in the time of the city in keeping with a intense loss of information and a macho call for to handle the situation. in spite of the shown fact that, following those trials, there became distinctive experience sorry approximately and turmoil approximately what had occurred. immediately, witches are actually not the demons that the uninformed have faith them to be. they are peace-loving souls who stay their lives in solidarity with nature. they don't harm others. paradoxically, the final populations of modern-day witches now stay in Salem, MA. Christianity isn't approximately killing all and sundry who would not have faith. if this is so, those all and sundry isn't Christians and are not following the occasion of Jesus. they are delusional liars.

Answer 5

They think of Rosie O'Donnell and other Hollywood liberals so it is not a good thing to say. Liberals are just whiny annoying little people basically . Kind of like the ones above me that throw things out like 'right wing Christianity' Because no liberals believe in God apparently.

Answer 6

I'm liberal and proud of it. But the Republican right has tried to make it a dirty word by spreading lies. The religious right helped a lot in this as well. Basically liberals are against god and religion. the believe in abortion to the 9th. month, We are all pot smoking hippies who believe that murders should be coddled, You get the idea. Propaganda. If liberal becomes a dirty word then everyone will vote republican and we will have a christian Nation for real. That's the scary part.

suzyhomemaker has just proved my point. Thank you dear.

Answer 7

For the same reason some people consider it an insult to call someone a conservative. Personally I think for a bird to fly straight it has to have two wings.

Answer 8

It's not the term itself necessarily but more who you were takling to. It seems to me that conservatives tend to refer to liberals in an insulting way while the opposite is true of liberals referring to conservatives. Go figure. I guess we humans just like to argue.

Answer 9

GOOD QUESTION. Being a liberal myself, I don't consider it an insult at all. I think it's funny when someone tries to use the adjective "liberal" to insult me. It actually makes me chuckle.

Answer 10

I'm a liberal and damn proud. Stuffy conservatives are boring and closeminded.