Imagine you live in Europe in 1848. Write a letter to a friend, stating your political position —– conservative, liberal, or radical. Express your feelings about the uprisings and the future of Europe.
Dear Bob, I’m writing you today to tell you about my political position. I’m a liberal. I know you want to know why I chose to be a liberal, so here it is. The definition of liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. So I was thinking of things that fall under those guidelines and I came up with this as my explanation. I’m a liberal because I believe health care is a basic human right. I’m liberal because education and a chance to move up in the world is a basic human right. I’m a liberal because I know that sometimes bad things happen to good people, for no good reason.
I’m a liberal because I believe that a society that lets the mentally ill wander the streets and live under a bush is an unjust society. I’m liberal because I know that unregulated capitalism results in mortgage meltdowns and poisoned air and water. I’m a liberal because I know there are evil people who will exploit the weak for a few bucks. I’m a liberal because I know how slippery my hold on success is. One bout with cancer, one bad accident, and one slip up and there it goes. I’m a liberal because I recognize this and want the safety net to be around should I need it.
