Don't be ashamed of being a liberal

Editor:

I take issue with Tommy Smart's letter Feb. 19, in which he defines the terms "conservative" and "liberal." I am a proud liberal.
Liberals represent a broad spectrum of society and cannot be homogenized into a single definition. Liberals are patriotic Americans.
We want every American to have a equal chance to achieve the American dream. Our conservative counterparts would have us believe that the brown child who is born in the barrio has the same opportunities as the white child born in Bentwood. I cannot buy that.
I believe the government has a duty to see that all children have an equal opportunity to achieve success in America. This requires adequate medical care, housing, clothing, education (including preschool) and a safe environment.
If a child is deprived of these basic needs, then the government should provide them. Who should pay for this? I should, along with every other American who is fortunate enough to have our basic needs met. I cannot abide the conservative attitude of, "I've got mine, now you get yours."
Smart says that conservatives want less government.
Which parts of government would the conservatives eliminate -Medicare? Social Security? Public Education? It is blatantly arrogant to enjoy all the benefits of a strong central government while espousing the philosophy of less government.
Less government implies less governmental involvement in our day-to-day lives, but this conservative administration has invaded our private lives much more overtly than any previous administration by shamelessly circumventing the constitution with its Patriot Act and Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Is wire-tapping a way to fulfill this lofty goal of less government?
Most grievous and far-reaching of the Bush administration's offenses is misleading this country into its first preemptive war; a war that has nothing to do with nuclear weapons, terrorism or 9/11, as we were told.
The war in Iraq is a civil war that cannot and will not be resolved with the sacrifice of American lives, and one the next administration will have to deal with and pay for. How sad and how cruel conservatism can be. Yes, our government should be OF the people, BY the people, and FOR the people - ALL the people, not just the privileged top 3 percent. To accomplish this, and contrary to the current conservative approach, I believe we should have a progressive tax where wealthy people are taxed at a higher rate than lower income people. I do not begrudge wealth or resent the wealthy. I just accept the biblical directive, "Everyone to whom much is given, of him much will be required." (Luke 12: 48)
Liberals are idealists, and I believe our ideals are the ones our democratic government must continually strive for so every American can pursue the rewards set forth in the Constitution.
Was Jesus Christ not a "liberal" when he said, "Love your neighbor as yourself"?

Rosemary Moore
San Angelo