Calling all liberals. I am a right wing Republican who has respect for the libs but I need some help.?

Question

I have always wanted to be a liberal while growing up. I've read about martin luther king jr and his achievements. It was one of many accomplishments that liberals have made in the past that has inspired me to become one. Unfortunatly many years have passed since the great dr. martin luther king jr was the face liberalism. Now the fights that are waged by liberals have made me veire away from becoming one. Standpoints like rights and benefits for illegal immigrants. fighting for humain treatment to those who attacked us or planed to harm us. where has the true liberals gone? where are the liberals who have fought for Americans rights in the past to make our country what it is today? where are the liberals who made me want to become one when I was a young boy? As I've gotten older it seems they have disappeared, and the only place you can find one is in a history book. Why is this? why can't liberals of today inspire me and others like me as thev'e done in the past?

Answer 1

It is harder to find the type of unity and leadership that defined the civil rights movement. A reason may be because the need for it has diminished. Minorities have reached 90 to 95 percent equality in America with much indecision and self bickering about how to achieve the final five to ten percent. This is the cause of some of what you observe. It does not mean however that the liberal ideals are unworthy. Take another look at the idea of feeding your enemy as opposed to killing him and a truth is revealed. Their children are no longer enemies to our children. We would all do well to remember what Reagan and Gorbachev helped accomplish. The Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc fell apart without a single bomb or sanction as a result of serious negotiations and cooperation between countries.

Answer 2

What people call liberals today aren't really liberals at all. The Democratic party has moved to the right and is now very near the center. The Republican party has moved even further to the right to become almost radical. I am talking, of course, about the leaders in each party. Generally most people, whether Democrat or Republican are very much toward the center. This is why we get frustrated with the Congress and the President. The Republicans in Congress aren't interested in the will of the people but their own (Karl Rove) agenda. That agenda was set by neocons. Unfortunately normal centerist and conservative Republicans have been sucked in by the neocons. It is like during the 1970s when the liberals had a grip on the Democratic party and messed things up for quite awhile. The Democrats have recovered and the GOP will eventually recover too. When both the President and the Congress rule from the center, regardless of party, we will do great things. If we lean too far one way or the other, well we've seen the results of that over the last 8 to 10 years.

Answer 3

We're still here. You are a little mixed up with what we stand for, though. Most of us want Immigration reform, basically because we want fairness. You realize don't you that the people who are hiring illegals sometimes at below minimum wage and in violation of OSHA and other health standards are breaking more laws than the illegal immigrants are. We're not fighting for humane treatment of those who attacked us; we're fighting for humane treatment of those who ALLEGEDLY attacked us. So far there has been basically no justice for 911. We've basically abandoned the search for Osama. We have been holding prisoners and apparently torturing them for up to six years, yet there have been no trials, no evidence, and no justice. Most liberals are opposed to an illegal war that was based on lies and had nothing to do with terrorism. We are for economic justice. We want basic health care for every American. We want to increase and improve educational opportunities. We want an energy policy where we can become energy independent and start cleaning up the damage we are doing to the environment and global weather patterns. We want the same Civil Rights for all Americans that Martin Luther King did.

Answer 4

The Liberals have stopped the U.S. from drilling oil, starting new power plants, and made us even more so dependent of the likes of China, who are now no longer buying our goods, but turning to France to buy airplanes such as the Airbus.

Because of the Liberals we will do more for the Human Rights then for protecting our own country through necessary detaining and questioning.

I believe that the ACLU and Liberals are saying the same;

For over 85 years the American Civil Liberties Union has been the nation’s premier guardian of liberty, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States.

And yet the battle for civil liberties never stays won.

Since 9/11, our core values of freedom and fairness have been dramatically eroded. Starting with the Patriot Act, to shameful acts of torture and CIA kidnappings and secret prison programs, to the continuing warrant-less spying on ordinary Americans.

It is clear that the abuses of the recent past will take years and possibly generations to repair.

We urge you to look decades ahead and make sure that your deep personal commitment to the ACLU will be at work well into the heart of the 21st century.

By leaving a legacy, you can personally support the ACLU's activities and help us to make our government an instrument of freedom, fairness, and equality.

Do you find it scary that so many of the Posters here sound like they are supporters of the ACLU!

Answer 5

it's easy to glorify the past, and the present always pales by comparison but you forget that MLK was a man before the legend and JFK all were men with troubles and issues that all humans have, the right wingers of today have a corporate machine to defend their every action, under the slogan Good for business is good for America, But those goals have diverged over the last 45 years or so, Corporate profits are highest ever, as is boardroom pay as middle class jobs are outsourced, and benefits and pensions abandoned for all but the top executives. It is not liberals that have lost the way, but the average Joe who listens to talk radio and then votes to give his rights away because it's all to complicated for him and he doesn't want to have to get too involved so he 's let a pundit decide for him, or fill him with fear for his kids or future they are spinners and what is lacking is truth,in advertising ,in politics and in society. A lack of honesty about the future and even the past is clogging our way

Answer 6

There are still vast numbers of us around, and we are still the same. The problem you are having is that you are assuming that the higher level Politicians who call themselves Democrats, are actually liberals. Most of these politicians are just the same as the Republican politicians. It is just two sides of the same coin. You also have to understand that there are really bad things going on in our government that the mainstream media will not tell you the truth about. To find out the real truth, you have to do some digging and research on unbiased alternative media, and on the Internet. If you seriously want to learn about these things, there are many of us, who would gladly give you all kinds of very eye-opening and informative links, regarding many different issues. *sm*

Answer 7

I think you conflate great causes with great people. MLK had his failings, and in today's political arena he would be destroyed, by being forced to take positions on everything from abortion rights to gay marriage, tax law and immigration. Not to mention the personal attacks on his philandering.

Perhaps in 50 years today's leaders will have been cleaned up again. Some great cause they stood for will have been remembered and their failings forgotten. But I doubt it. No one wades in today's political arena without getting covered in muck. Can you imagine Reagan ever getting rid of the Contra scandal? Or Bush Jr without the torture discussions? Carter without UFOs? Just not going to happen.

But the good news is that you don't have to believe in a cause because someone you admire does. If you believe in liberal causes, you should stand for them. And if those that are in power don't live up to your expectations, kick them out. I agree that this is very hard in a one-and-a-half party country, but politics is about changing the country according to what you believe in. It isn't supposed to be easy.

Answer 8

perhaps the libs have lacked an inspiring leader, but these things run in cycles.

the real problem is with you: if you wonder why we oppose inhumane treatment -- i assume youre referring to torture -- is because we respect the ideals our country was founded on.

if you think that the ends always justify the means, that there is no ideal worth fighting for, the torture is OK as long you believe yourself righteous in doing it -- then you cannot pretend to be a liberal (and probably have no right to call yourself an American).

there will always be a good reason to abandon our values, whether for security or otherwise -- but when we do, we are no better than terrorists ourselves.

torture is illegal. so is spying on americans. so is denying habeas corpus.

Answer 9

Politics and government have been turned into pure entertainment (thank you, Fox News, CNN, MSNBC). If it's not attention-grabbing politics, nobody is listening. Only the most sensationalized, controversial stuff is sent our way, and it shapes how we think about people and their political leanings.

As for supporting human rights of illegals... I think you have to slow down and have a good conversation with somebody. The informed liberal does not support amnesty necessarily, nor promote illegal immigration. Instead, the liberal cautions against policies that will marginalize or oppress groups of illegal immigrants, and avoid making them desperate enough to resort to crime to survive.

Answer 10

If you NEED an inspired leader to appeal to your better self, then MLK isn't a bad place to start. But what about taking the lead YOURSELF in small ways. All the USA needs is an HONEST election and a sustainable energy policy.