The line was long at the store, and I found myself in the middle. I killed the time looking at the covers of celebrity magazines – picking up random parts of the conversations. One lept out.

Behind me were two girls, probably friends, both around 11 or 12. They were talking about a third girl. Obviously they weren't happy about her. One said, "I can't stand her. She is bossy, thinking she is always in charge. If you try and do anything she doesn't like, she gets mad. I swear she is a ..." Then she said it: The L Word.

It got quiet. The older woman in front of me commented to herself: "I hope she isn't. It's terrible to be one at that age."

I suppose around here, liberals should be branded and forced to wear a large, red, "L" stitched on all their clothing.

I decided to research, and to get the true definition. According to the dictionary, "liberal" is defined as: "Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views or dogmas; free from bigotry." Or: "Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded."

Strange, from the way people used the word "liberal" you would think it meant something completely different. Today, people paint the term on a politician as a means to scare off the populists. Even though most of us are tolerant and want change – especially now with the economy suffering, foreclosures growing rapidly and job losses continuing – people cringe when someone they are considering supporting is called liberal.

In fact, many times, when someone can't think of anything else to say about their opposition, they just call them "liberal" and leave it at that. Yet, if you really look at yourself and look at the definition, you have to admit that a part of you could be described as "liberal."

Of course, the opposite is "Conservative." Its dictionary definition is: "favoring traditional views and values; tending to oppose change." Or: "traditional or restrained in style: a conservative dark suit." Or: "cautious."

In my opinion, the vast majority of society would likely be called moderate. We are conservative in some ways and liberal in others. We don't want change for change's sake, nor do we want a government that mismanages our money. We don't want a government dictating how we worship, nor do we want an unsafe society. We may own our black conservative suit, but we have a Hawaiian shirt in the closet as well. Then why is someone who makes what could be portrayed as a liberal statement immediately assailed?

Why is it that those radio personalities, certain men of God and certain news channels claim that these people are out to change the American way of life?

We need to think more carefully about the words we use. I might suggest that we replace our wanton use of liberal or conservative with a different word – "arrogant." It's defined this way: "Having or displaying a sense of overbearing self-worth or self-importance." Or: "Marked by or arising from a feeling or assumption of one's superiority toward others."

Or does this just describe those who misuse these words?

Jeff Fortney Sr. of Plano has spent most of his career in banking and is a Community Voices volunteer columnist. His e-mail address is JFortneySr@aol.com.