Never Thought I Would Say This.

[searchingforlight]

I had given up on the USA as a viable political experiment after 1 1/2 years of Bush and his group. Then I found DU and my faith was restored.

Freedom still existed. There were other people who thought what was going on in this country was wrong. I wasn't a lone voice out there. I didn't always agree with eveyone. They didn't always agree with me. Burn the flag !!! YES !!! - !!! NO !!! Gay marriage !!! YES !!! !!! NO !!! !!! MAYBE !!! So many topics. So much discourse. So many good minds. Hope was strong. I didn't respond much. I just enjoyed being an observer.

I have fought many battles. Lived through WWII, Korea, Viet Nam - Had a grandfather in WWI, a career AF officer for a father, married a career AF Officer. I saw the coffins coming through Clark AFB on their way home from Viet Nam. I saw the maimed young men at the hospital.

I marched for civil rights, I marched against Viet Nam. I marched for the women's movement and the right to choose. I campaigned for Carter and cried when Reagan was ushered in as the great white hope.

I lived through Watergate and watched the Iran Contra hearings and the progression of all of those criminals to positions of respect by a party, fellow citizens, I couldn't even identify with.

I have voted in every election and felt it my duty.

Last night, on DU, I learned that we are they, we also think we have the right to tell people how to think, how to feel, how to express themselves.

It is all an illusion folks. I am putting my banners away. I cannot vote for Bush but I will not vote again. They have won. We just don't know it.

[FloridaPat]

1. What happened last night??

[bossfish]

2. Maybe DUers picking on Reagan?

too bad

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

4. No I think he's referring to the people saying NOT TO pick on Reagan. n/t

[searchingforlight]

6. No

I was frustrated by the infringement on the right of DUr's to pick on Reagan. Agree with them or not. Their opinions have just as much value as anyone elses.

We are at war with the very ideas that this man started. We would not have had any compunctions about slamming Hitler.

[LTR]

8. I didn't see any infringement on it

The mods locked a lot of dupe threads to clear up clutter last night. I saw a lot of anti-Reagan posts and threads last night, and quite a few can be found currently on page one.

I thought some were a bit tasteless for my preferences, but Reagan was an individual who affected many, in both positive and negative ways. I could understand the outpouring of both positive and negative commentary. I did not want to get involved in that.

How did DU infringe on anyone's rights last night?

Most important of all, relax. It's only a message board.

[Jim Warren]

15. Then stay and fight.

You sound like you've done some fighting. We all get down once now and again but don't let them keep you down. With your experience and political bent, you are among many many friends here. Keep your own council of course but know you are not alone.

[Renew Deal]

21. I don't think that happened.

They locked lots of threads and then unlocked anything that wasn't a dupe.

[atreides1]

3. Goodbye and Good Luck

Sorry to see you go, but before you do let me just say something.

While some here might think that they have the right to tell others how to think, feel, and express themselves, it only works if the weak minded listen to what these people are telling them.

From what you describe about your own experiences, you do not seem to be a weak minded person, so why would you let a few dimbulbs have such an effect on you.

They only win when those like you surrender.

I guess the difference between "us and them" is that most of us are still able to resist someone telling us what is good for us. But after years of fighting I guess you just don't have the stomach for it anymore. This is a war, not just a battle, and no war is over until the last battle is fought.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

5. Nice rant, but what's your SPECIFIC problem? No mention in your post.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[searchingforlight]

14. See, you can say F- - - here but you can't say anything bad about

REAGAN.

[jimbo1220]

17. You can't say anything bad about Reagan?

:wtf:

What message board are you reading? Open your eyes.

[searchingforlight]

19. Go back and look at the locked threads last night.

Not all were for consolidation. Look at some of the reasons given for locking them.

[LTR]

23. I was on DU last night

And I didn't see it that way.

As customary, when a big news story breaks, the board gets a little crazy. Lots of duplicate posts.

If you look on page one now, as I type, you will see these threads:

Ronald Reagan was not a saint
Ronald Reagan is back until November
I have reached the point where I think that the death of President Reagan
Reagan's Supreme Court appointments...
Ronald Reagan's Record of "Firsts"
Are You Proud Of Your Fellow DUERS Who Are Pissing On Reagan's Grave?
reagan lied 'under oath' 150 times & WASN'T impeached
Why Reagan did not end the Cold War.
Looking for a website...
Are you sick of both "hate Reagan" AND "don't hate Reagan" threads?
Why does the myth persist that Reagan ran up the deficit?
funny
Talking to a Repub
Ronald Reagan should have died in prison or not?
Why hasn't anyone mentioned Reagan's Psychic advisor's?
The most interesting thing to me, reflecting on Reagan's death, is that,
reagan made us feel good about our racism again
Reagan Died: Boooooo Hooooooo
we are in Iraq as a DIRECT result of reagan/bush policies
What you WON'T hear on the "Ronald Reagan" Show This Week


You want Reagan bashing? Take your pick of the above threads.

I don't see free speech being squelched here.

[searchingforlight]

25. I feel it was -

Try this one:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1727889

[Nlighten1]

7. When the going gets tough...

It isn't always easy being a Democrat. Because we do try to accommodate the "big tent" that means people's feelings are going to get hurt from time to time. Not everyone is going to agree and for the most part our side of the political spectrum handles it with grace and dignity. Some of us don't but, hey, we welcome them too.

The same cannot be said for the other side. They get marching orders and squash anyone who deviates from the drill.

[searchingforlight]

11. Thank you for making my point.

I believe that is what happen last night on DU.

[jimbo1220]

9. I think this is a little ironic.

You say:

Last night, on DU, I learned that we are they, we also think we have the right to tell people how to think, how to feel, how to express themselves.

So, if I read you correctly, you are upset because you disapprove of the comments of certain people on this message board were telling you how to think, feel, or act. How, exactly, are you different from those whom you criticize? They were expressing their disapproval of certain comments. And today, here you are, doing essentially the same thing. Pehaps it is okay for you, since you're expressing disapproval of their disapproval?

:shrug:

[searchingforlight]

12. No, my frustration is with the inability to continue discourse.

I don't care if anyone disagrees with me. I applaud their right to do it. Call me unfeeling, call me uncivilized, call me insensitive but don't put your hand over my mouth.

[preciousdove]

13. Reagan and friends hurt a lot of people personally

My Aunt from a small Minnesota town remembers people dying in line waiting to see a doctor at a free clinic in NY. Aids, Deregulation and Union busting. People dying before they could get disability and Medicare because he put a freeze on it to "save money". Community help and recreation programs shuttered. Thousands of new Golf Courses used that money. Thousands died in the ugly, covert, illegal wars. Iran Contra. Savings and Loan debacle (again deregulation) Trickle Down Welfare for the rich. Harassing and controlling innocent people through the IRS. Death, suicide, bankruptcy and despair. They called the kids that grew up poor during that time Reagan's Kids and they were a crime wave that we are still paying for by supporting a lot of them in prison.

I may forgive him when this is all over but what we are experiencing now is just an delayed extension of what was laid as a foundation then. But I do hate him and his friends and I am glad he died now rather than closer to the November election I have tons of compassion but none for them. They are entitled to the rights afforded to all criminals and I hope the survivors get the same treatment their friends in this administration are giving lesser criminals and scapegoats today.

[SayitAintSo]

16. Snap out of it !

:nopity:

[i_c_a_White_Ghost]

18. This is an excellent place for rants and fusion of idea's

To walk away crying over comments is missing the point

Everyone here feeds off each other and in doing so invigorates debate.

Only the weak minded find it offensive.

[searchingforlight]

20. You miss the point. I am not offended by anything anyone said -

I don't care if people like what I say. I care if I am given a forum in which to say it.

[Renew Deal]

24. What were you not able to say that you wanted to?

Because I bet I could find a thread that said it and worse. There was a lot of shit flying last night.

[jus_the_facts]

22. all IS an illusion...but givin' up your weapon will only hurt YOU....

....if you remove yourself from the process completely....THEY WILL ALWAYS WIN...at least if you stay in the game....no matter how corrupt it is....there's still a chance for it to go your way...the odds look impossible to me too....but if you don't vote at all...you have NO ODDS AT ALL! :(

[Skinner]

26. I'm pretty sure we went over this in the ask the admins forum.

I'm sorry that you feel that the moderators did such a shit job last night. They are volunteers, they aren't paid, and yesterday was an extremely difficult day. For most of the day, there were no admins available to provide them with any guideance. They were flying by the seats of their pants, and I think they did a damn fine job. Many of them had never moderated on a big news day before. They were only doing what they felt was necessary and appropriate to make the message board experience more pleasant for everyone.

After a few hours, we evaluated how this news story was being handled, identified that it was not working, and we took action to fix it. We are all human here. We are not perfect. I think it is reasonable for us to make mistakes, and then fix them.

If the actions of a few well-intentioned-but-overworked volunteer moderators on an obscure message board for a couple hours on an extremely busy news day are enough to keep you from ever voting again... Well, I don't really know what to say to you.

And now, I am locking this thread.

Skinner
DU Admin