Liberty
Politics have hijacked words to benefit their own agenda, and in so doing have done a great job at splitting a nation of freedom loving people against each other.Who is to blame beyond our own acceptance of such trite labels? We as a Nation (indeed, a world) have nobody to blame but our own ineptness, our own ignorance and stupidity, to tag ourselves or be tagged according to Political ideologies that give power, not in the end to ourselves, but to the elite that promote those labels.
"Liberal politics" or "conservative politics" - which do we choose? The politician and their mouthpieces have forced us to tag each and every one of us according to one or the other. "If you are not with us, you are against us," even a past President of the United States had declared. The religious fundamentalists have preached their chosen words from their 'Holy Books' to advocate a 'cause' in their favor, on the belief that Jesus or Mohammad or Moses would support the fundamentalist decision of who lives in sin and who shall sit on the right hand of a God Almighty.
Let us look at the definitions not according to the Politicians or Priests, but to those that understand words and their origins, the definitions, and their uses to describe the many prismatic feelings and emotions that we humans live daily. (I will only list the top two definitions as I feel that they are the most important. Yes, politics is included in the list - 'hijacked' for its agenda).
liberal: (adj) 1. Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry.
2. Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.
conservative: (adj) 1. Favoring traditional views and values; tending to oppose change.
2. Traditional or restrained in style: a conservative dark suit. Moderate; cautious: a conservative estimate.
Myself, given the two choices, liberal and conservative (not with any political usage), largely find myself 'liberal'... not "a liberal" so much as "liberal"... tolerant and open-minded.
The word "liberal" has its roots in the Latin word "liber"... free. What a wonderful word! "Freedom!" It makes me free just to say that word. And who amongst us does not cherish the idea of "freedom"? Sure, we all may define the word differently, it may have various connotations to different people, but the idea of freedom is one that transcends the mundane, it reaches out beyond anything that may limit us from knowing ourselves, understanding who we are, why we are here, where we are going, what is it all about, when we will know,... these W5 are the roots of our desire for the essence of the word, "freedom". To be liberal even gives us reason or cause to avoid being "a liberal", that hijacked word so casually tossed around in today’s political climate. Liberal is without constraints or conditions that hamper one's individuality from flowing.
On the other hand the word "conservative" has its moments. We might invite a sense of conservatism into our lives when we are initially exploring new territory, new ideas, new arenas of life that are unfamiliar to us. We may be conservative when we dress for a job interview, go out to a benefit for cancer research, or maybe to a funeral (depending on whose it is). But whenever this sense of conservatism strikes us, we needn't put on the brakes for everyone around us, should we? Conservative behavior is cautious and methodical... no rushing into anything that's not understood lest we make an error and make fools of ourselves... conservative approaches, conservative dress, conservative behavior is all cautionary, absorbing the new, evaluating the difference from what we are familiar with. Conservative is a personal behavior, applying caution to ones own flow.
Can or should Politics and/or Religion be anything but liberal in its worth? Shouldn't those two subjects inherently be liberal for the good of all people? Politics and Religion, being social institutions, need to satisfy the social conditions. Society is ingrained towards some idea (or illusion?) of Freedom. Our country was founded upon certain social Freedoms, i.e., religious pursuit and choice, freedom of assembly, free press, freedom of defense, and freedom from a government that does not adhere to those freedoms by a President that does not uphold those freedoms for its citizens. Too liberal? I say no.
"My country 'tis of Thee
sweet land of Liberty... "
"The Liberty Bell shall ring across the Land"
"Liberty for one and for all..."
We ideally should not be enslaved by labels that put us behind walls that define boundaries of beliefs, but eliminate all barriers from our Being. Liberty is mankind’s desire to shed himself from all things that prevent his love from being felt coursing thru veins alive with joy and blissfulness that unites the human spirit with the divine - the Gift of Life.sweet land of Liberty... "
"The Liberty Bell shall ring across the Land"
"Liberty for one and for all..."
Do not allow politicians or priests to suffocate the spirit of freedom that was given to you at birth. Do not allow labels made by the power elite to mask your potential to live life beyond the dictates of those that dream of control over others. Each and every one of us is here, NOW, for a reason... a reason that will never be realized as long as we submit to labels and demand of those that we have given control to give us security and safety. Even those qualities can prohibit the Light within us all to dim our wits and veil our essence, the divinity within all Life.
We must be Free for our Love to bloom.
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cecil
7.18.10
[originally written 12.13.03]
Picture of the Week:
Gate
nice seeing you around here. altho my Streams are not weekly anymore (busy with shows all weekend), I do peruse S8 regularly and rarely see you around. I hope all is well for you and your health.
