Let's break it down, shall we? Because quite frankly, I'm getting a little
tired of being told what I believe and what I stand for. Spoiler alert: not
every liberal is the same, though many liberals I know think along roughly
these same lines:
1.
I believe a country should take care of its weakest members. A country cannot
call itself civilized when its children, disabled, sick, and elderly are
neglected. PERIOD.
2.
I believe healthcare is a right, not a privilege. Somehow that's interpreted as
"I believe Obamacare is the end-all, be-all." This is not the case.
I'm fully aware that the ACA has problems, that a national healthcare system
would require everyone to chip in, and that it's impossible to create one that
is devoid of flaws, but I have yet to hear an argument against it that makes
"let people die because they can't afford healthcare" a better
alternative. I believe healthcare should be far cheaper than it is, and that
everyone should have access to it. And no, I'm not opposed to paying higher
taxes in the name of making that happen.
3.
I believe education should be affordable. It doesn't necessarily have to be
free (though it works in other countries so I'm mystified as to why it can't
work in the US), but at the end of the day, there is no excuse for students
graduating college saddled with five- or six-figure debt.
4.
I don't believe your money should be taken from you and given to people who
don't want to work. I have literally never encountered anyone who believes
this. Ever. I just have a massive moral problem with a society where a handful
of people can possess most of the wealth while there are people literally
starving to death, freezing to death, or dying because they can't afford to go
to the doctor. Fair wages, lower housing costs, universal healthcare,
affordable education, and the wealthy paying their share would go a long way
toward alleviating this. Somehow believing that makes me a communist.
5.
I don't throw around "I'm willing to pay higher taxes" lightly. If
I'm suggesting something that involves paying more, well, it's because I'm fine
with paying my share as long as it's going to something besides lining
corporate pockets or bombing other countries while Americans die without
healthcare.
6.
I believe companies should be required to pay their employees a decent, livable
wage. Somehow this is always interpreted as me wanting burger flippers to be
able to afford a penthouse apartment and a Mercedes. What it means is that no
one should have to work three full-time jobs just to keep their head above
water. Restaurant servers should not have to rely on tips, multibillion-dollar
companies should not have employees on food stamps, workers shouldn't have to
work themselves into the ground just to barely make ends meet, and minimum wage
should be enough for someone to work 40 hours and live.
7.
I am not anti-Christian. I have no desire to stop Christians from being
Christians, to close churches, to ban the Bible, to forbid prayer in school,
etc. (BTW, prayer in school is NOT illegal; *compulsory* prayer in school is -
and should be - illegal). All I ask is that Christians recognize *my* right to
live according to *my* beliefs. When I get pissed off that a politician is
trying to legislate Scripture into law, I'm not "offended by
Christianity" -- I'm offended that you're trying to force me to live by
your religion's rules. You know how you get really upset at the thought of
Muslims imposing Sharia law on you? That's how I feel about Christians trying
to impose biblical law on me. Be a Christian. Do your thing. Just don't force
it on me or mine.
8.
I don't believe LGBT people should have more rights than you. I just believe
they should have the *same* rights as you.
9.
I don't believe illegal immigrants should come to America and have the world at
their feet, especially since THIS ISN'T WHAT THEY DO (spoiler: undocumented
immigrants are ineligible for all those programs they're supposed to be
abusing, and if they're "stealing" your job it's because your
employer is hiring illegally). I believe there are far more humane ways to
handle undocumented immigration than our current practices (i.e., detaining
children, splitting up families, ending DACA, etc.).
10.
I don't believe the government should regulate everything, but since greed is
such a driving force in our country, we NEED regulations to prevent cut
corners, environmental destruction, tainted food/water, unsafe materials in
consumable goods or medical equipment, etc. It's not that I want the
government's hands in everything -- I just don't trust people trying to make
money to ensure that their products/practices/etc. are SAFE. Is the government
devoid of shadiness? Of course not. But with those regulations in place,
consumers have recourse if they're harmed and companies are liable for medical
bills, environmental cleanup, etc. Just kind of seems like common sense when
the alternative to government regulation is letting companies bring their
bottom line into the equation.
11.
I believe our current administration is fascist. Not because I dislike them or
because I can’t get over an election, but because I've spent too many years
reading and learning about the Third Reich to miss the similarities. Not
because any administration I dislike must be Nazis, but because things are mirroring
authoritarian and fascist regimes of the past.
12.
I believe the systemic racism and misogyny in our society is much worse than
many people think, and desperately needs to be addressed. Which means those
with privilege -- white, straight, male, economic, etc. -- need to start
listening, even if you don't like what you're hearing, so we can start
dismantling everything that's causing people to be marginalized.
13.
I am not interested in coming after your blessed guns, nor is anyone serving in
government. What I am interested in is the enforcement of present laws and
enacting new, common sense gun regulations. Got another opinion? Put it on your
page, not mine.
14.
I believe in so-called political correctness. I prefer to think it’s social
politeness. If I call you Chuck and you say you prefer to be called Charles,
I’ll call you Charles. It’s the polite thing to do. Not because everyone is a
delicate snowflake, but because as Maya Angelou put it, when we know better, we
do better. When someone tells you that a term or phrase is more accurate/less
hurtful than the one you're using, you now know better. So why not do better?
How does it hurt you to NOT hurt another person?
15.
I believe in funding sustainable energy, including offering education to people
currently working in coal or oil so they can change jobs. There are too many
sustainable options available for us to continue with coal and oil. Sorry,
billionaires. Maybe try investing in something else.
16.
I believe that women should not be treated as a separate class of human. They
should be paid the same as men who do the same work, should have the same
rights as men and should be free from abuse. Why on earth shouldn’t they be?
I
think that about covers it. Bottom line is that I'm a liberal because I think
we should take care of each other. That doesn't mean you should work 80 hours a
week so your lazy neighbor can get all your money. It just means I don't
believe there is any scenario in which preventable suffering is an acceptable
outcome if money is saved.”
-Lori
Gallagher Witt
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