Life is a conversation. Therefore, it is very important to have a complete understanding and a clear definition of the words we use.In fact, many confrontations result from a simple misunderstanding of what is being communicated. How many times have you ended up in a disagreement due to a misinterpreted statement?One term that is constantly being misused is “liberal.” I ran across a wonderful example of this misuse while I was enjoying the house brew at a local coffee house that I’m known to frequent.A fellow student struck up a conversation and before long he asked me if I was liberal. I admitted that I have been referred to as a “bleeding heart” with some regularity. A glow appeared on his face as he explained how much he enjoyed being in the company of fellow liberals.Not too far along in the conversation, however, another student, covered from head to toe in Abercrombie clothes, walked by and bumped the table, causing some of our java to spill. As soon as the Abercrombie advertisement was out of earshot, my new friend verbally abused those “damn rich frat boys.”The criticism flowed from his mouth like water from a faucet. Upon completion of his tirade, I felt compelled to ask him if he really felt that all fraternity and sorority members suffered from the same shortcomings that he had mentioned or if his anger had driven him to say those things. After assuring me that all fraternity and sorority members were conservative asses, I felt compelled to ask him if he was in fact a liberal.His reply: “Look at me, I have ten piercings, eight tattoos, green hair and,” he began whispering, “I smoke dope five times a day. So you tell me, am I liberal?”This conversation perfectly exemplifies what many people take the term liberal to mean. They think being liberal is simply disagreeing with the majority. They believe that being liberal is easy. You basically “do as you please.” And many believe that smoking marijuana is a prerequisite for being a liberal.Well it’s not. Being liberal is about being open minded. It is about considering every option and every opinion no matter how ludicrous it may seem. It is about not excepting that anything is “just so.” It is about constantly being prepared to reassess your beliefs and understandings when a more logical explanation explains itself. It’s about never stopping the learning process. And being liberal is never easy. In fact, it is quite the opposite.Coming to believe in “values” and “morals” that you were raised to believe and never questioning them is easy. It is easy to believe that your parents and friends were absolutely right and to judge everyone accordingly. On the other hand, always taking into consideration that everything you have come to believe could not be the best possible answer can be very difficult.And, contrary to popular belief, being liberal is not about hating conservatives. Being liberal requires you to take their opinions and suggestions, no matter how awful they may seem, just as seriously as any others.Perhaps the greatest thing that being liberal is about is tolerance. It means having tolerance for everyone, from those with beliefs similar to yours, to those with beliefs that are the absolute antithesis of yours. It is about accepting people for who they are.As for whether marijuana use is sufficient action for being liberal, I am reminded of a lesson all food servers are told during their first week of training. During a demonstration, the wait staff is informed of its duty to keep customers from becoming inebriated and cutting them off when they do become drunk. The staff is asked, “What do you get when you give a drunk person coffee?” to which everyone replies, “an awake drunk.” This question is usually followed by “and what do you get when you give a drunk person a cold shower?” and again everyone replies in unison, “a cold wet drunk.”In the spirit of these examples I pose this question to all of you – “What do you get when a conservative smokes a joint?” Everybody now, “A thirsty, hungry and tired conservative.”And by the way, Steve, no you are not liberal.
Andrew Hall is a senior electrical engineering major from Fremont, Ohio.
