Hello. My name is Sarah Rothman and I am a liberal.

I phrase it this way because people often look at me like I'm an alcoholic at an AA meeting when I tell them I'm a liberal. Some roll their eyes. Some look as though they are sorry for me. Many assume it's simply a label I've chosen for myself without much real knowledge. Few are supportive.

Regardless, I am here today to declare that I am a liberal, a fact that I don't view as a character flaw or arbitrary label I chose because I like the way it sounds. Though I am young and have more to learn than I can even comprehend, being a liberal is a conscious decision I have made from 21 years of life, education and experience. And while I always remain open to new ideas and the possibility that my views may change drastically in the future, I am proud of the political and ethical outlook I have acquired at this point in my life.

This pride, however, is not always well received. This is often due to fundamental disagreement on political and social issues. But perhaps just as often, the disdain directed toward me comes from misconceptions of the word.

The term liberal has increasingly become a loaded one. Like so many labels, it carries with it a lot of baggage, much of which is untrue. When people sigh after learning that I am a liberal, I have to remind myself they could merely be reacting to this negative baggage.

They could be sighing because they think I believe in big government; because they think I want to do away with religion; because they think I am unpatriotic; because they think I'm a staunch Democrat; because they think I hate George W. Bush.

The truth is, none of these assumptions are correct.

I don't believe in big government. I've worked in government, and its bureaucracy and inefficiency astounded and disgusted me. But I do believe in social programs. I believe investing in public education, not vouchers, is an important step in repairing the huge disparity of wealth and opportunity in this country. I believe we should have a national health care system that provides dependable coverage and stops funneling billions of dollars to private corporations. I believe in subsidized childcare and a hundred other programs like it. Does this mean I believe in big government? No. It means I believe in quality of life -- for all Americans, not just those who can afford it.

As a liberal, I have no desire to deprive anyone of their right to practice their religion. But I do believe it has no place in public schools. I believe the incredible amount of influence, primarily through money, certain extremist religious groups have on policy decisions is frightening.

The assumption that liberal and anti-patriotism go hand and hand is particularly baffling to me. I have voted in every national and state election since I turned 18. I volunteered for a national political campaign. I worked for my state representative. I served as secretary for the Penn State American Civil Liberties Union. To me, this is what patriotism is, not slapping an American flag on my car or giving my unconditional support to a war I did not believe in.

Though I have voted Democrat every time I have cast a ballot, I've done this more out of necessity than loyalty. Democratic candidates' views are almost without exception closer to my own than those of Republicans. But I realize that both parties are so controlled by the contributions of large corporations and special interest that neither is capable of real change. And that is what a true liberal is; a person who is searching for new solutions to problems that clearly aren't being solved by politics as usual.

I don't even hate Bush. On the contrary, I think he is the perfect president for an American public obsessed with image and too lazy to look at content. I think he is the perfect president for an American public who consistently refuses to face the problems that threaten our society -- the problems of racial inequality, a staggering wealth distribution gap, the rapid destruction of the Constitution and so many others. Until we are ready to engage these topics, I think a president like Bush is exactly what we have earned.

But why am I doing this? Why I am taking the trouble to publicly label myself a liberal? Isn't it my point that labels inevitably lead to misconceptions? Yes, labels do lead to misconceptions.

But when I declare that I am a liberal, I'm doing more than putting myself in a category so I can be easily identified. I'm making a statement. I'm saying I believe in all of the things I mentioned above.

I'm saying I'm willing to work to dispel misconceptions surrounding the word liberal. I'm saying I believe in the potential of this nation and I'm going to work to help it fulfill that potential. I'm saying I'm willing to stand up and say something.

I encourage every student at this university to do the same. Don't just adopt a label, but make a statement. Be something -- liberal, conservative, Democrat, Republican, communist, libertarian, anarchist, nihilist -- anything. But stand up and be something. And then act on it. Because the only statement that doesn't positively contribute to the public debate is the one you did not make. And the worst label to be stuck with is apathetic.