Positive Liberal Values from the Great Beyond

POSITIVE LIBERAL VALUES FROM THE GREAT BEYOND
by Donatra

Does anyone remember a post that I wrote a few weeks ago, a post in which I asked: “Why are you a liberal?”

Well, I think I have an answer. Of sorts. We recently learned that one of our founding members is suffering from terminal liver cancer. The prognosis is for eight months. This, oddly enough is an improvement over the initial prognosis which was for six weeks, so BibleBelted is hardly complaining about several additional months.

Ironically, my husband, PraetorOne and I, had tapped Bible to be the Godfather of our baby boy who will be born on our around February 15 of next year. This was an event that we were all anticipating with a certain degree of joy. Praetor ad Bible are more like son and father, student and mentor, than best friends, so we were looking forwards to Bible’s influence on our little boy–who, by the way, we have opted to name after BibleBelted.

It’s an unusual situation to say the least. On the one hand Praetor is eagerly anticipating the birth of his first born child. On the other he dreads the impending death of his surrogate father and mentor. To say that this has been a difficult, even schizophrenic time would be the understatement of the decade. In many ways, Praetor feels bad because our son will never truly benefit from Bible’s advice and guidance.

But then something dawned on me. A few weeks ago we produced a recording of the ultra sound of our little boy, a comment which prompted Brandon to quip that Bible would see our son but not vice versa. But that isn’t true. A few nights ago I told Brandon that we should get Bible to make a series of videos for our son, for future guidance. The idea came when I was reading one of Brandon’s favorite science fiction series: Isaac Asimov’s FOUNDATION TRILOGY. So, as of last week we began recording a series of one sided conversations by BibleBelted for our unborn child–for future reference.

So what does this have to do with liberal values?

Everything.

This may shock the right wingers out there but liberals really DO have values. The last I knew telling a little boy to listen to and respect his parents was a positive value. The last I knew telling a little boy that he should try to leave the world a better place than it was when he entered it is a positive American value. Asking a child to apply himself in school, to crave learning, and to remain forever curious about the world in which he lives is another positive American value. Asking a child to be respectful of others and requiring him to investigate the facts and to support the constitution and the freedoms that it endorses are also positive American values.

So please, don’t tell me that Liberals don’t have values. Please don’t tell me that right wing Christians have a monopoly on ethics and morals. They do not. In fact, as we listened to Bible recording his “time capsule” we realized that Liberals DO have values and that those values are the primary reasons as to why we remain liberals.

The last I knew peace, tolerance, respect for elders, curiosity, and a life time love for learning are values that any nation should endorse and promote. Only in this country do we view curiosity and critical thinking as subterfuge and treason.

Well. I have news for you my fellow liberals. We DO have morals. We DO have ethics. And those who would deny that simply do not know what they are talking about.

Oh, and by the way. I forgot the one value that conservatives seem to be lacking in great abundance: basic, human compassion; sympathy, and empathy. Everything that makes us truly and fully human.

–
Let Freedom Ring,

The Coalition for a Democratic America