There Ain’t No U in Liberal

It’s an old cliché that the UK and US are two nations divided by a common language. Though like most clichés, this is indeed based on a kernel of truth, something that I learned on my own first visit to the States when I noted that the hotel my family and I  were staying in was situated between a garage advertising cheap ‘’tires’ rather than ‘tyres’, and an ‘Omlet House’, as opposed to an ‘Omelette House’.

I appreciate that it’s pointless to quibble over such nuances in spelling, that the most important thing is the message those words convey. So rather than lament the elimination of the letter u from American spelling, I manage to restrain myself to only reacting to cases of malicious misuse of the English language.

That is what I would call the incorrect meanings attributed to certain words that are often spat out as some sort of curse word (or cuss word if you’re of that persuasion). Numero uno on my list of shameful perversions of the language is the word liberal.

I appreciate the capitalised version of the word (Liberal) has come to be misconstrued as an individual of a specific political viewpoint quite different to the true definition of liberalism. However the toxicity of this word to those of an opposing political persuasion has led to them being unable to separate the capitalised version of the word from the true concept. In a truly Orwellian stroke of genius those opposed to liberalism have managed to cement this double-think reflex in the mind of most Americans.

Well, what to do about  this unfortunate lack of understanding, well the only cure to a lack of knowledge is education. To those of you well versed in the English language I’m sorry to patronise but I present to all a dictionary definition of the word liberal (courtesy of www.askoxford.com) 

liberal

  • adjective

1. willing to respect and accept behaviour or opinions different from one’s own.
2. (of a society, law, etc.) favourable to individual rights and freedoms.
3. (in a political context) favouring individual liberty, free trade, and moderate reform.
4. (Liberal) (in the UK) relating to the Liberal Democrat party.
5. (especially of an interpretation of a law) not strictly literal.
6. given, used, or giving in generous amounts.
7. (of education) concerned with broadening general knowledge and experience.

So having read this list of definitions, I ask you:

1. If you agree with the position advocated by liberalism?
2. I ask that if you consider yourself to be opposed to liberalism, to consider the fact that you are by definition opposed to all those concepts listed above.
3. I invite anyone to point out to me what aspect of the word liberal is undesirable, and why it should be opposed.
4. Finally to those of you who recognise in this definition a mirror image of your own ethos, I invite you join me in proudly declaring “ I am a liberal”.