THE POPE STANDS UP FOR LIBERALISM

WORDS

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WHITT'S END

For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound,
who shall prepare himself to the battle?
I Corinthians 14:8

Neither do men light a candle,
and put it under a bushel,
but on a candlestick;
and it giveth light unto all
that are in the house.
Matthew 5: 15

_________Call Me iberal_________

Some years ago--never mind how long precisely--I first observed the phenomenon, the onset of a plague which spread like wildfire and has all but destroyed a great culture. The disease, a form of creeping cancerous cowardice now known in medical circles as s Progressive Pusillanimous Pussyfooting (PPP), usually proceeds through four distinct phases characterized by the following symptoms:

Reluctance, rapidly evolving into inability, to utter the word "liberal" in public; in most cases, the word "progressive" also disappears from the vocabulary.
Production of inane, evasive verbalizations such as "Labels aren't important" or "I don't think such distinctions mean anything" at moments when forthright self-definition is necessary for self-preservation.
Self-destructive behavior, e.g. subjecting oneself to ridicule by being filmed while driving a tank, motivated by a desire to measure up to expectations laid down by one's opponents.
Gradual adoption of the terminology of the opposition, leading to advancing confusion and eventual acceptance of terms of surrender, often accompanies by a pathetic attempt to present this abject capitulation as a clever political maneuver.

In this disease, as with any cancer, early detection is the key to effective treatment. Victims in the first two stages can usually be cured through aggressive intervention. Unfortunately, there are so far no known reliable remedies for the symptoms of the latter stages; sufferers exhibiting these symptoms should probably be quarantined forever for the good of society or executed for their own good.* If these measures seem harsh, dear reader, I can only urge you to contemplate the incalculable damage which has already been done to our society by persons in the third and fourth stages of PPP and to imagine the future impact of this continuing epidemic.

But my principal interest in this disease does not relate to detection, treatment, or even study, but rather to prevention and eradication. Therefore I intend to assertively promote Liberalism and to participate in its revitalization. Much has been lost which must be reclaimed, beginning with the restoration to the word "liberal" its appropriate gravity and honor.

Let us take a look at this word which has been so
much maligned and so so shamelessly abandoned.

IBERAL: from the Latin word, liber, meaning free. adj., abbr. lib.

The following definitions are taken from the third edition of
The American Heritage Dictionary of the Eenglish Language.
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.
3. Tending to give freely; generous.

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language gives the following synonyms:
bounteous, bountiful, freehanded, generous, handsome, munificent, openhanded.

I think that says it all. Ceterum censeo delendam esse Carthaginem

*Unfortunately, these necessary measures will impact some folks for whom we may have had some hope: the names of Clinton and Gore leap to mind. But you gotta do what you gotta do; practically speaking, there are people who have been and/or should be in the progressive camp who have become, through weaknesses of character and intellect and by choices they themselves have made, if not outright traitors at least more useful to the enemy than to the cause of justice.