I have an idea for the first task for the DU activist corp.

[Buddyblazon]

I'm just throwing it out there. I am not a member of the activist corp. If I had more time and money to do more than just inform myself and spread the good word of DU...I would certainly be a DU action General. But in my present financial situation I find just enough time to cold call and canvas during the election seasons. So seeing that DU is the biggest think tank that Liberals and Progressives have today, I figured ideas are always good in the war against our population.

Okay (a little nervous about throwing out this idea)...I think that the first action should be this:
A focused effort to help Will Pitt and his legal team bring the people that essentially harassed Andy Stephenson into his grave.

1000 people researching. 1000 people uncovering. 1000 people raising legal fees. 1000 people speaking to nearly 70,000 people and directing them on the battlefield to send a message...you fuck with us...and we'll burn your God damn huts down.

An opening salvo of such would put the REAL fear of God into them. We already have people on it...but with a focused solitary goal, we could really drive a stake into the heart of those evil bastards. Take their money. Take their houses. Take their sense of security. You stepped over the line. You martyred a good man. Now we lay waste to you and your ilk.

With the DU Generals directing it I believe we could be effective. And if the thought of 50,000$ being raised in 11 days scares them, think what kind of horror would overcome them when 100's of their associates lives are demolished.

It is an "Alpha Male" situation. It would show them that we will no longer let them hold us down by the scruff of the neck and piss on us. Not anymore. There's a new leader of the pack.

[Buddyblazon]

1. No replies?

No, "Blazon...you're an angry dude. Take a Lude and down it with some Jack."

No, "Uh...everybody steer clear of that Blazon guy. Nice signature, but he is a bit on the barbaric side."

I just want a little feedback. Or maybe it's attention. Or maybe it's both. ;)

[sinkingfeeling]

2. Look, I don't claim to be religious or anything, but 'An eye for an

eye, makes the whole world blind' is kinda my motto. I still believe in the rule of law (even in America). If these people broke laws or can be sued for slander, then do it. But I'm not into 'laying waste'.

[Buddyblazon]

3. And that's why they will continue to bully us around.

I can see your point. And in most situations, I would agree (and always have). But being kind and nice has lost us every branch of the government.

In this case, I believe it's fight fire with fire. Their actions contributed to a good man's suffering. The guy is dead. They made his last days as miserable as they could. That in my book is so unbelievably over the line. And these people get away with doing horrible shit all the time. The generally get no more than scoldings, and walk away giggling that nothing ever happened to them.

Ruin 'em. Make the others stand up and take note. Lie down with dogs...and you get fleas.

[sinkingfeeling]

7. But eventually they will get their just rewards. It may be that rude

awakening that 'God' left them behind or it may be to have to live with what they have made.

[NoSheep]

5. Just a question: an eye for an eye...what does that have to do with

religion? Just askin.

[sinkingfeeling]

12. The quote from Exodus is often used by the RW in defense of

vengeance and retaliation. Jesus also quoted it and then said to turn the other cheek. I was pointing out that some moral folks find that the vengeance mode of operating is not logical.

[NoSheep]

15. I thought it was from Hammerabi's code. My mistake.

[NoSheep]

16. Here it is from the text of Hammurabi's code. I suppost it is referred to

in the bible.

If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out. < An eye for an eye >

[sinkingfeeling]

13. Self-deleting duplicate.

[Buddyblazon]

9. I'd like to relay a story to you....

I spent several of my early years growing up in a college town in the midwest. A liberal bastion in a VERY conservative state. I truly believed that people lived their lives singing songs around a campfire at night...everybody loved everybody...that nobody ever hated.

When I was twelve, my divorced Mother decided we needed to make a new start. She moved us to the big city. And I started at an inner city middle school.

I was immediately pointed out, harassed and beat up on almost a daily basis. I cried to my Mother, "How could you do this to me. These people are horrible. They hate me with every bone in their bodies."

My Mother replied, "Oh they're probably good kids. Turn the other cheek. You should try as hard as possible to befriend these kids." Easy for her to say. I was the one getting stomped multiple times a day. Seriously. I had more than 5 bullies and their goon squads that were shaking me down and physically assaulting me on a daily basis.

This went on for six months. SIX MONTHS! I went with out lunch money for six months. I was one giant bruise. I knew no one other than my tormentors. Until one day I finally snapped.

I was sitting at a lunch table...by myself...no food in front of me because my money had been taken earlier that day. One of my bullies approached me and said, "Give me your cash, fuckface."

"They already took it." I replied.

"Then I'm going to beat the shit out of you after school."

I popped. I jumped up and punched him square in the teeth. He dropped and I put another one into his nose.

At this point the entire lunch room was standing over us. He was a bloody mess. He was blubblering like an infant.

Afterwards, in the office, I broke down like a baby myself. How could I do such a horrible thing? I had never struck anyone in anger my whole life. That's not how I was raised.

But from the day forth...I was never bothered by any of them again.

That's when I realized:
Bullies sometimes only understand a fist square in the teeth.

It's not a lesson I'm proud to have gone through. But if we let these people do horrible things to us again and again...it will never, EVER stop.

This is one of those situations.

They are over the line....and they should be lucky enough to only get a bloody nose.


edited for spelling

[NoSheep]

17. Thanks for sharing your story. I'm sorry you had to go through that.

I too was bullied as a child. I agree, sometimes one has to fight back.

[OneBlueSky]

4. well, I think it should certainly be something in honor of Andy . . .

maybe the "Andy Stephenson Save the Vote Project," or something . . . seriously, ensuring fair elections (i.e. removing the whole process from the control of Republican corporations) is THE most critical issue facing us today . . . if we can't accomplish that, nothing else will matter much . . . and a concentrated DU effort in that direction would certainly be a fitting memorial to Andy . . .

[in_cog_ni_to]

10. That's my pick. EVOTING Paper ballots!

NOTHING else will matter if we don't have verifiable voting. NOTHING! We can spend thousands upon thousands of man hours, hundreds or thousands of dollars for other causes, we can work our collective asses off for our candidates and you know what?....NONE OF IT WILL MATTER AS LONG AS WE VOTE ON EVOTING MACHINES WITH NO PAPER BACK UP. The repukes will continue to steal elections. It's as simple as that.

I raise my hand for working on the evoting issue. Just my 2 cents.

[Buddyblazon]

11. At first I was going to write something else....

but then I realized. Election reform was Andy's number one passion.

That's not a bad idea.

[dogday]

6. I think a campaign called Where Is Osama?

It's time we bring that issue to the forefront and remind everyone who is responsible for 3,000 lives and we need to show the world we are the power we say we are and capture this guy.... Why has the President forgotten him, we have not....

[proud patriot]

8. Skinner is looking for ideas

in the Activist forum :hi:

[question everything]

14. I am just as angry as many here that the paypal scam

caused a major delay in Andy's surgery and, perhaps, contributed to his death. I don't know. You will need a medical opinion to determine this.

Certainly Andy's close family and friends should consult an attorney - a good one, with no agenda - about the merit of such a lawsuit.

Many of us should write letters to the editors and some have already done so.

But to set this for the DU activists (like you, I did not join) is, in my opinion, the diluting of this force. As with the death penalty - it will not bring Andy back to life, it will not prevent those lowlife from future nefarious activities, it will only flame the sense of rage that we feel. This is not - I think, I hope - the purpose of this group, though I realize that a sense of rage often fires the troops.

There are so many other issue where Andy's name can be used - fidelity of electronic voting, access to health care for everyone - that just going for revenge will defeat, in my opinion, the purpose of the group.

[Terran]

18. I don't think that's a good use of the Activist Corps

I know your intentions are good, but Democratic Underground LLC organized the Activist Corps, and I don't think it's a proper role for DU (and its owners) to be taking revenge on private citizens, no matter how much we detest them, on behalf of a deceased DU member. The time and energy of the people who signed up for the AC should be spent on targeted actions that help move the Progressive agenda forward, not stuff like that.