herthirdthoughts Discussion of A Liberals Guide to Labeling:

So my (liberal) reading of this chart was that it was meant for conservative voters who wanted to mock
people who believe that the labels listed apply to the people pictured. However, I think that a) the
conservatives who made this chart dont have a very good idea of what liberals actually believe, and b) a
lot of this chart is highly offensive.

1. Elizabeth Warren, with the label Indian.

I dont think theres anything wrong with Elizabeth Warren claiming her Cherokee heritage, as long as she
doesnt use it to try and get advantages she hasnt earned, since she isnt a member of the Cherokee
Nation. For the most part, liberals dont believe that white people who are not part of a nation or tribe
should be considered Native peoples. American Indians have been through a lot, and they deserve dignity
and support. Speaking for myself, I like a lot of Elizabeth Warrens politics, and thats more important to
me than her Native or non-Native status.

2. Rachel Dolezal, with the label Black.

I dont know a single liberal who considers Rachel Dolezal to be Black. Most liberals actively dislike her,
because she tried to claim a marginalized identity when she hasnt been through the struggles that come
with being Black in America. Thats the very definition of selfish.

3. Hillary Clinton? with the label poor.

If this is Hillary Clinton (its hard to tell), then I dont understand this label. I dont know anyone, of any
political affiliation, who thinks Hillary Clinton is poor.

4. White. I admit I dont know who this is.

No matter who it is, though, this image immediately strikes me as offensive. It looks like a Latino man in
a prison uniform. Why should we care what his race is? All human beings are created equal. The fact that
this chart does seem to care what his race is makes me think that being white is somehow important to the
chart-makers, which to me is a huge red flag.

5. Caitlyn Jenner, with the label hero.

Now we get into the bit where this chart is really starting to upset me. On a personal level, yeah, I find
Caitlyn Jenner to be a fairly shallow reality TV star. But Caitlyn Jenner is also a symbol. Shes a symbol
that transgender people are people, that they deserve to be treated with respect, and that they can be
something in the world without having to hide. So if I hear someone calling Caitlyn Jenner a hero? Im
fine with that, because it means that they appreciate what shes done for transgender youth. Most liberals
believe that transgender people are born that way, and that they dont deserve to be mocked or
discredited, so this part of the chart is going to be upsetting to most liberals.

6. A group of Black youth vandalizing a police car, with the label peaceful.
Nobody thinks that vandalizing a police car is peaceful. Im not sure where this image came from, but at a
glance, I think its a picture of people angered by the police brutality (and murders) against Black youth,
and particularly Black men, in recent years. There have been many peaceful protests about this, but like
any issue of this magnitude, there has also been some violence. I find this image racist because it focuses
on Black kids angry about police brutality instead of acknowledging the brutality itself, and implies that
Black youth are an inherently violent people. It also ignores the peaceful protests that have taken place,
and the fact that police officers murdering Black people is much worse than the vandalism of a police car.
7. Somebody shoving somebody else, with the label gentle.
I have no idea whats going on here, but I dont know any liberal who would call this gentle.

8. Trayvon Martin, with the label child.

Okay. This is where my stomach starts to hurt, and anger begins to bubble up in my chest. This is where I
begin to lose compassion for conservatives who like this image, and I wonder how so many people can be
so heartless.
Trayvon Martin was a child. He was 17 years old. He was on his way back from the convenience store
with a bag of Skittles, and he was shot by George Zimmerman because he happened to be Black, because
Zimmerman decided he looked threatening. He had committed no crime. He just wanted to eat some
Skittles.
Yes, he looks a little funny in this picture. Weve all taken weird photos of ourselves. He was a child, and
he did not deserve to die. I cant help but feel that the maker of this chart had more sympathy for
Trayvons murderer than for Trayvon himself.

9. Members of the US Military, with the label terrorist.

Liberals dont consider members of the Armed Forces to be terrorists. Many of us opposed invading
Afghanistan and Iraq, and most of us dont agree with dropping drones on the Middle East, but almost all
of us respect the military.
In terms of the American flag, the chart-maker might have a point as far as the fact that it may mean more
to conservatives than it means to many liberals. Some liberals consider America to be the best country in
the world, but others, like myself, dont see why being the best should be so important to us; it seems kind
of selfish, kind of obnoxious. Instead, we think that we should consider America one of the best countries
in the world. We can be happy to be American, but we can be equally happy for someone else who shows
their national pride, instead of privately thinking yes, but America is better. A lot of liberals think that
we need to stop trying to put ourselves first, and prioritize working together with other countries instead.
So thats my spiel with this chart. I really didnt like it, I didnt feel like it had anything to do with me as a
liberal, and I was seriously upset by the Trayvon Martin label.