You might be a liberal if you...

• Believe in and are willing to defend
• civil rights (right to equal treatment - free from discrimination based on race, gender, disability, etc. in employment, housing, etc.)
• civil liberties
• freedom of speech and thought
• the right to privacy 
• the right to be free from unreasonable searches of your home
• the right to a fair court trial
• the right to marry (whomever you please!)
• the right to vote
• representative democracy
• the rule of law
• the common good
• separation of church and state
• protection of the environment
• peace
• Believe you can make the world a better place and that in fact, you have an obligation to your fellow human beings to do exactly that
• Embrace the idea of a social contract - meaning it is to mankind's mutual advantage to band together and cooperate
• Are not bound by tradition
• Are open to change
• Are tolerant - of speech, religion, choice,
• Encourage diplomacy over war knowing we can more effectively lead by the power of our example than the example of our power paraphrased from President Bill Clinton
• Know it is your duty to be an active, effective citizen
• Demand a well-functioning government to provide the structure for improving the life for citizens through allowing and providing to all:
• freedom - speech, privacy, religion, economic, press, assembly, movement, participation
• due process of the law, right to a fair trial
• equality
• competitive education
• world-class health care
• police, fire, roads, courts, national parks, national security
• And, you are especially liberal if you understand that it requires taxes to pay for these services

What did I miss? What does being a liberal/progressive mean to you?

Action Alerts

I've started to sign up the progressiveparents@gmail.com for action alerts from different public interest groups who can make us aware of issues we may be interested in following up on. The list is below, please make your recommendations of other groups we should be following. I will continue to update it as I find them and hear from you. Thanks!

GENERAL POLICY/LEGISLATION
Co PIRG http://www.copirg.org/
Organizing for America

HEALTH
NARAL http://www.prochoice.org/
Planned Parenthood http://www.ppaction.org/
Health Care for All Colorado http://www.healthcareforallcolorado.org/

EDUCATION
Great Education http://www.greateducation.org/

ENVIRONMENT
Environment Colorado http://www.environmentcolorado.org/

WOMEN/CHILDREN
Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault http://www.ccasa.org/

An ad we don't want to see during the Super Bowl

Send CBS the message that now is not the time to cave and run an ad for special interests. There have never been political or issue ads run during the Super Bowl - until this year. Desperate for ad income CBS is willing to break tradition/policy and run ad for Focus on the Family.
https://secure.prochoiceamerica.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=4143

Magazine Exchange

If anyone is interested in a magazine exchange bring your relatively current issues to the next Progressive Parents meeting. Those magazines not taken by the end of the meeting will be dropped off at the library or recycling center.

Re-use - good for the environment and good for your pocket book!

Opt out of phone book delivery

No more phonebooks! Penny Parker posted 2 links to add UR name to the do not deliver list. Too late for this year - but you won't get them next year:

Dex Go to http://www.dexknows.com/; scroll down 2 bottom of home page; click "select your Dex"; type in ZIP code, brings U 2 page asking 4 address. Drop-down menu lets U select publica...tions 2 receive or opt out.

Yellow Book lets U opt out thru http://www.yellowpagesoptout.com/

Progressive Parents Meeting Times

Our next meeting will be Thurs Feb 4. After that we will meet every 2nd and 4th Thursday each month (including Feb - so we will also meet Feb 11 and 25). We meet at the Icehouse (next to the Little Bear) at 9:30 am.

Another view of the China/US relationship

If you'd like to read a different opinion to Zachary Karabell's on the importance of China and the US: http://security.nationaljournal.com/2009/11/chiamerica-is-this-the-new-glo.php#1388777