Verbal terms causing personal offense

[Byron Quick]

My point was simply, as a liberal minded individual, I am offended by anyone slamming anyone, or their personal belief, or opinion. In other words, I was asking everyone to be nice to each other.

It all just depends on your personal beliefs and opinions, friend. If your personal beliefs and opinions include approval for female genital mutilation and infibulation, to name just one example, then I am going to express my disapproval in the strongest possible terms. You will not have any doubts whatsoever as to my opinion. Nor will you be my friend or welcome in my house or my neighborhood. If I have evidence that you have actively engaged in such multi-cultural activity; I will gladly furnish such to the authorities.

Liberals are in the same boat as conservatives as far as I'm concerned. Politically, I don't much care for either breed. I simply regard them both as a cross that this much suffering nation must bear. Personally, many of them are good people to hang out with.

 

[Justin]

A statist is a statist is a statist is a statist.

Liberal or consevative makes no difference to me, I'll happily criticize looters on both sides of the aisle.

 

[Sean Smith]

Well, at least the topic starter isn't perpetrating any stereotypes about liberals being chronically offended sissies who beg for special protection or anything like that...



The truth is that Democrats largely self-identify as the liberal party. And while this makes classical liberals spin like gas turbines in their graves, Democrat = Liberal in common usage in 2005. Since the Democratic Party is overwhelmingly anti-2nd Ammendment, the shorthand is Democrat=Liberal=Anti-Gun=Enemy, this being a gun forum after all. Like most over-simplifications, it does do some violence to the truth, but if you accept the shorthand of "Democrat" as "liberal," not very much.

The fact that a couple of pro-gun Democrats hang out here sometimes doesn't count for much in most people's minds, fairly or not, since a) they don't represent the bulk of their party on 2nd Ammendment issues, b) nobody like them has any influence in the national party, and c) half of them pimped for Kerry on this forum, he of the 100% anti-2nd Ammendment voting record, and then mysteriously disappeared.

Democrats pretending their party is less anti-2nd Ammendment than the Republicans are pretty comical. Count the votes in Congress, and you find that Democrat votes for anti-2nd Ammendment measures outnumber Republican votes for anti-2nd Ammendment measures by a wide margin. The Democrats are an overwhelmingly anti-2nd Ammendment party; the Republicans objectively less so, but quite bad enough. Of course, if you are a classical liberal, none of this applies to you, but most of the people whining about being called "liberal" in a mean way can't even spell laissez-faire.

 

[Barbara]

You talkin' French, boy?

 

[Marshall]

And frankly, if liberal gun owners voted democratic, they didn't do a thing for the cause. I strongly imagine a vast majority did.

 

[Barbara]

This one voted for the Libertarian. It was hard. I waffled right up to the minute I was in the booth, whether I was going to cave and vote for the Shrub or not..when it came down to it, I couldn't do it.

Other than that, I voted for a Libertarian in every election they were available, one uber-liberal but very pro-gun Dem running against an anti-gun bonehead (Nugent endorsed the Dem too. The Republican really is evil. He got booed out of a gun club I was at and the Dem got a standing ovation, if that tells you anything.)

The rest were Republicans.

I'm not just liberal, I'm capable of independent thought.

 

[Gewehr98]

A few assumptions have to be made...

So how is this OK when it comes to discussions involving the word "Liberal" and not to when it comes to discussions involving the word "God" ...?

1. You have to believe in a "God" of some sorts.

2. You have to believe in the right "God".

Otherwise, it's all same-same.

(I'll take a window seat, please.)

 

[DarthBubba]

Hook686

Hook686

Where is it written,
That you have the right to not be offended?!
I can say the same things of most of the Liberal Trash floating out on the net.
Just a recommendation if you do not like what you read ignore it ,Wow how is that for common sense. Do not be upset by what you read on the pages of this site take what you can from them and learn some new things, like it is all right that not everyone shares your views, that is what this sight is for.
Unless you are one of the perpetually offended liberal types that have nothing better to do than try to control the thoughts of others.
I look forward to any knowledge you can pass on and hope that we can all learn from each other and have a good time in the process.

DarthBubba

 

[MechAg94]

I'm not just liberal, I'm capable of independent thought.

 

[Barbara]

Hey, I may have voted for Republicans but that doesn't mean I didn't annoy them about the gay marriage amendment and the war on drugs.

And I may have..um..completely accidently, I swear...almost made the Constitution Party guy cry. He was such a nice young man, too. I just asked the difference between the Libertarian party and the Constitution Party and stuttered and said his party followed the Constitution exactly, and then he started talking about gay marriage and the war on drugs, and so I raised my hand again and asked if those were in the Constitution, and he just looked really sad and stuttered and I didn't have the heart to ask him anymore mean questions.

I'm pretty sure he told us he had a .22 shotgun, too, (he kind of mumbled) but like I said..he was so stiff and nervous and sad looking, I'd have felt horrible asking him tough questions like who manufactured that.

 

[BluesBear]

Well...
a few years ago Marlin was making a .22magnum shotgun.

But I sorta doubt that's what he was referring to.

 

[No_Brakes23]

And frankly, if liberal gun owners voted democratic

More often than not, I don't vote Democratic, specifically because I am a liberal, and it seems like the Dems just want to limit what I can do.

Can't buy this gas, can't ride this vehicle here, can't listen to offensive music, can't play offensive video games, can't drive a practical vehicle because it is the wrong shape, can't buy this gun because of it's shape, (Although Bush senior started that one,) can't buy this rifle, it's too big. Kerry supported the "Patriot Act", so he is obviously not someone who cares about personal liberty, and he had the same ideas about gay marriage as Bush until close to the election. Republicans have plenty of gun-grabbers, bliss-ninny soccer-mom saftey nazis, too; but the Democrats are slightly more aggressive about removing my individual rights.

In reality both sides are working pretty hard to dismantle the constitution, and both sides have been milking 9-11 for the fear factor.

Many would classify me as a classic liberal, but I disdain that term and prefer to call the leftist "fake liberals" if they must be called liberal at all. I don't see how people asociate socialism and other leftist ideas with liberals except by the same blind error of accepting the lies that these leftists utter when describing themselves.

Take back what should be a term of honor synonymous with patriot by refusing to use the term liberal to describe people who clearly are not. Don't let the leftists brainwash you.

 

[igor]

Hook, welcome.

This is the quota European on the forum speaking. Can you imagine all the narrow, negative connotations Europe can be lumped together with? I try to educate while being educated here and mostly get more than I bargained for.

As been said, some stuff is best to let slide. Labels are subjective and often "wrong" seen from the receiving end.

 

[odysseus]

I will never understand how a group of people devoted to preserving our 2nd amendment liberties can get the word liberal confused with the word leftist.

I can see where you are coming from, but I find the two words still being defined and used interchangably. For example there are "leftists" out there that wish to be armed and have their gun rights. Look how many leftist communists we have fought around the world. Of course, 2nd Amendment liberties are not usually where they are going with it...

Well, I'm pro-gay rights, anti-racist attitudes, pro-women not putting up with too much crap, and somewhat pro-environment. That makes me a liberal. I'm pretty outspoken about all these things in case anyone missed that

This irritates me sometimes, just as much as a "liberal" hates being characterized. For one - this comment insinuates slightly that being anti-racist is exclusive to liberals. Mind you I have met plenty of "liberals" who are racist (maybe not on the surface) where as myself included, many conservatives are not. As far as pro-gay rights, being a libertarian more myself I could care less what sexuality you like - and I don't want goverment and my tax money controlling any of it. I and many "right wing" types I know are also "pro-women" as you say and firmly believe in their equality of mind and spirit. Again, this isn't exclusive to being liberal.

Just so many liberals like to pronounce themselves as though the left is exclusive of these believes.

 

[Barbara]

Personally, I don't care what people think. If I called myself a right winger, a lot of you who get annoyed that I choose to call myself a liberal would think I was just fine. I think its not so much my beliefs as my choice of labels that annoys you, and that's ok with me. I used to be in charge of making people happy but I resigned.

I've met crappy progressives and some who were decent people..smart right wingers and some that were complete jerks..we're all more than one label or another.

 

[BluesBear]

Smoked Herrings

I think a big part of the problem is that too many leftists call themselves liberals, when their actions and opinions are nowhere close to the textbook definition of the word liberal.

Whereas an intelligent, rational thinking, tolerant, human being who actually is liberal in his or her outlook on life, is insulted by those who have hijacked the term liberal to use as a smokescreen to cover their narrow minded agendas.


It's somewhat akin to the red herring slogan bantered about, "It's For The Chikdren".
Poppycock!
Stupidity and kee-jerk reactionism do nothing, in reality, to benefit children.

Just as the so called "Patriot Act" does nothing that would make any of our patriotic Founding Fathers proud.




[voice/on=Dice]Well... now... that's what I think.[/voice]

 

[Missashot]

Wow everyone is using such big words and neat complicated labels for everyone else. A lot of problems and misunderstandings could probably be avoided by using just a little common sense and some basic common curtsey. There will ALWAYS be someone somewhere offended by something (All of us have one or more things that will set us off).
On a diffrent note, I am really surprised this thread is still open.

 

[middy]

Come on! Very early in this thread I posted a nice little essay on how modern political labels are inaccurate and misleading, and y'all procede to ignore it and get all wrapped up in arguments about what "liberal" means.

No_Brakes23, I appreciate you wanting to reclaim the word liberal for freedom-loving people, but it's counterproductive when you get offended at its misuse before explaining yourself.

 

[coylh]

I tend to see labels like liberal or republican as frequent flier miles for political agendas. You can miss pleasant destinations because "my brand doesn't fly there."

I find it very rejuvinating to seriously reconsider long held beliefs every few years.

"An unexamined life is not worth living."
-- Socrates

 

[Bruce H]

Several people wouldn't mind if I disappeared form this place. Guess what. A Patton quote comes to mind. " If everybody is thinking the same thing nobody is thinking." The discussion on ideas is all important. If you join in a discussion you better be able to defend your thoughts. Too many people have the Tommy Smothers syndrome of "mother always liked you best" when confronted with defending their position.

 

[P95Carry]

Guys - this was left open probably way beyond what was really needed anyways. On review I think as much has been said as is needed - and some!

Time to put this one to bed.