A Heartfelt Lib Ltr-to-the-Local-Editor

[UTUSN]

Sums up what is not new to DU, but smacks down the local wingnut yokels who are always flooding with anti-IVINS, pro-LIMBO/MALKIN letters.

***********QUOTE*********

Proud to be a liberal and an American

To the editor:

Listening to conservatives like Rush Limbaugh and reading conservative opinion pieces gives the impression that conservatives have the monopoly on God, family and country. The truth is that they don’t, and it bothers me that liberals are painted as the bad guys. Here’s how I see it.

* As to the charge that liberals are "pro death:" Conservatives support the death penalty, yet get away with calling themselves "pro-life." I also am pro-life, even when it comes to people on death row. What I am against is our government getting involved in our personal lives. Therefore, I support abortion rights.

* Why is it that the only time we hear "liberal media" is when conservatives don’t like what’s being reported? Most reporters are fair and cover all sides of an issue or story. If anything, the media is being overrun by far-right conservatives like Rush Limbaugh and the corporations that own the majority of our telecommunication industry.

* The charge that liberals are anti-American: Please! It’s our love of country and the rights afforded us that we most value, and so we fight to preserve the freedom guaranteed us in our Constitution.

* Not all of the people who support the separation of church and state are atheists. We value and respect the right to practice our religion without fear of persecution. I volunteer at my church and believe in prayer. In fact a lot of my liberalism comes from the compassion taught in my church.

Liberals are compassionate, we are patriotic, we love our families, we go to church, we pray, we care for our fellow human beings and we care about our environment. Those are honorable traits, and I’m proud to be an American and a liberal.

*********UNQUOTE************

[jedr]

1. that's right ladies and gentlemen of the E I B network; but,

what you don't know is that liberals eat their own babies...you heard it here!

[realFedUp]

2. I second that. n/t

[Streetdoc270]

7. you mean

'Mega-Ditto's UTUSN!!!'

:rofl:

[hfojvt]

3. with the patriotic, families, church, and praying

it sounds like he is trying to out-fundy the fundies. Thus he seems to have accepted the notion that it is bad to 1) say bad things about our country, 2) not have a family, 3) not goto church, and 4) not pray. Some liberals like him, are "patriotic, love their families, goto church, and pray" so they are okay. What about liberals who are "critical of America, cannot get married or have kids, do not attend church, and do not pray".

Not what he was saying, and I appreciate a defemse of liberals, but what about defending the right of a liberal to be liberal?

[UTUSN]

4. I Agree, It's Not a Perfect Statement, But We Are Not the Audience

it is aimed at. Besides your points, I would add that anti-Choicers have no qualms about shutting down services for persons ALREADY BORN or other forms of retribution-short-of-death.

[hfojvt]

5. that's what I mean though

to that audience it is just a re-affirmation of their values. It is like the letter writer is saying that not all liberals are bad because not all liberals are liberal. Not all liberals are "long haired hippy type pinko fags." I would rather see a defense of the LHHTPFs.

[gratuitous]

8. Pick up your pen and commit your thoughts to paper

There are plenty of folks here who will offer pointers on your draft, and help you write just the letter you'd like to see.

Go for it!

[thecorster]

10. Agreed. Don't be upset that this guy

took the time to write a letter to the editor. He's defending his form of Liberalism, and you're more than welcome to defend yours.

[alfredo]

11. We believe that protecting human life goes beyond

the womb. We believe that education and truth are essential to our democracy. I would rather have a Liberal media that challenges the powerful than a conservative media that protects the powerful.

[jedr]

6. this guy is sincere but he still wants to believe Rush, and be

accepted by this crowd...one day he will realize that when W told us ..." your either with us or against us" ...that there is no middle ground ...he will turn off Rush , block out Fox and be ranting with us on d/u

[UTUSN]

9. (To #s 5&6) What's LHHTPF? Well, Purism

is too exclusive to flourish except within its own universe and certainly not in elections. It was just an upper to me to see this kind of letter in my local area given what dominates otherwise, and the letter is farther Left than everything else here, so I'm certainly not going to excommunicate the writer. I'm willing to work for increments and sometimes defended our beleaguered Senate Dems when they were under attack by "purer" Libs here, so I guess I'm way too "Center"--but I certainly won't excommunicate Extreme Libs, either.

[jedr]

14. don't miss understand what I meant to say,

I too am more "center " than left, he reminds me of my 85 yr. old Dad...He is just starting to understand that he too is under attact...I find that there is no middle ground, I've been pushed to the left weather I want to or not...I feel that more and more of our types are learning that we need to speak out or for ever hold our peace

[UTUSN]

17. I Don't Mind Being "Pushed to the Left"

That's where my core beliefs are. For me it's a matter of what's possible under the circumstances of whatever Present we are in. I was a McGOVERN voter while having wished and written him to ask that he step aside in favor of WHOEVER could beat NIXON. (Just to put some more nails in my coffin at DU.)

[jedr]

18. feel the same . don't worry about the "nails" it's a big tent n/t

[lonestarnot]

12. Wonderful work! Hope it's printed and goodluck! n/t

[kliljedahl]

13. Has it been published yet?

I don't know where you are or what paper it was submitted to, but I would be interested in knowing if, when & where it was published. That's a necessary bit of information. Otherwise it's just a rant.


http://www.kliljedahl.net

[bush_is_wacko]

15. Nominated! And I sincerely hope it gets printed...

In every major paper across the country! If the DNC was smart, they'd take a play from the RNC rule book and pay for this to be advertised on the front page of every American newspaper in the country! THIS is the the true liberal picture across this country. Sadly, the RNC has learned to search for obscure references to "liberal atheist/agnostics and slapped every liberal with that definition. It's time the DNC realize they have to fight back with the truth about us and they may need to fork over a lot of money to do it. Lord knows the RNC has no problem doing it!

[UTUSN]

16. To #s 12, 13, & 15: It WAS Printed. It Was in This A.M.s Paper

(& it's not mine.) Thanks.

[bush_is_wacko]

19. I see that it was printed but my assessment still stands...

This is the advertisement of liberal values the DNC needs to start thinking about using! Let's face it. We are all tired of NEGATIVE adds. They are a necessary evil with regards to the thugs residing in our WH, but POSITIVE adds can be every bit as effective! It's time the DNC start representing us the way we really are and stop giving the RNC ammunition regarding OUR negativity!

[UTUSN]

20. Gotcha. n/t