someone who is usually subjected to narrowminded hostility in his or her own time, but is
vindicated by
posterity. Many of the political figures we
revere today were liberals in their own time.
50 years ago, it was "liberals" who wanted to put an end to racial discrimination and
segregation
100 years age, it was "liberals" who wanted safe working conditions and female
suffrage
150 years ago, it was "liberals" who wanted to put an end to slavery
230 years ago, it was "liberals" who wanted an independent nation of America.