What Is a True Liberal?
According to Oxford via Google Search a liberal is a person “open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values.” However many people claim to be “liberal” but hold onto “traditional values” or opinions and are just as close minded as a conservative Republic.
What Are Some Examples?
Let’s take for instance the “traditional value” of how we should ignore and let people be racist or homophobic and do nothing about it. This maybe a great way to ease ones conscious but to me seems to do nothing but allow people a reason to be upset when a racist or a homophobe get into positions of power, such as the Senate or the House when it’s the people electing said individual into such positions because they share the same ideology. Eg. Do nothing about homophobia can get people like Mike Pence into positions of power as a Senator, a governor and as of recent a vice president. To me Trump getting elected is a consequence of doing nothing about racism or homophobia because those bigots saw a way to get in power and voted for him, and people can say he wasn’t racist all they want, Trump’s cries of “Mexicans are rapists.” during the campaign was a very racist statement as rape is not bound to one race, there are white rapists, black rapists, Latino rapists, Indian rapists, Native American rapists, etc. so to cry out one specific race of people are rapists is very, very racists.
But what if the US were to do like Brazil and outlaw homophobia? Free speech and freedom of religion is no excuse for bigotry out in the general public. It is considered free speech to run into a building that isn’t on fire and shout “Fire!” but that free speech has consequences. Why not do the same for racism and homophobia? You can have those beliefs but you say or uphold them publicly you get consequences.
Or take for example my situation with Shawn Suleiman and the fact a homophobe is being proven right because I’m not with Shawn like the homophobe said. People over complicate the situation to make excuses for the homophobe appearing right and being empowered but yet aren’t opened to my idea of “If the homophobe is wrong, I’ll end up with Shawn.” some may open it to the whole “Well life doesn’t work that way.” or “Life’s not that simple.” but those are close-minded traditional values that we have brought on ourselves to make excuses for half the bigotry that goes on these days. Any excuse to make a situation that isn’t okay okay. Sounds very conservative Evangelical who sit there and try to absolve oneself or another person of their wrongful ways and just give empty platitudes.
In Conclusion
I often think people should look up what they are claiming before they call themselves something they are not. There are many “liberals” out there who call themselves ones out of sheer ignorance of the definition of the word and are in some ways conservative to a point and want their cake and eat it too but you cannot win with double standards, to claim to be a liberal but be close minded to new ideas or opinions is not really what being a liberal is all about. Granted I am sure there is some who can say I am not a liberal by sticking by a difference stance but you can’t do anything new if someone doesn’t right?
