Sunday, February 5, 2012

Greatest Liberals

I keep being called liberal and I have learned that it’s not a dirty word and will wear it as a badge of honor, to me Liberals are the ones who change the world. With that said, who would I consider some of the greatest liberals in History? I’m sure that everyone has a different list and that to some the people on mine aren’t liberal but to me a liberal is someone who goes against the convention and fight for what they believe no matter the cost.



4. FDR - The man who brought us the New Deal - the most important thing he brought us would have to be Social Security, while many are trying to end the program today there is no question that it helped pull many, many seniors out of poverty and allowed them to live their golden years with some dignity and respect. Roosevelt also gave American workers the right to form unions to fight back against the rich and powerful who where taking advantage of them, this led to many bloody battles between union workers and rich company men but helped to build one of the greatest labor forces the world has ever seen. And while it didn’t pass he proposed a second bill of rights to the constitution that would guarantee workers fair wages and treatment.

3.Kennedy, King, Johnson - These 3 men where key in ending segregation and giving minorities the same rights as everyone. Martin Luther King Jr. was a key member of the civil right movement while John F. Kennedy championed that all men are equal. Sadly Kennedy was murdered before he ever got to see the Civil Rights Act passed and it was Lyndon Johnson who signed it into law. While we still have racism today it’s nowhere near as bad as it was in the 1960’s, Lyndon Johnson knew that by passing and signing the Civil Rights act knew it would cause problems and even said "We have lost the South for a generation", and to this day the south still holds it against the Democrats. The fight for equality cost Martin Luther King Jr. and John F Kennedy their lives but it was a fight that needed to be fought and these brave men where leading the charge.

2. Abraham Lincoln - The man who freed the slaves. While this is a very oversimplification of the facts what it boils down to is that Lincoln did help all men become free and no longer property. Many, Many men and women died for the cause and to bring the country back together and it eventually lead to President Lincolns own murder. People can argue exactly how much impact he had on the end of slavery and in fact many believe it was not his place since they feel black men where property of rich white men and the government can’t take your property. Not only was President Lincoln right then but even recently the Supreme Court has ruled that the Government can take you property if it’s in the best interest of the community.

1. The Founding Fathers - These where the first and most important liberals of America, they changed the world when they decided it was time for men to be free and decide their own destiny. While other countries either had kings or queens or where ruled by someone else it was a group of farmers and businessmen who had enough and decided to take on the greatest army in the world. After years of fighting The United States of America was born, free men where given the change to set up their own system of Government and to elect the people who would represent them. It wasn’t perfect and still isn’t but when done right it is the best system of government in the world.

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