What are liberals?

When did liberals become synonymous with restriction of rights?  Didn't they used to want to liberate the people?  Aren't liberals the ones who fought for black and women's suffrage?  Aren't conservatives the ones who are supposed to be oppressing the people?

Was it the progressive movement?  Did liberals run out of things to fight for and now need to abolish rights they don't think are working out?  Why do they need bigger government to control everything they can think of?  Shouldn't they shrink government to LIBERATE the people from its control?

I need to discuss this.  I have been watching too much Fox News since Obama took office.

Conservatives want things to stay as they are, or move backwards.  Liberals want to move things forward.  Conservatives believe that the things that we have known for a long time are the most important things, because they are what make us what we are, so they endeavor to preserve them.  Liberals believe that the new things we have learned are the most important, because it is often a failure to understand these things that causes most of the direct suffering, so they endeavor to implement them.
But there are many bad old ideas that conservatives cling to.  And there are many bad new ideas that liberals cleave to.
Each wishes only to prevent suffering.
Liberals are more willing to sacrifice certain behaviors in the interests of cooperation and progress.
Conservatives believe that the sacrifice of some of these behaviors is a bad idea that will change us for the worse. Sometimes they are correct.
The liberals are the people to thank for progress.  But they're also the ones to blame when fundamentals are abandoned and chaos ensues.  The liberals are the brain, and the courage.  The conservatives are the backbone, and the spirit.