Are You a Feminist?

Anna Gregoline | March 8, 2004
Do you think that feminism is a bad word? Do you consider yourself a feminist? If so, would you hesitate to use the word to describe yourself in public?

Scott Hardie | March 8, 2004
In short order: No, yes, I just used it. 'Nuff said?

Lori Lancaster | March 8, 2004
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Jackie Mason | March 8, 2004
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Scott Hardie | March 9, 2004
I've heard a lot of talk lately about how the word "liberal," like the word "feminist," has come to be used as a derogatory term even though it was originally a positive word. I suppose it's the opposite effect of minority groups adopting derogatory terms like "nigga" and "gay" and using them until they lose their negative connotation. What I wonder is whether the transformation of "liberal" and "feminist" into dirty words resulted from an intentional campaign by some people, or it just happened spontaneously with the rise of Rush Limbaugh and other voices like him.

Anna Gregoline | March 9, 2004
Seriously, liberal is almost a dirty word now. Watch video of Democratic candidates being asked if they are liberal. They start tap dancing quick.

Scott Hardie | March 9, 2004
It's like sending an electric current through a frog specimen!

John E Gunter | March 9, 2004
Liberal, liberal, liberal, anyone tap dancing out there?

Scott Hardie | March 9, 2004
Hello my Kerry, hello my Edwards, hello my Reverend Al-llllll...

Anna Gregoline | March 9, 2004
Hello me.

Jeff Flom | March 9, 2004
Don't forget...
Republicans are liberals too.

Anna Gregoline | March 9, 2004
They are? Now I'm confused.

Jeff Flom | March 9, 2004
Yup.

Republicans are what you call classical liberals and democrats are what you call modern liberals.

Anna Gregoline | March 9, 2004
Geez. But who says that in normal terms? I've never heard it before. Has anyone else?

Kris Weberg | March 9, 2004
Ah...no. Actually, a lot of Republican fiscal policies are in fact classical conservatism. Unless you're going back to 18th century definitions of those terms, in which case, like Anna, I doubt you're speaking the same language as the rest of the world.

As tot he denigration of the term "liberal," it's a mixture of the spontaneous and the planned. It started in the late 1960s, and Richard Nixon's campaigns included material designed to add a negative gloss to the word. This trend, however, escaped hte confines of campaign rhetoric. (Though it has been deliberately furthered at other times; Newt Gingrich notoriously circulated lists of words that candidates should pepper their speeches with when describing an opponent in order to create "negative associations" for listeners.)

Fortunately, "progressive" seems to have replaced the modern American meaning of "liberal" quite adequately.

Jeff Flom | March 9, 2004
Which fiscal policies are those?

Jackie Mason | March 10, 2004
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Melissa Erin | March 10, 2004
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Scott Hardie | March 10, 2004
Personally I feel no such cringe... But I have actually seen a tiny reaction in a few people upon hearing me call myself a liberal. It's like they suddenly lose some esteem they had for me as an intelligent person. But my political values don't determine who I am as a person (even around here), so I don't let it bother me.

Denise Sawicki | March 10, 2004
Well since Jeff decided to explain it to me rather than to all of you, here is what he means: The United States was founded on what at the time were considered to be liberal values, however these values did not include a welfare state. After the Great Depression, we did develop a welfare state. What most people refer to as conservatism is what Jeff (and, apparently, the political science department at NDSU) refer to as classical liberalism, because it refers to a belief that we should go back to the way the country was before the Great Depression.

Jeff, go ahead and correct me if I've said it wrong.

Anna Gregoline | March 10, 2004
I think that the word liberal is most often connected with activism, and so that's why perhaps we ascribe more negative connotations to it (all those crazy shouting activists?) than conservative. The word conservative sounds pleasant by comparison, and we use it more in common vernacular than liberal, I think.

Melissa Erin | March 10, 2004
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Jackie Mason | March 10, 2004
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John E Gunter | March 10, 2004
Well, you know those activists; they think all conservatives are gun totin red necks. ;-)

Since most of you don't really know me and I don't want to get any kind of argument going, lots of times I play devil's advocate. The biggest things that get me are the way people use words to communicate with each other.

The way we define things are partly due to our own slant on the world. Sure, we can look up a word in the dictionary and see what the definition is, but we still view it by our perceptions.

Politically correct? I'm nowhere near it! Am I trying to insult somebody by the way I'm using words? Not usually, or at least I should say I don't start the word battle intentionally. I do sometimes try to get people to stop and look at the way they are using the words they are using to see if they really mean what they say.

Feminism a bad word? A lot depends on the context of the person using the word.

Liberal a bad word? Again, depends on how it's used.

It could be said about conservative, work, and the n word. I'm not going to use the n word, because I personally feel it is a very insulting word, and I'm white! I don't care what color you are using that word, it's insulting to use it no matter who is using it and what they are using it for.

I've seen black men call each other that, and funny how if I were to use that word, even if I weren't trying to insult someone, it would immediately be considered an insult. I'm not trying to steer this discussion away from what it was really about, but I think the big problem is everyone uses their own experience when interpreting what people are saying, so it's very easy for one person to think they are being insulted when it's not meant that way.

Even more so, when you don't see the facial expression of the individual speaking, or writing as it was. :-)

Anna Gregoline | March 10, 2004
Yeah, I've been thinking about it. I heard "conservative dresser" and "conservative style" of decorating, etc. But not liberal. The only thing I can think of for liberal is the occasional recipie or cleaning instruction - "sprinkle/spray liberally."

I don't automatically think anything of a person who says they are conservative except that they probably have totally different views than me on most major issues, and that it's best not to get into them.

(Example: Melissa and I have been friends for over ten years, and I ascribe some of that success in that we've always agreed to disagree when certain issues come up.)

Melissa Erin | March 10, 2004
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Melissa Erin | March 10, 2004
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Scott Hardie | March 10, 2004
Is it inappropriate for a blond-haired, blue-eyed white kid like me to use the term "nigga" as a term of affection for a close friend? I thought a distinction had been drawn some time ago between "nigga" and "nigger."

Melissa Erin | March 10, 2004
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