Most people I know, are generally of the idea that
believing in liberalism is just an excuse for being immoral. If somebody comes
across as liberal-leaning, he/she is immediately cast into a
wine-drinking /gambling/promiscuous stereotype. I have been thinking long and
hard on this topic, and I have come to the conclusion that there is a reason
why people believe in this stereotype. And the reason is the behaviour of some of the so-called
‘liberals’ themselves (don’t scoff me, there are plenty of those around).
People, and especially my generation, are
most likely confused about what being a liberal means. Again, I come to the
words and meaning debate: a word can have several different meanings and images
attached to it, but they are not necessarily accurate. So here are a few thought-provoking
questions to ask yourself:
Does voting for a Liberal government make
you a liberal?
Does wearing a certain type of clothing
make you a liberal?
Does studying in certain schools make you
one?
Does scoffing the ‘conservative’-types make
you one?
Does glorifying certain personalities make
you a liberal?
Does your indifference to religion make you
a liberal?
Or is it simply about allowing yourself a
justification for doing things that go against your cultural norms and
traditions? (i.e. alcohol consumption, going to bars/clubbing, you get my
drift...)
Simply googling the term ‘liberalism’
brings me to its core idea: the belief in importance of equal rights and
freedom/liberty for every human being. This... Is...It.
A person who believes in equal rights for
all humans on this planet, and believes in every person’s right to freedom, is
a liberal. Frankly, without going into a philosophical debate, and adding tons of
layered meaning to this rather simple way of thinking... anybody can be a
liberal. A person can dress any way they like, and still hold the highest
importance to these two fundamental aspects of liberalism. Similarly, nobody
can judge another person based on outward appearance, about how conservative or
liberal they might be. And if you are a true liberal at heart, you would stop
yourself right before you make that judgement.
So does it sound like such a bad thing now?
I don’t think so.
“Live and Let Live” and come to the liberal
side!
