Why am I a liberal?
Is it because I hate my country? No.
Is it because I have no spine? No.
Is it because I was brought up that way? No.
Is it because I am a hypocrite? No.
Is it because I hate guns? No.
Is it because I want to kill babies? No.
Is it because I want no one to be rich? No.
Is it because I want the government to control me? No.
Is it because I’m a smartass elitist? No.
Is it because I like to drink fancy coffee? No.
Is it because that IS WHO I AM, based upon the sum of my experiences? Yes.
More below the fold...
Ok, this isn’t a diary to vent about the current presidential campaign, or the problems facing our country, or the culture "war" which has driven politics over the past two decades. This is a diary in its simplest form, a narrative to myself, written to help me come to grips with my own feelings. I’ve become increasingly emotional about the current political climate, and although I’ve always thought of myself a moderate, recently I have come to the realization that I am a liberal, and I am proud to be one. I don’t want to label myself as a progressive or new age liberal or anything else. My position on every issue cannot be considered anything other than liberal, and I am ok with that. But, when I thought about it, I wondered, why am I a liberal?
I grew up in the 1970s and 80s in a moderate sized city in New England. I am the youngest of seven children, in a white Irish Catholic family. We lived in a four bedroom home in the inner city, and as a child I was often a victim of racism since we were one of the only white families in the neighborhood. My friends were black, Hispanic, Asian, but not white (not intentionally, it just wasn’t an option). I was mugged a number of times growing up, and got into plenty of fights and other sorts of trouble, but nothing that had a permanent damaging impact in my opinion. Sadly, a few of my friends died violently during those years. One would think that seeing a friend killed and burned to death in a car would have a permanent damaging impact, but if anything I think it ultimately had a positive impact.
We were working class, certainly not middle class by today’s standards. My parents had high school diplomas, but no formal education beyond that. They each worked two jobs to support us during my entire childhood. I never felt I went without anything, although in retrospect it seems crazy to think we had a black and white TV until 1982 and no family car until 1986. We walked or took the bus to get around, and I didn’t think anything was wrong with that. My dad and I would take our fishing rods and tackle box with us to church each Saturday evening, place them beneath the pew during mass, then catch the bus to the park and go fishing until dark. If that was going without, then I’m proud to say I went without things as a child.
The first eight years of my education were completed in an inner city Catholic school, which my parents somehow managed to afford, and to this day I wonder how (must be all of those things I didn’t realize I was going without, and didn’t miss). When high school came around, I went to a public school. Part of my decision was because I knew how much the Catholic high school cost where all four of my brothers and my dad had gone, I was old enough to have an appreciation for money, and I did not want my parents to spend the money. The decision was made easier by the fact that the public high schools utilized a magnet system, and one of the schools was a college prep magnet with an excellent reputation both locally and nationally. I wasn’t the greatest student in the world, but I did ok and worked a job each evening and on weekends throughout high school. Why did I work? I knew that when high school was done I would want to go to college, not because it was expected, but because doing so would boost the odds of me being able to give my family even more than my parents were able to give me, and the thought of that was inspiring. I knew that college was not cheap, and I would gain not only knowledge but also substantial debt by attending. I had already seen 5 of my siblings work their way through school, with the help of my parents, scholarships, and student loans. I saw them become more educated, but more importantly, I saw them become more serious and more responsible, and it excited me.
College went well, and the subsequent years have brought me a worthwhile career and beautiful family. So, when I think about why I am a liberal, I think about the first 24 years or so of my life, from birth, through Catholic school, high school, college, and the tough years after college when work didn’t come easily at first. I think of the self-motivation and determination it took to become the person I am. But, I also know, in my heart, that there is absolutely no way I could be where I am today, as happy as I am today, if it hadn’t been for the support of others, not only family, but friends and strangers, teachers and coaches, critics and skeptics. Yes, personal determination, instilled by a loving family, shaped me and pushed me forward, but the helping hands of others, including the government, allowed me to overcome otherwise insurmountable obstacles along the way. For me, being a liberal is understanding that we are all different and we all come from different circumstances, but to truly succeed, we must always come together and support one another.
Home growing up (looks so small now)
Grade School
High School