I think I've zeroed in on the passage from Al Franken's book that most positively affected me in the direction towards liberalism. I'll quote (and cite-I don't want to get in trouble(it's not illegal if you dont try to make money off it, is it?)) it:
"We love America just as much as [conservatives] do. But in a different way. You see, they love America the way a four-year-old loves her mommy. Liberals love America like grown-ups. To a four-year-old, everything Mommy does is wonderful and anyone who criticizes Mommy is bad. Grown-up love means actually understanding what you love, taking the good with the bad, and helping your loved one grow. Love takes attention and work and is the best thing in the world.
That's why we liberals want America to do the right thing. We know America is the hope of the world, and we love it and want it to do well. We also want it to do good." (Al Franken, Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right (Dutton, 2003), 24)
This passage articulated for me the difference between conservatives and liberals that I had felt before reading this. (Warning:disclaimer coming) This is not to say that I completely agree with Al Franken or that I actually believe that all conservatives are like "four-year-olds." Rather it just helped me to understand what being a liberal means for me. I hope I have not seriously offended those friends of mine who lean to the right, but I felt that I needed to elaborate some on last night's comments.
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