Bipartisanship

Woodford was endearing towards the word “liberal”, giving it a strong positive connotation, which is contrary to its usual reputation. In recent years, the word liberal has come to be an insult, often referred to as “the ‘l’ word”. I took Woodford’s definition of the liberal as an advocate for the minority and the misrepresented. In this way, the “liberal” takes on a Robin Hood like role by speaking for the groups who would otherwise go unnoticed.
Regardless of whether the liberal is portrayed in an extremely bright or somber light, the liberal still is usually associated with the Democratic Party or the left side of the spectrum. If one agrees with Democratic ideals, one might be a self-proclaimed liberal, but Republicans frown upon the very idea of liberalism. The United States is so divided by party lines. We are not as “united” as we may play off. The media is constantly force-feeding us our viewpoints. Many Republicans claim that CNN is a socialist network while Democrats consider Fox News to be the enemy. I personally wouldn’t be caught dead watching Fox News, but that gets me thinking. If it is so automatic for me to immediately put down and disbelieve any view that is Republican or right-sided, then there are certainly Americans who would do the same to my beliefs.

Who is right? Is there one side that will prevail over the other, having been the one, true stance all this time? Certainly not, it is not black and white. Many things are relative and have differing variables, affecting the result. It’s ironic that many believe that their viewpoints are more valid and reliable when they live in a country where one of the main doctrines is that all people are created equal. Is it at all possible for us to have the goal of valuing each citizen’s opinion without undermining our own?