A Liberal Reckoning: Your Responsibility to Your Fellow Citizens

by Micki Archuleta
(Warning: For academics or the curious only)

Introduction: The Unfinished Project

I am an American—not only by geography, but by a mosaic of inheritance and struggle. My roots cross revolutions, reservations, Spanish land grants, and the messy birth of this country. I was raised to believe that citizenship meant more than a passport: it meant mutual responsibility, participation, and a promise that the Constitution protected all.

But I’ve learned that this promise is a work in progress—and the most persistent obstacle is not just open bigotry, but a liberalism that hesitates to look in the mirror.

I. Liberal Ideals and the Distance to Reality

From the Enlightenment to the New Deal, liberals have championed universal rights, reason, and democracy. We speak about equity, tolerance, and progress. The rhetoric is powerful; the history is checkered. The American experiment, born in revolution and compromise, enshrined beautiful principles—then promptly limited their application.

Our founding texts are still riddled with omissions and contradictions. The promise of justice is powerful, but easily denied, diluted, or delayed, especially for those outside the mainstream. The real test of liberalism is not in how we articulate rights—but in how we protect the rights of those most likely to be ignored.

II. The Seduction of Cleverness

In academic and activist circles alike, there’s a temptation to prioritize cleverness over connection, critique over compassion. Foucault and his intellectual descendants taught us to deconstruct power and language, to distrust grand narratives. But too often, we mistake cleverness for courage, and critique for action.

We discuss social justice in theory, but keep real people at arm’s length. We highlight injustice but retreat into insular debates. Liberal spaces become echo chambers, producing analysis but rarely risking radical empathy or personal accountability.

III. The Danger of Status Quo Liberalism

Liberalism at its best is self-correcting, open, and democratic. But at its worst, it protects the status quo, settling for incremental change and surface diversity. It welcomes new voices only if they assimilate quietly. It supports reform only when the foundations of power remain untouched.

We cannot hide behind procedures, credentials, or good intentions. If our movements fail to reach the working class, the undocumented, or those traumatized by centuries of violence and exclusion—then our victories are incomplete.

IV. A Call for Honest Self-Examination

A liberal reckoning requires us to hold ourselves accountable for our blind spots and failures. We must ask:

  • Who is still left out of the conversation?
  • Who has to “prove” their worth, their pain, or their Americanness to be heard?
  • Whose comfort is protected at the expense of someone else’s dignity or voice?

It is not enough to defend the abstract rights of “citizens” while ignoring the living conditions and struggles of actual people. The true liberal tradition demands a radical openness to critique—and a willingness to act.

V. Reimagining Community and Citizenship

The unfinished work of liberalism is not just to expand rights on paper, but to demand real, practical justice in everyday life. This means championing universal healthcare, free education, and meaningful access for all—not just as talking points, but as non-negotiable demands.
It means recognizing the trauma, labor, and sacrifice borne by working-class families and military families, including those whose contributions have never been formally acknowledged. It means naming and challenging the subtle hierarchies and exclusions that persist even within “progressive” spaces.

Conclusion: Our Task

America’s promise is not fulfilled until we—especially those of us who call ourselves liberals—commit to real accountability and action. The path forward is not just through clever critique, but through genuine solidarity, humility, and courage.

This is not an elegy for liberalism, but a demand for its renewal. If we believe in justice, let’s prove it—by making room at the table, by sharing real power, and by ensuring that the whole promise of citizenship is realized for all.