You know, as a person with a host of liberal views on the issues, I have NEVER been ashamed to say that I am liberal. I'm proud to be left-wing, and why shouldn't I be? I don't hate gay people, am not narrow-minded (esp. on matters of sex and relationships), don't believe bombing is always the way to go on in foreign policy, and so much more. Yet it seems that so many of my liberal friends LOVE to hide behind this silly label known as "progressive"- "progressive agenda", "progressive budget" "progressive media", etc. CUT THE SHIT! You're liberal! It comes from the Latin "liber", which means liberty.
Why do so many left-wingers in this country seem UNABLE to refer to themselves as such? Why the "need" to use a separate term like "progressive"? I really don't get it. I have never been one to use that term, and I find it absurd. Liberal already suffices, so why use another label? Are these people ashamed to be known as liberal? Are they afraid of the backlash that it will cause from right-wing and some moderate Americans who have been brainwashed into thinking it's such a bad thing?
As the old JFK quote goes, liberal really is something to be quite proud of. It's a very dignified ideology and label. The conservatives don't go around calling themselves shit like "regressive", so why should we waste time claiming we're "progressive"? Isn't liberal good enough? I mean, unless you can prove to me that there's a huge difference between a progressive and liberal's ideology, I'm standing my ground here.
Shout your liberalism from the rooftops! Don't be afraid to admit it. Don't cower and hide behind "progressive." Besides, that term is over 100 years old! If you REALLY wanna make a phenomenal new label for your side of the aisle, can't you be creative for once? Plus, the old Progressives of the late 1800s and early 1900s were actually fairly conservative overall. I doubt most of them would be pro-gay, pro-choice, etc.