MY WRITING ASSIGNMENT

Below is my finished writing assignment

Josh Brainard
WR121
Liberal
The term “liberal” dates as far back as 1375 AD[3]. Its origins come from two Latin words; “Liberalis”, meaning noble or generous, and the word “liber”, meaning free[3]. “Liberal” then emphasized individual rights, and equality of opportunity. In fact, the earliest known usage of the word in English is in the term “liberal arts”, which inferred this was intellectual enlightenment and was not of immediate practical purpose, and thus deemed worthy only of a free man[3]. The English speaking people of Europe borrowed the word libéral directly from their French neighbors, and used the French form, which suggested lawlessness or anarchy. Although it held a meaning of “free from restraint in speech or action” in the 16th and 17th centuries, liberal was used as a “term of reproach or insult”[3]. It was not until years later the term began to be looked upon in a positive light. The Age of Enlightenment revived a positive connotation, with the meaning "free from prejudice, tolerant". In U.S. politics, the term ‘liberal’ has been perverted to having little to do with free ideas and individual liberty, which most Americans agree on and the constitution endorses, but it has become a platform of opinions on issues that label a person “liberal” or not. ‘Liberal’ should be defined as it was originally intended: individual freedoms coupled with personal choice.
The preamble of the Declaration of Independence states: “[w]e hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”[1] Merriam-Webster defines liberty as “the quality or state of being free, the power to do as one pleases, freedom from physical restraint, freedom from arbitrary or despotic control, the positive enjoyment of various social, political, or economic rights and privileges, the power of choice”[2]. Liberty identifies the condition in which an individual has the ability to act according to his or her own will. Liberalism (or liberty), freedom, and the respect of human rights were what the early American revolutionists fought for. In the 1930’s “liberal” was used in the correct form meaning personal freedom of choice and was reserved for the libertarian party which promoted personal choice. Over the past few decades, as our society changed, the term “liberal” came to mean one side of the country’s point of view, outlook on social issues, and political preferences.
In the U.S., “liberal” has an understood meaning. Perverted from it’s original meaning, “liberal” has come to mean big government. It advocates big government intervention in the economy, in private business, in welfare programs, in healthcare, in the banking system, in the mail delivery service, in the education system, the railroads, and more. If someone said conservatives can be liberal, it would be like saying hot can be cold. These two are thought to be polar opposites when, in reality, most conservatives are liberal, in the purest sense of the word.
The written definition the word “liberal” is still fairly accurate to its origins and closely related to ‘liberty’. Merriam-Webster defines liberal as: “of, relating to, or based on the liberal arts, of or befitting a man of free birth, marked by generosity, given or provided in a generous and openhanded way, lacking moral restraint, not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or traditional forms”[2]. However, the written definition of the word is irrelevant if it is not what society uses. Language in general is subjective to the user’s meaning. If I say “liberal” and mean the early definition of personal freedoms and you say “liberal” and mean far leftist advocate for more government control, which one is wrong? Neither is wrong. Words in a language are used to communicate ideas and if both the persons communicating understand “liberal” as a far leftist mindset, then the word usage communicates the idea. Whether or not it is used as the dictionary intended it is irrelevant.
The idea that we are free to think, say, believe whatever we please in this country has become such an everyday part of our lives that we no longer think of our freedom as liberalism. Our freedom is what we get by being citizens of this country. It’s time we start treating liberalism as what it is: freedom. We need to hold our liberalism up as one of our most cherished and prized possessions. By the early definition, all Americans are liberals. We are all free to think, believe, and make decisions based on our own personal merit.













References

[1] Jefferson, Thomas. The Declaration of Independence. June 28, 1776.

[2] Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2008.; Merriam-Webster Online. 11 July 2008
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liberal

[3] Online Etymology Dictionary. 2008.; Etymology Online. 12 July 2008
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=liberal&searchmode=none

Check out the finished product in the last post, tell me what you think.