At times I have questioned the value of belonging to DU, wondering what we accomplish, but ...

[BigBearJohn]

... then I thought better of it. DU is not just a place to share political ideas
(though it is superb for doing this), DU gives a chance to express our doubts,
feelings, ideas, brainstorms, gripes, frustrations, joys, sorrows. Fellow DU'ers
often give comfort and solace to those in grief or in pain. Talk about a
community. DU truly is a community in every sense of the word.

We join hands to promote worthy causes, we come running to the aid of DU'ers in
distress even to the point of donating money when necessary.

I've developed some strong friendships here over the years. At night, when I'm all alone,
I can always turn to DU, and find a few friends online to commune with.

Odd that I don't do this with other blogs. There truly is something special about DU.

Here's to you, my fellow DU'ers. Long live Democratic Underground!!!!!!
:toast:

[lost-in-nj]

1. Heres to you to

:toast: :toast:

my faith and hope is in the young ones here.......

all the young men and women

we should be here to help and support them

:hi:

lost

[datadiva]

2. What you said

Here, Here! There have been times I felt like giving up but all I have to do is log on to DU and that feeling disappears. :grouphug:

[demnan]

3. It is so true

In whatever activism I've participated in, I've found the blackness sometimes of people just losing hope, lashing out at each other, and its so natural and so human. It's also natural to forgive these frailties that we all have and we will all have till the day we die.

There are things that set us apart. We know and we care. All of us who stand up against the Bush regime do so with a faith in our country, in humanity and in each other. We need to remember that.

Nancy

[SalmonChantedEvening]

4. My Friend BBJ

You and so many others here are passionate, intelligent, patriotic people who see how this junta has poisoned every well it has touched, and has left debacle after debacle in it's wake.

We scream and rage as well we should at such things.

We laugh at the absurdities we see.

You nudge me on occasion to see whether I'm still here, and when I can, I nudge back :)

And so it is with so many people on DU. A wonderful place, made so by wonderful people.

:toast: :hug: :pals:

[BigBearJohn]

6. WOW. well said.

[KoKo]

5. DU started out "Protesting Selection 2000" ...it's value is morphing to a grea USENET site.

We couldn't compete with KOS....so we are a great sharing site for "like minded people" with a growing group of disenfranchised thrown in.

Hey..USENET stuff is GREAT. I was too late on the Internet to know what it was about...but I've heard great things and a "COMMUNITY" when all is failing us is a great way to connect even if it's not all "Democratic" as defined by the "old standards." :shrug:

INFO SHARING in this America where we are so fracture ...is a GOOD THING!

[porphyrian]

7. Why do you think so many people who make dramatic exits come back?

;P

[Swede]

8. Don't forget the indepth research a lot of DUers do do.

:toast:

[The Straight Story]

9. indeed my friend

A toast back at ya
:toast:

[Hekate]

10. I'm still here. Hi to all.

:toast:

Hekate

[bonito]

11. Here's to you

:toast:

[bigtree]

12. shit yeah!

:patriot:

[MODemocrat]

13. I'm here about 5 or 6 times a day and before I go to bed

It's so nice to come on here and read what people are thinking; and there are sooooo many good
posters here at DU. I've even gotten help with a problem on my PC; it's like having a lot of friends ready to help me. :toast: :hi:

[tavalon]

14. Yep

This is a one in a million place.

[snot]

15. No doubts here --

DU has enabled me to become an activist.

I'm spread very thin; I'm not prepared to give up the rest of my life for activism. DU enables me to (1) keep up with the REAL news, (2) easily find contact info for appropriate governmental reps and media folks -- I've prolly sent hundreds of e-mails I'd never have written otherwise, (3) find out about other activist opportunities; e.g., without DU, I prolly never would have even known about Cindy Sheehan's vigil outside Bush's ranch, let along gone and make a short documentary video about it, which made it onto Current TV (recently renewed).

I don't see how anyone can doubt DU's value, if they're genuinely trying to use it.

Granted, you have to skip over some cr*p.

[Lugnut]

16. Hear, hear!

:toast:

[lovuian]

17. woohoo

:woohoo: DU

[Booster]

18. I couldn't agree more. All of you here at DU help me wade

through all the bullshit that is thrown at us daily, and trying to do it alone is just overwhelming. When I hear something I don't totally understand, I log on here and one of you explains it in words that I can understand, and I usually calm down. You're all wonderful people and I'm not sure I could get through the day without logging on. That's why you'll never see a "I'm outta here" post from me. If I get totally fed up here, I just take a break; but I always come back. I love all of you guys for keeping me semi-sane through these insane times.:toast:

[TalkingDog]

19. As a mostly lurker, sometimes commenter, sometimes agitator......

I have less emotional investment in the doin's here. I try not to read nor do I respond to thread that bashes any candidate or points fingers. Lately that leaves me to do a lot of skimming.


That said.... Over the past 3 years, I have seen some of the sharpest minds I have had the grace to witness, focus with laser-like intensity on a mystery or a problem and solve it with perseverance and camaraderie.

I have seen people here find glaring mistakes or tiny, but vital, omissions in major news stories then work, many times successfully, to see it rectified.

I have seen the effects of research here picked-up by journalist and reported in the MSM. And seen that effort ripple throughout the fabric of understanding all over the world.

How often do you see that happen at FR? Or any other similarly conservative site you care to name (or not)?

The people here are a force to be reckoned with. WE ARE the democracy our forefathers saw in their bright vision. A group of educated, intelligent, thinking people who care not only for their neighbors, but for all human kind because that, simply, is what ethical human beings do. We see the the inherent value in humanity. We strive in our daily lives, with our thoughts and our deeds, to make the world better. And unlike the carelessly powerful who think only to make the world in their image, for their pleasure, we consider the consequences to the wider world, even to the living planet.

One of the fallibilities of the human mind is that once we solve a problem and it is no longer vital to our survival, it loses place in our consciousness. Because of that, we tend to remember our failures, our unsolved problems without celebrating our successes.

So the next time you ask what we accomplish I want you to remember our failures, because that is important. But also celebrate our successes, because in the end: We accomplish what we can.



My Favorite Master Artist: Karen Parker GhostWoman Studios

[BigBearJohn]

22. Wish I had the eloquence to say all that.

[applegrove]

20. Cheers!

[opihimoimoi]

21. DU is where Reason and Sanity resides.....Come, we go drink...

:toast: :beer: :golf: :skydiving: :smile: :laugth: :beer: :eat: :Luau: :toast: :toast: :beer: :golf: :skydiving: :smile: :laugth: :eat: :Luau: :toast: :beer: :toast: :beer: :golf: :skydiving: :smile: :laugth: :eat: :Luau: :toast:

[calimary]

23. Totally! I think we all buoy each other up, and there are SO many times

when we all need that desperately! I've said it many times myself - DU is my oasis in the middle of a VERY vast, bleak, and barren desert. I couldn't have held it together through the past six-and-a-half grim years, or been smartened up about so much that sharp-eyed people here are always vigilant enough to catch, without DU. I'm an addict.