The first question is: When did liberal become a dirty word? And the second one is: How can those of us who believe in individual rights and human dignity reclaim it as a force for good? Some historians have noted that for over a hundred years, neither the Republican nor the Democratic party used the word in any negative way. Even in the 1960s when Barry Goldwater ran for President, the word did not have a negative cast. So, what happened?
Much of it can be traced to the disparaging use of the word by Ronald Reagan with his attacks on certain government programs and the “welfare queen” with its clear racist subtext as “waste, fraud, and abuse.” Rather than taking on the issue at its core and put on the defensive, liberals started using other terms.
As a Nation, we established ourselves embracing the foundations of liberalism with its respect for human rights even as our Founders made compromises on the issue of slavery. Clearly our fundamental liberal values have influenced the rest of the world. Those values are under attack and in order to preserve not just our democracy but a truly open society, rather than shrinking in the face of those attacks, we must take them on and answer them for what they are – an assault on human freedom.
Prayer for the Day
Searching for a future, we often rely on the past,
But you, O God, call us to ask new questions;
Seeking answers for questions not yet asked,
We flounder about reaching for an anchor.
Moor us, O Lord, to your truths in our quest,
Enabling us to work for the promise of justice.
In the name of the One who shows us your path,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
So much of liberalism in its classical sense is taken for granted in the west today and even disrespected. We take freedom for granted, and because of this we don't understand how incredibly vulnerable it is.”
Niall Ferguson, British and American historian
The aim of totalitarian education has never been to instill convictions but to destroy the capacity to form any.
Hannah Arendt, political philosopher, writer (1906-1975)
Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.
Proverbs 16: 3