Have you ever read this document? http://www.wwcd.org/issues/Lakoff.html

It's an interesting discussion of how morality works, and some insight onto why the Right has been so successful in "owning" morality. This is one of those areas where I feel that the Liberals have really fallen down on the job. We have totally abandoned the idea that there is a moral imperative behind liberal ideals. Somehow, we've allowed a system to come into place where national defense is a moral issue, yet providing health care is an economic issue.

This connects back to the 2004 elections, and really all the way back to the Reagan years, when suddenly every politician was terrified of being labeled a "Liberal". I think that, as a group (and as a party, assuming that the Democrats are the way to go with this) we need to regain ownership of Liberal in the same way that homosexual men have taken "queer" back as their own term. We need to stop flinching every time a neocon accuses us of wanting to raise taxes. Instead, we must look them in the eye and say "Hell yes, I think we should raise taxes. Our government is running massive deficits and it is stupid to the point of being irresponsible, and perhaps treasonous, to cut taxes while we are at war AND recovering from a national disaster of epic proportions". I realize that's not a soundbite-friendly thing to say, but I think that the general populace can tell when we aren't comfortable with an idea. When we tap dance around taxes, or equal rights, or health care, they can tell we aren't comfortable with the sound of our OWN ideas! How can we expect them to believe us, if we don't even sound like WE believe us?

I don't think we have to abandon the middle of the road entirely, but we've moved so far to the middle that the middle isn't the middle anymore, it's the right, and the right is now the far right. We really have to project the idea that WE are the party of morals, that WE are the party that cares about families. It's true, we ARE the party of morals: Is there anything immoral about feeding the hungry? Dressing the cold? Uplifting the downtrodden? Caring for the sick? THESE ARE MORAL VALUES!!! Morality isn't concerned with who you stick your penis in. That's only a moral issue if the other person isn't willing and/or old enough to consent. Morality isn't leaving poor people to freeze because they can't afford heating oil. Morality isn't letting a working parent get sick because they had a job that didn't provide health care, or they couldn't afford the deductible. Morality isn't letting the environment get ruined for the purpose of short-term economic gains.

Morality is the opposite of these things, and much, much more. Morality is understanding that sometimes, sacrifice is necessary. Morality is understanding that we have an obligation to help those who need help. Leaving the land in better shape than when we found it isn't some hippie crap, it's an expression of our moral responsibility to look out for and provide for our children, and those of our neighbors.

We simply MUST make it clear to those around us that being a Liberal isn't an immoral stance, it's a pure and righteous stance. A stance that seeks to uplift all peoples, protect all families and provide for the social, moral and economic well-being of our country.