My Journey to the Underground...

It all started with the election of 2000. Just as the Florida Supreme Court was ready to recount all the votes in Florida, the Bush/Cheney legal team - headed by former Secretary of State James Baker - immediately appealed the decision to the right-leaning US Supreme Court. The process was stopped dead in its tracks when the US Supreme Court, by a 5 to 4 vote, declared George W Bush the winner of the Presidency of the United States. I knew it was historic. In my bones, I felt like a coup had taken place. I felt anger. I felt helpless. I felt threatened.

At first, I had no idea what could be done. I wondered how many people felt the same way as I did . I was searching frantically to get out the message that we could not let this stand. We had to fight it. Unfortunately, at the same time, the corporate media was telling America how popular the “new” President was and how the American people supported him. It was not a very happy time.

Then, just a few weeks after the Inaugural Parade, my dear wife told me there was a new site that was looking for “writers”. It was called the “democraticunderground”. They were the guys standing out there in front of the parade on Inauguration Day with their banner announcing their new website. I liked the sound of it from the first, because I had the feeling that we would need to fight these people “underground”. I put it off for a couple of weeks and then signed on. And I have been here ever since - fighting with words and ideas for an America that I believe we need and that we once had.

Looking back, I would have to say that the Administrators and founders of DemocraticUnderground were visionaries of unplanned consequences. At first, the most radical left and some “freepers” (the other side) strayed in to voice their opinions or to disrupt the site. But everyone hung together because we knew it was important. We had to be there. Democrats and liberals from all walks of life joined in the “movement”. And some of us did feel like it was a necessary movement. There were former politicians, professors, school teachers, writers, the gay community, common folks, people from all over joined in the fight. Many of the well-known “bloggers” now on TV and radio shows at one time or another posted their comments on the “democraticunderground”. We were the pioneers in the movement.

Our views were not in the majority. We were nicknamed the “ten-percenters” because we were the only ones disagreeing with the policies of this Administration, especially after the attacks of September 11, 2001. At first, we reluctantly joined in the support for the war in Afghanistan, but we knew that was only going to make it that more difficult to oppose what was happening to our nation, although we understood the gravity of the tragedy. Most of us were against the invasion of Iraq from the beginning. We did not believe or trust the Administration and time has proven us correct.

We knew that many high-profile politicians were visiting the site but they were too intimidated by the name of “underground” to actually go public with their thoughts or comments. They must have thought they would be tagged as a member of the “Weathermen” or some radical group? One notable exception was the courageous Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of the former Democratic VP candidate, John Edwards. She was greeted and adored by the posters on DemocraticUnderground. We know others have stopped by with “aliases” on occasion. After a while, the Administrators with the help of members called “moderators”, were able to weed out almost all the disruptors and the “underground” became a haven for left-wing and moderate Democratic voices. More moderates came into the flock as the numbers grew. That fact created some tensions with the old-timers, who were generally more “left-leaning”.

The election of 2004 was devastating to many “DUers” with the defeat of John Kerry and the re-election of George W Bush. Our job was much bigger than we thought. The Administration used the war for political purposes and had manipulated the media with lies and propaganda like none seen in the history of our nation. To this day, we continue the struggle to regain our freedoms and liberties that we had fought for since the days of our Revolution. I’m sure we will remain here on the front line until the American people win the next “revolution”.

which was the year I discovered Bertrand Russell. I'd discovered Marx two years earlier, found it nourishing but his prescriptions for Utopia those of a fantasist.

My junior high science class was on a field trip to the state university to visit their planetarium. We were allowed to sit on the quad and eat our lunchtime sandwiches. An Asian university student was close, and I asked her where she came from. She replied Vietnam. I said "Look, I'm a kid, and I've never seen you before, I don't know your name, I live in (city) and I'll never see you again, so you can tell me the truth. What do people in Vietnam really want from the US?"

She replied "To go home and let us run our own country."

At that point I began my descent into the underworld of understanding just how propagandized the major media were, that we were all lied to about Vietnam, that the war was not a winnable one, and that we didn't belong there.

I started joining the Quakers for their silent vigil the next week. I've always been deeply grateful to that student for telling a kid her truth. She was right.

perhaps sooner... But the election of 2000 was the event that brought me here today.

This old friend is very happy your wife saw the banner too on that dreary day, it was pouring rain here in Florida where it all went down.
I registered Jan. 22nd...and made friends with the best people I know.


:hug:

Good to see you again! You were the Crewleader when I signed on and you'll always be the Crewleader.

My best to you.

kentuck

Except it took me until roughly April 2001 to find my way here.

My defining "wakeup moment" actually began with discovering Poll Freeping existed, and to what uses it could be put (especially unopposed, as it was in those sunny, free days pre-12/12/2000)



Excite.com Poll Question

Do you have a favorable opinion of Al Gore?

Yes 4 (0.0%)
No 40001 (99.9%)

This was literally seconds after midnight, when the excite.com polls switched over to the new question of the day.

Later I learn how this is a very small brick in a rather large wall of misrepresentational gestalt designed to validate current and future election and other kinds of theft.

At the time, I only knew something was very VERY wrong.

My participation at DU may wax and wane (like everyone's) but never doubt that I will be here and stand proudly by the side of my fellow DUers until the War Aagainst the American People by the Busheviks is won or lost.

:toast: To DU!

Battle fatigue sets in on us all at some time or another. But, I am convinced that DU has made a big difference and I shudder to think where we would be today if we did not have the energy and actions of DU... Democraticunderground is where it all started.

I wrote it after being here for about a year...


The murky twilight zone creepy fog of the 2004 election fraud, the Bush lies, the MSM blackout, lies leading to war, the stench of greed. Sounds are muffled, for months I can’t even see my own hands before my face! The fog is thick, viscous… whispering “sore losers”… “conspiracy theories”…

Wait! A spark of light, did you see it? Conyers, investigating! Another! Arenbeck calling for recounts… they faded so quickly, I wonder, did I really see that? Perhaps it was just an illusion…

Oh! I can see shapes in the fog! Others, wandering in this soup, confused as I, now reaching out to each other, clasping hands, no longer alone. Slowly, as more of us gather to each other, our voices combine, stronger, louder!

A brief ray of light illuminates Boxer and 32 members of the House of Representatives standing up, bursting though the evil fog surrounding us…and then the light is gone. Still we cling to each other, struggling through the fog. It’s a bit easier now, together, helping each other avoid the pitfalls of lies and propaganda, war crimes and atrocities.

I can just make out the faces of those closest to me now! Faces of every shade, every nation, all united by our desire for peace, for truth, equality and freedom.

Together, we are the Sun that burns the fog away.

I do believe.

like a sponsor at an AA meeting. :)

We've been through a lot in 5 years!

and when the going gets tough, we will be together. :)