Democracy & Liberalism

Democracy is an ideal governmental system that all generations in the United States should strive to establish. It can only exist when citizens all understand their critical role in making sure their voices are heard and that they are represented in a way they approve of. Democracy thrives off of the principal that all men and women are created equally and therefore deserve equal representation. Unfortunately, democracy never has and never will exist. It is an overly-optimistic system that we as a society will never actually reach. One might have the belief that all people are of equal value, but it is impossible to treat everyone the same. Each person has his or her biases that get in the way of democratic ideals. People in various classes have a difficult time relating to each other. Women are still experiencing sexism, which prevents from their voices being heard. Each racial group is susceptible to certain stereotypes that prevent them from interacting with one another. It is ironic that the United States people, who often boast about their democratic governmental system, are so divided by race, class, and gender.
I personally feel that all people are created equally, but that doesn’t mean that they act like it. I have my own opinions on what is right and how people should and should not act. At the same time, my neighbor could have opposite standards of how people should act that conflict with mine. Who am I to say that I am right? It is extremely difficult to maintain the belief that we are all created equally when we disagree on what is right.
However, this doesn’t mean that we can’t try to agree. The beauty of a claimed democratic government is that people are capable of making collective decisions to determine what is acceptable and what is not.
I truly enjoyed Woodford’s definition of the liberal. The word liberal has such negative connotations in the United States, which is unfortunate, since it is linked with the more progressive Democratic Party. It’s opposite, the word conservative, is used with dignity and in a society where people always want more of the same. Woodford described liberals as people who are in the minority, whose opinions are not as respected or understood as the majority. History shows that those who were the minority and were misrepresented eventually were able to express themselves and change the way in which we live. Perhaps the reason why so many Americans dislike the idea of liberalism is that they are comfortable with the way things are and fear change. Liberals often rock the boat and highlight problems others are willing to ignore.
An example from today’s presidential election is health care. Throughout American history, health insurance was privately owned and bought by individuals across the country. Unfortunately, companies who run health insurance do not have the well-being of the public in mind and take advantage of those in need of medical help. The liberals believe that all people should be able to afford health insurance even if this means the government stepping in and providing it for them. Conservatives like John McCain refuse to acknowledge that not everyone can afford healthcare, believing that if families are not medically covered, it is their choice. I find Woodford’s explanation of liberalism refreshing. It gives necessary voice and power to the misrepresented throughout society.