Liberal a Pejorative?

This is my most recent letter to the editor, published in the Hampshire Review on July 7, written in response to a regular columnist taking shots at liberals.

When did the label “liberal” become a pejorative, and a person identifying as liberal become the personification of evil?  As expressed by a recent writer in the Hampshire Review, who lumped liberals with criminals, deploring the fact that the law has been “changed so drastically or misinterpreted that there is more protection for the criminal—and the liberal—than [for]those who try to obey the law.”   Liberals don’t try to obey the law?  Liberals don’t deserve the protection of the law?  Does this writer mean that, without these undue protections, liberals should all be in prison?  For what misdeeds exactly?  When the writer says that “independence has been carried too far,” does she mean as evidenced by the fact that there are liberals roaming free?  James Madison, one of those forefathers she mentioned,  made sure that the Bill of Rights provided protection for criminals (presumably including liberals), as evidenced by the fact that four of the first ten amendments address the rights of those charged with crimes. 

I am proud to identify with our liberal founding fathers, and agree that indeed they would be appalled at some of the changes that have taken place in 200+ years.  Thomas Jefferson, for one, who inveighed against any semblance of aristocracy, plutocracy, corporatocracy, or theocracy, would no doubt bow his head in despair.    Liberals would agree with conservatives that there have been laws “changed and enacted” that would cause them to cringe, although we might not agree as to which of those laws are cringe-worthy.  We also might not agree which changes have “made a mockery of our Declaration of Independence,” or “overpowered our foundational freedoms.” 

As to displaying the flag—how anyone can presume to question the patriotism of another based on how he flies the American flag is beyond my comprehension.  I will have to say that when I see a tattered flag still proudly fluttering in the breeze in someone’s yard, I wonder about the history of that flag.  How old it is, how long it has been flown, where it came from, how special it must be to its owner, what pride s/he must feel when looking upon it, and how hard it would be to think of replacing it with a brand spanking new one just because someone made a rule to that effect.  One should be careful that respect for the flag does not amount to idolatry.