Stop With The Labels Like Socialist!

By Bethany “BST2” Armstrong

My Mother – a Bible-Thumping, Trump-Loving, sick sad woman – spat the word “socialist” in my face like she had just gotten a spoonful of rancid pea-soup. It was said with the same vehemence as she would have said “harlot”, “heathen”, or “whore.” I’m surprised she didn’t grab one of her many crosses hung upon her walls to expel the devil out of me.

I understand why people of their generation – Boomers if you will – have such a disgust of Socialism and Communism. They lived with threats from Communist China and Soviet Russia. They learned to “duck and cover” in school, in the event of a nuclear bomb. They’ve listened to propaganda about Canada’s healthcare system. They watch Faux News.
My instinct is to rebel, embrace socialism, and get that red raised fist tattoo in a prominent location. The reality is, I’m not a socialist, or, at least, I’m not the Boomer version of a Socialist. I, along with 16% of fellow Americans, am a Solid Liberal.

Solid Liberals see income-inequality as a major issue. They believe more needs to be done to address discrimination. They believe in a strong social safety net. They support same-sex marriages. Most Solid Liberal’s identify as Democrats.

Explaining all this to Mother would be even worse than declaring myself a Socialist. So, I just said, “OK Boomer” as I walked out the door.

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