What made you become a liberal or a con?

There was a whole lot of events that made me the liberal I am today. The first was seeing the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1962, maybe 63'. Then I saw my first concert, Jerry Lee Lewis that same year. JFK was assassinated, and there seemed to be a big loss of optimism in America. We lived in Alabama at that time, and I liked hanging out with the blacks because they could play pool better. There was a sign at the railroad tracks that read, ANY "N WORDS" IN TOWN AFTER DARK WILL BE SHOT. Truth is, the real N WORDS were white. Went to Hullabaloo in 64 and saw Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels. Then saw Buffalo Springfield that year too. In 65' we moved to redneck USA, and I really grew to hate those morons. In 68' I saw the movie Easy Rider, and that's when I truly became a hippie. That same year some hippies moved into town and opened a head shop, I finally had some friends to hang out with. In 69' my mother married a moron republican, only eight years older than me. Tricky Dick was POTUS when I was in the army, and we all know what happened to that POS. I went to my first Rainbow Gathering in 77', and everybody said "Welcome home." as I was hiking in to camp, and for the first time in my life I felt like I really was home. I've been to about fifteen gatherings, the only bad one was in TEXASS. John Lennon was assassinated in 1980, and Ronnie Raygun took the White House. The U.S. has been in the toilet ever since. Well Bubba gave us hope for a few years, but Shrub Jr. destroyed it all in his first year. In summation, every con I've ever seen has been nothing but a puke, and all my happiness has been with liberals. I've never met a happy, friendly con, never.

 

I don't really know what I am. I'm not sure if I even really understand the difference between a Liberal and a Conservative...As bad as that sounds.

 

420 makes you a lib. Cons hate it, and they don't like daydreamers.

 

I support gay marriage because I believe everybody has a right to marry whoever they want. I support marijuanna legalization because I believe that everyone has a right to put in their body whatever they want. I'm pro choice because I don't think anyone should be forced to bear a child or give birth against their will as it is a huge violation of their natural human rights. I believe everyone should have healthcare and healthcare is a human right.
I try not to take sides but I can't help but notice which side is constantly picking on gays, women, immigrants, etc.

 

The political and social tendencies to polarize and label.

 

Two parties, two divisions, different ideas, same shit.

 

I tend to dislike both liberals and conservatives, and anyone else that pigeonholes themselves with a stupid label. Political people especially annoy me.

 

this being an rjhangover thread, that makes you a "con."

 

I used to think of myself as a liberal.

I grew up in a conservative town, and because a lot of the people who advertised themselves as conservatives were assholes, I figured that conservatives were assholes.

Also, I was mad about us policy in latin america, which was basically to back dictatorships and human rights abuses to keep leftists down.

I decided that I would go to the most liberal college that I could find, assuming that the liberals were the good guys.

What I found was that liberals, or at least the ones that I found there, mostly didn't give a shit about latin america, and were even bigger assholes than the assholes in my hometown.

women were for women's rights and empowerment. gay and lesbians were for gay and lesbian rights and empowerment. racial minorities were for the rights and empowerment of their racial group.

all of these groups hated straight white men. all of them were in favor of using fear, threats, intimidation, censorship and violence in order to promote their agenda. it seemed that no one was in principle against bigotry. and no one was really opposed in principle to injustice, but rather they were for whatever was in their own self-interest.

I've come to the conclusion that the fundamental struggle is not left versus right, but those who treat others they way they in turn would like to be treated versus those who don't

 

I took the middle road and became a radical. Due at least in part to a Texas outlaw upbringing...

 

forget labels or parties. just be someone who hates government corruption and tyranny. but don't be one of those pro-life people who care about every fertilized egg. that's my advice to you.

 

As far as my politically motivated ideals are concerned, conservatives would classify me as a liberal. I personally advocate neither party, but that does not detract from the fact that in the eyes of the politically minded, I am still classified as being liberal.

 

I think the words liberal and conservative get thrown around so much, often in an insultatory way, that the words have been rendered meaningless at this point.

I'm liberal in the sense that I believe in basically complete personal freedom. As long as you aren't hurting someone else, I don't give a fuck. And I believe in fiscal responsibility and limited government. Tax fairly, spend wisely in a way that is most beneficial for the taxpayer.

But its not like either terms really mean that anymore. The words used to have very simple political definitions and now they're used to describe two out of control, basically bullshit political affiliations.

 

This. I grew up in a totally racist, homophobic, elitist family, and they pretty much kicked my gay ass to the curb when I told them I was not ashamed (I was 18). Also, I was forever the black sheep (in their Nixon/Reagan/Bush 1 & 2 loving minds) because I didn't think guns were cool, chose to live on the wrong side of town (whatever the hell that's supposed to mean), believed war is a mistake, and clashed big time with many Christians that tried to tell me homosexuals are doomed and damned forever. Plus I read and wrote poetry. That was the last straw.

In short, I escaped from a family of Sarah Palin wannabes. They did me a huge favor when they disowned me. I ultimately made it to college (on my own), published poetry and fiction, and found a new and much improved family of LGBTQ liberals that taught me kindness is more important than money. I might not ever be rich or famous, but at least I am surrounded by loving and intelligent people: The opposite of my biological family. Life is good. :sunny:

QP

 

So we're limited to just two choices, liberal or con (conservative?) regardless of the issue?

 

its just another label man politics is just a bunch of grab ass

 

And we're expected to apply them, "liberal and conservative", to be synonymous with good and bad or right and wrong?

 

I tend to think Libertarianism is kind of a "best of both worlds" type of deal.

 

You don't have to.

 

But many do.