WHAT HAVE LIBERALS DONE FOR US?

Posted by on Jul 01, 2020 in Intro, Editor Byline
WHAT HAVE LIBERALS DONE FOR US?

Let’s begin with what President John F. Kennedy had to say about a “Liberal”.

John F. Kennedy defined a liberal as follows:[19][20]

If by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people—their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties—someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal", then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal".

  1. Eric Alterman, Why We're Liberals: A Political Handbook for Post-Bush America(2008) p. 32
  2. ^Authur M. Schlesinger, Jr., A Thousand Days, John F. Kennedy in the White House, p. 99, Mariner Books, 2002, ISBN 978-0-618-21927-8.

So while Republicans try to make “liberal” a dirty word by attaching to it every negative meaning they can dream up, we should look very hard at what it actually does mean. We can do this by examining just what Liberals/Democrats/Progressives have done for us.

To help us in this endeavor attached is a list created by Delaware Dem, an online contributor to Daily Kos. He admits the list may not be complete. Feel free to comment if you believe there are errors or omissions. I caution you the list is not a short read.

  • The GI Bill
  • Endangered Species Act
  • Environmental Laws
  • The Space Program
  • The Peace Corps
  • Americorps
  • The Civil Rights Movement
  • Earned Income Tax Credit
  • Family & Medical Leave Act
  • Consumer Product Safety Commission
  • Americans With Disabilities Act
  • Freedom of Information Act
  • Women's right to control their reproductive future
  • Allowing citizens to view their own credit records
  • The Internet
  • Balancing the federal budget
  • The Brady Bill (5-day wait on handgun purchases for background checks)
  • Lobbying Disclosure Act
  • "Motor-Voter" Act
  • The Voting Rights Act
  • Unemployment Insurance
  • Medicare/Medicaid
  • Food Stamps/WIC
  • Social Security
  • Peace between Israel and Egypt
  • Peace between Israel and Jordan
  • The Department of Education
  • The Department of Energy
  • The Department of Transportation
  • The Department of Housing and Urban Development
  • Labor Laws
  • The Marshall Plan
  • Winning World War II
  • Food Safety Laws
  • Workplace Safety Laws
  • The Tennessee Valley Project
  • The Civilian Conservation Corps
  • The Securites and Exchange Commission
  • Women's Right to Vote
  • Universal Public Education
  • National Weather Service
  • Product Labeling Laws
  • Truth in Advertising Laws
  • Morrill Land Grant Act
  • Rural Electrification
  • Public Universities
  • Bank Deposit Insurance (FDIC)
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Public Broadcasting
  • Supporting the establishment of Israel
  • The United Nations
  • NATO
  • The GI Bill
  • Endangered Species Act
  • Environmental Laws
  • The Space Program
  • The Peace Corps
  • Americorps
  • The Civil Rights Movement
  • Earned Income Tax Credit
  • Family & Medical Leave Act
  • Consumer Product Safety Commission
  • Americans With Disabilities Act
  • Freedom of Information Act
  • Women's right to control their reproductive future
  • Allowing citizens to view their own credit records
  • The Internet
  • Balancing the federal budget
  • The Brady Bill (5-day wait on handgun purchases for background checks)
  • Lobbying Disclosure Act
  • The Voting Rights Act
  • Unemployment Insurance
  • Medicare/Medicaid
  • Food Stamps/WIC
  • Social Security
  • Peace between Israel and Egypt
  • Peace between Israel and Jordan
  • The Department of Education
  • The Department of Energy
  • The Department of Transportation
  • The Department of Housing and Urban Development
  • Labor Laws
  • The Marshall Plan
  • Winning World War II
  • Food Safety Laws
  • Workplace Safety Laws
  • The Tennessee Valley Project
  • The Civilian Conservation Corps
  • The Securites and Exchange Commission
  • Women's Right to Vote
  • Universal Public Education
  • National Weather Service
  • Product Labeling Laws
  • Truth in Advertising Laws
  • Morrill Land Grant Act
  • Rural Electrification
  • Public Universities
  • Bank Deposit Insurance (FDIC)
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Public Broadcasting
  • Supporting the establishment of Israel
  • The United Nations
  • NATO

Now what would you answer to the question “What have liberals done for us?” In the context of what is going on in our country today, ask yourself what can Liberals/Democrats/Progressives do for you/us. You know the answer. Now commit yourself to do everything you can to make sure this madness in the Trump administration stops.

First, make sure you are registered to vote. Sign up to receive an absentee ballot, if you feel more comfortable voting that way. If your state has stipulations making it difficult to get an absentee ballot, join in the effort to pressure your state to remove these obstacles. Then come election time VOTE! Between now & then find ways you can make sure millions of others vote.

If you need additional inspiration to get you to use your time & energy for the effort, read the list again. As you do, pay attention to how many of these are threatened for elimination, already gutted and/or deprived of adequate funding by the Republicans in power.

Here are a few, but by no means all, organizations that are hard at work on efforts to take back our democracy in November.

Vote.org; emilyslist.org; moveon.org; commondreams.org; commoncause.org; pfaw.org; votevets.org.

There are things you can do from the safety of your home. These activities can help take back the White House and Congress while giving new meaning to your fight against COVID-19 by staying home.

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