Letters posted here are associated with the following Salon Premium Member:

docjon1205

Published Letters: 1

Friday, November 21, 2008 07:42 AM

Is This Debate Age Related?

Is this an age-related debate?

My political and social views and values have not shifted dramatically since I entered college, but the labels have varied. I have always been comfortable to describe myself as either "Liberal" or "Progressive". The word "liberal" to me always connoted "OPEN-minded", and I resented greatly that Ronald Reagan's frightened misunderstanding of either concept led to the "nasti-fication" of the term. On the other hand, I was born into the FDR era and grew up with admiration of the "progressive" movement as he played it out, and found that label perfectly descriptive uin connoting "moving forward" rather than "looking backward" (conservative).

Why generate argument about it? Why not seek to make BOTH labels "badges of pride"?

[Incidentally, as a retired professional psychologist, I am a lifetime member of APA & have always respected John Dewey -- but that does not mean I have agreed with everything he wrote or represented.]

Most Active Letters Threads

516

The crazy, irrational beliefs of Muslims

Tom Friedman explains the real problem: stupid Muslims think the U.S. is about war and aggression.
426

A key British official reminds us of the forgotten anthrax attack

A vast array of establishment and expert sources do not believe this episode was really resolved.
360

The face of rotted Washington

Evan Bayh demands more debt-financed war - fought by others - while boasting that he's a stern "deficit hawk."
210

Is Obama's civil liberties record understandable?

Was it unreasonable to expect him to adhere to his commitments regarding the Constitution?
174

Bigotry wins in Switzerland

By voting to ban the construction of minarets, Switzerland apes the most extreme intolerance in the Muslim world

View all »

Letters Help

Currently in Salon