As a liberal, I struggle with 2 different emotions when when I see someone wearing a MAGA hat.
If I’m feeling empathetic and liberal, I see that the hat represents values that I too share.
- Pride in America,
- A reminder of individual freedom
- A call for a smaller government
- A commitment to law and order
- Belief in equality (not equity) for all, regardless of background
These values resonate with me.
So in my more reflective moments, I see the MAGA hat as an expression of someone who, like myself, believes deeply in the foundational ideals of our nation.
Yet, despite sharing these convictions, there’s a tension that emerges.
In my less liberal moments, I sometimes find myself struggling with my biases when I look at the MAGA movement. I see it as a threat to my desire for control. In these moments, my empathy is clouded by frustration and judgment. I often tell myself that those who wear the MAGA hat are willfully blind to the systemic issues of inequality that persist in society. I see them as people who are turning a blind eye to the very real struggles of marginalized communities. I even consider them racists.
But the truth is, these judgments are not liberal but they come from my own need to control others.
My non-liberal perspective tends to lean heavily on the idea of big government as the solution to systemic problems – a top down command and control. And that perspective has led to figures like Hitler and Mussolini.
My desires to improve society lead me to overlook something important: that those who wear the MAGA hat actually hold the key to solving the very problems I want to solve.
They advocate for smaller government not because they disregard inequality but because they believe that reducing government intervention is the path to creating real, lasting change—change that empowers individuals and communities, rather than telling them what to do.
In my frustration, I’ve allowed myself to fall into the trap of believing that the leftist, government-driven approach is the only way to address systemic issues. In doing so, I’ve ignored the fact that my own beliefs may contribute to some of the very problems I criticize. The complexities of systemic inequality can’t be solved through one-size-fits-all policies. In fact, by pushing for ever-expanding government control, I may be unintentionally entrenching the very issues I seek to resolve.
As I confront my own biases, I come to see the MAGA hat as a symbol of their approach to solving the problems I care deeply about.
Redefining what it means to be a liberal
There’s an urgent need to redefine what it means to be a liberal. The term has become increasingly associated with radical leftism, socialism, or even communism.
But the liberalism I believe in is rooted in moderation, balance, and the recognition that freedom—whether economic, social, or political—is something we should all value, regardless of our ideological leanings.
I want to challenge those of us on the moderate left to think critically about the assumptions we hold about people we disagree with. It’s too easy to fall into the trap of seeing those who wear a MAGA hat—or who hold similar views—as people to be opposed or, worse, people to be controlled (aka deplorables).
This kind of thinking goes against the very liberal values of tolerance, respect, and open discourse that we claim to champion.
The true strength of being liberal lies in its ability to create space for all voices, even those we disagree with. I believe that as liberals we need to shun the cloud of leftism and control that has engulfed the Democrat party. We must move back to the center where we can rediscover the middle ground, where freedom, individual responsibility, and compassion are core values.
It’s time to remember that being a liberal doesn’t mean demanding control or conformity. It means being proud of our country, upholding it’s laws, promoting free enterprise and capitalism, and championing freedom, not a bigger government.
So when I see a MAGA hat, I actually see a true liberal!
