A DU Proposal

[TNOE]

I've had it and I just feel like screaming.

Our local paper rarely prints my rebuttal letters or questioning letters re this administration but frequently prints letters in support. The Editor has got to be a paid shill for his ramblings.

Have been kicked off a couple of web sites for my point of view - Also, anybody know what's up with the Politcal Teen - That website NEVER prints my rebuttals or comments and it is just pissing me off. Don't these websites make money just by you clicking on to them?

I want to be heard and I need to be heard! We must educate these people or at least be able to debate them. Why don't we have a special debate forum on DU where we can educate and enlighten these people. As long as they have websites that are just big circle jerks for like-minded people, and as long as they listen to Fox - they are never going to know or hear or experience the truth.

So in the spirit of Democracy - and in an effort to try and get America back - why can't DU have a debate forum? DU has a wealth of information, talented and knowledgeable people, and the only way we can change people's minds is through awakening them - with knowledge.

I'm just sick of my voice never getting heard. What say you?

[lebkuchen]

1. Please send your views here

[e-mail]

along with city, phone # and e-mail.

[TNOE]

4. What is this?

[lebkuchen]

5. What the US military reads

from Europe to the Pacific. If you want your views read far and wide, it doesn't get better than that. approx. 300 wpl.

Join others who have expressed their views, and pack it w/information, what our troops sorely lack.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/12/18/45138/421

[TNOE]

8. Well you would need

commentary and be able to answer other's so it would be something that would have to be read often. The military would only be one aspect - I'm talking about debating the dummies at places like the Political Teen and Right Nation who think they are all-knowing and believe every word that is told them from Fox.

Maybe even make DU more profitable and wider known. DU is obviously a place people come to look as Political Teen has postings from us as does Free Republic and Right Nation. They go back and post what the DUmmies are saying - so I say - let's take em on.

[lebkuchen]

12. Teens vote what their parents tell them, imo, when they vote

I'm older than you, so don't let my age dissuade you of your plan.

However, it's the battlefield where minds must be changed. Bush may control the excutive, legislative, judicial, and media branches of our democracy, but he's within the margin of error of losing the military branches. Could sure use your help.

Make it factual, unemotional, tying Bush to words like "failure" and "disaster."

[wtbymark]

2. aren't all of the forums (save LBN) here open to debate? n/t

[TNOE]

3. Not with Bush lovers

[im10ashus]

6. What?

Bush lovers in DU? Are you sure about that? Seriously.

[Crazy Dave]

7. In a perfect world it would work.

But even here on DU as I've noticed during my short membership (which gets pointed out quite frequently) that most folks will not change their minds no matter how much knowledge and facts that you put in front of them. Most think emotionally instead of rationally and it's hard to change a person's opinion who is narrow and closed minded and who thinks their opinion is the only one that is right, their's is the only one that matters, and if you don't agree with them 100% (or you have a low number of posts) then you are not a true liberal and you just don't know what you are talking about. Or you get accused of being a conservative spy or something or another.

[TNOE]

9. Unfortunately you're right

when I first joined I was constantly labeled a freeper and I didn't even know what one was at the time. My intent in finding DU was to change the course that I knew America was on - and of course then all my fears were realized - 9/11, the war, the budget deficit, criminal behavior running rampant, etc. Sorry for your experience - chalk it up to paranoia I guess - BUT if we had a forum where people were allowed to openly admit that they were Conservative (ahem, cough, cough) or whatever - then we wouldn't even have to have accusatory remarks - just let them lay their cards out and we'll lay ours out. Bound to get a little nasty, but there can be rules.

[Crazy Dave]

15. I agree

I can only speculate that age and maturity plays a big role in it too. When you read someone's post who says: "If I know my neighbor is a conservative and I see his house burning down with him in it, I'll just laugh and video record it so I can watch it over and over and enjoy", you know that you would be wasting your time in trying to have a civil and intelligent conversation or debate with them. They would just keep saying over and over that you don't know what you're talking about, you're just a "Freeper", we need to stay united and you're really a Bush supporter so there."
In their little pathetic minds they truly believe that they've won the argument and for more self praise they'll write about it in their equally pathetic little blogs or something like that.

But likewise, only the opposite with conservatives. The older they get the even worse they get. Face to face I almost got punched out by a wonderful Christian fellow who refused to answer me that how can he deny evolution when even bacteria evolves and we get new strains of viruses and illnesses, immune to the older vaccines in order to survive and get stronger.

[in_cog_ni_to]

10. Do you mean open this site to freepers for debate? I don't think so.

They would destroy DU. JMCPO

[question everything]

11. You may want to post a sample letter here

the newspapers like them short and succinct. It is easy for the RW with their "Me Tarzan, You Jane" style of communication. Hillary! Feminazi! Un American!

For us, we try to build our case, to present all the views and then to prove that ours should prevail.

So, if you don't mind submit a sample here, there are many good editors here who would give you valid points and who could trim your letter to a short - 50-100 words that will get published. I promise.

[leftstreet]

13. "Debate" with freepers keeps us from moving forward.

That's what our Corporate Owners want. Just enough confusion, anger and chaos to prevent activism.

Just leave the rightwing talking nuts behind. Besides, they learn more by reading and quoting posts from sites where they're not welcome.

I see too much time wasted on left forums with "debate" over manufactured RW talking points as it is. (War on Christmas. What a joke.)

[TNOE]

14. Wait a second

I don't want to give the wrong impression here - I'm a middle aged woman with a grown married daughter - someone here posted that damn Political Teen crap and I had to go investigate it. I've already had about 10 letters printed in the Cincinnati Enquirer in the past 5 years but probably only 1 for every 10 I write.

I'm not so sure a debate forum would be a disaster for DU - certainly we can keep it polite and to the point can't we? For the most part?

[bpilgrim]

16. great idea! i am working on just such a board now (soapboxwars.com)

to give a soapbox to all us keyboard geniuses, pro-vs-con ;->

am looking for mods, too... pm me if anyone is interested :hi:

peace

[TNOE]

17. Wow, that's great

no time for moderating - but whenever there is time - I want to jump on and pound my fist abit! Thanks!

[bpilgrim]

18. i will post here when i get it up and running

but i feel the same way you do about not being able to confront these pricks who desperately need to be confronted.

the site won't be all political though, it will have multiple topics to cover anything that folks want to talk about but it will defiantly have a political category ;->

:hi:

peace