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Only liberals care

David Le Vine

Right-wing commentators, columnists and politicians employ the term “liberal” in order to dismiss the opinions of almost all Democrats without offering any definition of the word. I very much doubt that they themselves share a common understanding, and I’m certain that most of their listeners and readers are not on the same wavelength. So I’d like to help by telling you what really constitutes a liberal, who these “sinners” really are, and the “evils” that they have brought upon us.First among the “sinners” would be the environmentalists. They are liberals who believe that clean air and water are vital, that preserving our heritage of open space is a priority, and that global warming is a threat that warrants action. For many years, environmentalists have been guilty of promoting “restrictive” legislation because they believe that our collective health is important and because they think that the beauty of our land should be preserved.A second group of “sinners” are those who firmly believe in civil rights for all of us – racial minorities, women, people of all religions and the physically disadvantaged. As a result, we have many laws that attempt to assure equality. Some of these liberals also believe in same-sex “marriages,” Others do not. But every one of them believes that our laws should guarantee equal rights for all.Then we have the liberals who have been concerned about our collective health and welfare. As a result, we now have programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. It should be noted that these programs came into being despite the protestations of the same conservatives who now embrace them.Because all of us are not born equal and some of us have been more fortunate than others, liberals believe that the wealthiest should contribute more than their fair share towards assuring this country’s greatness. That includes paying higher taxes, generously supporting charitable causes, and demanding that our government provide legislation that is helpful. Included in this latter category would be raising the minimum wage, assuring equal job opportunities and providing low interest college loans.Insofar as war is concerned, liberals and conservatives were quick to support World Wars I and II, the Korean conflict, the first Gulf War and the recent war in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, many of them believe that the current conflict in Iraq, like the war in Vietnam, was unnecessary and ill conceived. I don’t believe that indicates a lack of patriotism, merely a difference of opinion. It bothers liberals that there are too many of our fellow citizens living in poverty. Somehow this great country should be able to provide decent shelter, food, clothing and health care for many more of our fellow citizens. How to accomplish that goal is not very clear. But liberals believe in searching for programs that might provide some amount of help. We have 40 million Americans who are not able to fully enjoy this great country, and that is just too many.Those are some of the thoughts and actions of liberals. Of course they are not the only concerns. Liberals also believe in the need for corporate responsibility, honesty in government, separation of church and state, etc.So perhaps now you know a bit more about liberal thinking and hopefully you’ll agree that it shouldn’t be employed as a dirty word.David Le VineAvonLasting memoryWe wanted to thank the following businesses and community members who helped make this year’s Project Graduation at Eagle Valley High School a safe and fun event for the 97 seniors who participated. Thanks to your generous donations we were able to provide a special drug and alcohol free evening for our graduates.Thanks to: Wendy Sacks, 1st Bank, Colorado Business Bank, Radio Shack, Barb Carter, Safeway, Alpine Eyewear, Fiestas, Baldwin Custom Builders, Pure Life Skin Care, Alpine Laser Clinic, Colorado Log Furniture, Massage Junkies, Natural Nails, Hedrick Construction, Horizon Roofing, Overland & Express Travel, D Jensen Electric, Boyz Toys & Sons, Grand Avenue Grill, Mountain Living Spa, Ron Beard, Pastime Bar & Grill, Eagle Ranch Golf Course, Wylaco Supply, CenturyTel, Lady Bug Photo, Mountain Man Nut & Fruit Co., Seasonal Thymes, The Flower Cart, American National Bank, Cuts Plus, The Hitching Post, Alpine Lumber Company, Mountain Kids & Candy, Image Dental, ECO Transit, Your Personal Chef, Eagle Diner, Carol Tatham Daycare, Salsa’s,Town of Vail, Barb Swope, Garden Center of Gypsum, Cambria Coffee, Main Auto Parts, Overland Express, Columbine Bakery, Slifer Designs, Cotton Ranch Golf Course, Copy Plus, Colorado Mtn. Medical, Scott Ruff, The Kleimer Company, The Strawberry Patch, Chris Darrohn, Jeff Forbes, Broadway Bar & Grill, Alpine Party Rentals, New Shoes Band, Bluegrace Mountain Band, The Dave & Bubba Show, Bobbie Faulkner, Allen Insurance-Steve Johnson, Comerford Insurance Agency, WECMRD, 4 Eagle Ranch, Eagle Amoco, EVHS Booster Club, Columbine Market, Mi Pueblo, Baja Sports Grill, City Market, Peak Learning Center, New Castle Bowling, Corky’s Gas & Car Wash, Edward Jones, Alpine Bank, Gallegos Masonry, First Bank, Wells Fargo Bank, Town of Eagle, Town of Gypsum, Golden Oven, Cascade Village Theater, Vail Valley Jet Center, Eagle Valley Properties, Steve Oakson,DDS, Dolby, Wenland & Co., First American Heritage, Vail Resorts, Walmart, Heartwood Custom Wood Work, Columbine Storage Center, Aren Design Inc., Beveridge Real Estate, Johnson, Kunkel & Associates and anyone we may have forgotten.We also wanted to thank all of the junior class parents who graciously sponsored our event that evening and a big thank you to all of the senior parents who donated their time and financial support to create a nice lasting memory for our kids.Thanks again to all of you for your support for EVHS Project Graduation!!Eagle Valley High School Project Graduation 2004 Poking holes… I really got a chuckle out of Steve Henderson’s letter, “Ain’t buying it.” Some people really do in-depth research before sitting down to put pen to paper.After several exhausting moments of study, Steve has concluded that there probably is an infinite amount of oil to be found. All we need to do is keep poking holes in the ground, and bingo, there will be more.During his research, he has also discovered elk herds in Alaska (who knew?). And that if these elk are too retarded to swim around oil platforms like the fish in the gulf, too bad. …Steve Dziekan


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