[Dixielandjazz] Texas Liberal Answers

[Bill Horton]

Monte Price ("Jazz Maven") wrote to Charlie Hooks:
> I am a hard-working Texas entrepreneur who happens to be a
> "Liberal".  Let's see how Webster (as opposed to Rush) defines "Liberal":
>
> a.  Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or
> authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry.
>
> b.  Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and
> tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.

I, also, am an "entrepreneur who happens to be a 'Liberal'", according to
that Webster definition.  But the title "liberal" has been taken over by the
most illiberal people around, just as the word "gay" has been taken over by
some people who don't meet Webster's definition of gay.

This deliberate distortion of  our language was pointed out many years ago
by Bill Buckley in his "Up From Liberalism."  Buckley proposed that when
referring to the hard lefties who have assumed the ill-fitting title, we
should capitalize the word, making them "Liberals", to distinguish them from
true dictionary-type liberals (i.e. Conservatives, who don't meet Webster's
definition, either, incidentally.).

I was going to make several other points, but I see that Charlie Hooks has
already done so, eloquently, so I'm out of here before Bob Ringwald lowers
the curtain on us for being off-topic!

Bill "Small-L liberal and damn proud of it" Horton