The hysterical hate-clowns have driven away another DU-er.

[Aristus]

"Hysterical hate-clowns". Sounds like a really bad punk band playing to three drunks in a hole-in-the-wall dive bar somewhere.

I've started lurking here in March 2001, while we were still licking our wounds from sElection 2000. We were hurting, we were humiliated, and we were angry.

Skinner and the boys gave us a place to gather and find each other. So we would realize we were not alone. That in a country that was wall-to-wall with brain-dead flag-flailers, there was still some sanity left.

When I started here in March of 2001, I think we all knew the years ahead would be bad. But until September 11th of that year, I don't think any of us knew how bad it was going to get.

One week after that awful, horrible day, I became a member of DU, and I've been here ever since.

And despite the departure of another long-time member, I will remain.

Even though the hysterical hate-clowns mentioned above have made me the target of their unbridled, purposeless rage on more than one occasion, I will remain.

I just won't patronize their hellish circus, that's all. And when I see their smoking, sputtering little car coming my way, intent on disgorging a comically large army of senseless spewers, I'll just turn and walk the other way. I will remain.

I am stronger than they are.

I was born and raised in a Southern military family. I've lived all over the place. I've eaten foods the names of which I can't even pronounce. I played school football; in Texas, where football is less of a sport, and more of a religion. I swam competitively. I joined the Army and served as a tank crewman, including service in the Gulf in 1991. I enrolled in a high-stress, high-intensity course to learn Physician Assisting, and earned a license to practice clinical medicine. If anybody here wants to get rid of me, they're gonna need some kryptonite! I will remain.

And to all of my loyal friends at DU: I will remain. I will mourn the departure of old friends just like all of you. But I will remain.

And I'll close with two of my frequent refrains:

To the hysterical hate-clowns: Liberal till I DIE, motherfuckers!

To my DU friends: I love you all.

[NYC_SKP]

1. I'm glad you posted about this. For me, it's still sinking in.

I'm still trying to accept the loss of yet another great DUer.

As I read the post I was nodding in agreement, understanding every emotion.

Transparency and community self-policing, my ass.

We are broken and the craziness and insults rule the day far more often than they should.

Fuck.

[rhett o rick]

46. Catherina is also MIA. Hope she comes back.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3831924

[rug]

3. Who left?

[Aristus]

5. cherokeeprogressive...

[rug]

6. Thanks for the direction. What an eloquent post.

Lately though, there's an animosity at DU that has sapped my enjoyment of posting. Way back when, when I first found this place, there was a sense of familia. Now, it's like I always imagined a street corner in the USSR to be: Shifty eyes and open ears... always trying to find someone who's going against the grain so as to tattle on them and garner some kind of favor with the powers that be. Now, a post is instantly judged based on its perceived "Obamanosity", or perceived lack thereof. By the same token, a poster's worth seems to be judged by fealty to a politician and/or an administration rather than loyalty to an ideal or philosophy. In addition to that, there seems to be an expectation to hate someone, as if you don't hate the right people, you can't be one of "us". I don't hate. I think I may have said here before that in my entire LIFE, I haven't had a single headache (yeah, I've had hangovers, but they're NOT headaches per se). I believe there are reasons for that, and not having the capacity for hatred is one of them.

[Electric Monk]

14. I've got a feeling they'll be back. nt

[Grateful for Hope]

36. I think so also. nt

[sendero]

23. That..

... sucks. I hope s/he comes back.

[HeiressofBickworth]

4. I agree with your assessment

and echo your determination to stay.

I started reading DU years before I actually signed up. Like you, I was angry at the theft of the 2000 election and horrified at the results over the ensuing eight years. DU was a place to air frustrations as well as admiration of efforts to make things right.

Something changed after 2008 -- let's see, whatever could it be. Oh, yes, we have a Black President. The RWNJs apparently discovered DU and ever since have made concerted efforts to insult, run-down, negate and down-right lie about this administration in an effort to disrupt our solidarity. I've developed an ability to ignore the posts that seem to be flame-bait or RW "concern" threads and pretty much stick to reading discussions that are sourced and opinions that are well-presented. Although after the re-election of 2012, it's getting harder, I'm still willing to stay. "They" can't take away the one place we can openly discuss government policies and politics.

Thank you, Aristus, for your thoughtful posts, drinks with Will and shout-outs to those of us who are night-owls.

[Denninmi]

7. Nicely worded, too.

[awoke_in_2003]

45. 2008 also marked...

the primaries and Rush's Operation Chaos. It is funny how so many of the disruptors here joined around that time frame.

[Taverner]

8. That would be a cool band name

[CaliforniaPeggy]

9. Oh, my dear Aristus...

I didn't realize that was why he left...

How awful.

I too will stay. I will endure and thrive. This place is HOME to me.

[steve2470]

10. good post nt

[sheshe2]

11. Aristus~

I count on my new DU family, yes I am still new here.

My DU family means a lot to me. I read you long before I joined.

Yes I am new, yet I have been here nightly for almost a year. I have laughed and cried with you.

I have been horrified by things I have seen posted on a Democratic Site. And I have taken a lot of abuse here. Yet I will not leave either. I support this President and the change he has brought to us all.

Thank you for your OP.

[hrmjustin]

12. I hate the fact we are loosing another one.

I am glad you are staying.


He will be missed.

[roguevalley]

39. We go in cycles. But DU is like living in Alaska. For all the awesomeness there's

the ick. But like most who move away, they move back. There is no place else as cool. Cherokee Progressive was a good soul. They will come back. I hope.=-

[pinboy3niner]

13. I'm going to miss cp

[onyourleft]

15. Indeed.

I came back to post in his OP and now it is gone. He will be missed.

Best wishes Cherokee.

[Flying Squirrel]

42. ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1018496829

[awoke_in_2003]

16. We love you, too...

Hater's gonna hate- fuck them.

[applegrove]

17. So sorry they are gone. Glad you are

so resolute. This place would not be the same without you.

[bluesbassman]

18. Well said Aristus.

[Sherman A1]

19. Hardly surprising

I have found the lack of civility to be unacceptable. I no longer post in GD and have blocked that forum completely from my latest threads listing. It does make the place far less redundant and I find far less mean spirited. I have also decided to visit far less and to post far, far less and to only do so in my state forum, labor, photo and the lounge on occasion.

Life is simply too short to have an internet discussion board lead to discomfort or frustration. When the star membership runs out, we will see which way the winds blow at that point.

[questionseverything]

20. being new here

i must say i have been shocked at the "gang" mentality

the dems are the only hope we have of a party that helps the 99%,we need to be a big tent but so many seem to try to run folks off

to divide us by race,income...not pro obamo enough

an example that comes to mind was the open air monument closings

now when the guy in detroit started mowing parks we all cheered,those parks were technically closed but as soon as he mowed them ,kids came to enjoy that green space and why shouldnt they? afterall they belong to the people

but when the repubs closed the gov't,nobody dared question why open air memorials were closed...we all know why admin did it,because it was a visual but there is plenty of pain going round...we do not need the admin adding to it

as a child i was taught there are at least 2 sides to every argument and usually more...all depends on your perspective

[Lasher]

21. I can relate.

If I were a new member today, I probably wouldn't make it past my first 24 hours.

[AsahinaKimi]

22. Sorry to hear that about CP

had barely gotten to know him, but liked his posts. Hopes he comes back..

[panader0]

24. Kick for cherokeeprogresive

I joined DU just two months before him and have seen the change he described here on DU.
I tread lightly here-I come to be informed and try to avoid the senseless sniping.

[LiberalLoner]

25. K&R

[femmocrat]

26. Sorry to hear this.

As usual, I don't know what is going on, but I'm saddened by this development. Love you back, Aristus.

[Aristus]

27. cherokeeprogressive is leaving us.

For pretty much the reasons stated in the OP.

I didn't know him as well as others did, but he was a supremely good guy, the kind of DU-er we need to hang around.

But they have driven off many DU-ers who were my close friends and confidants. And that makes me angry.

Love you, too, femmocrat...

[sarge43]

28. Well, I've finally had it

Some trashing of service personnel, yet again. Same song, different verse. A little bit louder and a little bit worse.

I am so fed up with the mass condemnation of groups of people. All old people are right wing homophobes. All white people are racists. All cops are killers and on and on.

No of course not everyone is doing it, but there is way too much peeing in the punch bowl.

I'm taking a break, maybe permanently.

Quoting my dear brother: If it's not fun, don't do it.

Love ya back, Aristus. You're one of the good guys.

[GreenPartyVoter]

29. Love you too. :)

[Aristus]

30. ...

[Kermitt Gribble]

31. Thank you for not leaving.

I discovered this place in 2005 and became a member the same day. A great source for current events, but even more-so, for the insightful discussion and opinions of people who share similar ideals.

It's sad that many old-timers have left or have been purged - and I miss their commentary - but some still remain. I don't post much, but read DU every day because of them.

The "hysterical hate-clowns" are unfortunate addition to DU. I try to view them as entertainment for the most part, but the fact that they are driving our party further to the right is infuriating, at times.

Hang in there, Aristus, and remember, long-time members like you are what still make DU a great place.

[Aristus]

32. Thank you, Kermitt.

What a kind thing to say. I appreciate it.

[bvar22]

33. Still here.

I agree.
CP was one of the good ones,
and DU will miss his/her input here.
One more Liberal voice gone.


You will know them by their [font size=3]WORKS.[/font]

[Throd]

34. I agreed with CP's point of view more often then not

but even when we disagreed, I found his reasoning to come from a place of intelligence and awareness.

This place can be fucking viper pit sometimes. It seems to come and go in waves, and lately the level of nastiness has been quite high.

[ScreamingMeemie]

35. I find my breaks from DU stretching longer and longer as the months/years go by.

Thank you for bringing this to my attention. cp will be missed.

Remember when we thought the 2004 Primary season was going to be the worst it ever got around here? We were wrong.

[alphafemale]

37. With you at the barricades

I have been here since day one as well.

Dig in and learn to love the smell of mud.

[Aristus]

40. ...

[UTUSN]

38. I'm taking the liberty of generalizing from the O.P. on to the Ugly Flaming phenomenon

(I don't know the particulars of the CP situation or even what CP advocated policywise.)

Even 12 yrs ago I was getting long in the tooth and thought the basic life experiences had made me tough, yet the ugliness on the internet (this is the only site I participate in) was SHOCKING to me, and flamefests reduced me to a whimpering sack. Way back then a wonderful DUer, and there are wonderfully MANY of them, told me, "Don't let them run you off." So I didn't (so far), and this many years later I have often deluded myself that I am now tough. Haha, a splinter can reduce me to a whimpering sack.

I have never used Ignore, although I *do* use the Jury-Ignore just to get a bare bit of fairness in the mix. I have several times embraced that my posting is on a spectrum that includes an erratic end. And I prefer to channel almost all of my attacking on wingnuts, not fellow DUers, although I *do* describe behaviors when I'm being attacked personally.

I choose to continue to be irked by ironies and hypocrises, such as:

* The meme that we/Libs have a better level to Human Nature is one of the HUGHer of our absurdities, whereas giddyup a good flame fest and we're Vlad the Impaler compared to sweethearts.

* Most flamers appear out of nowhere with such kindnesses as (you are: ) "comprehension-impaired" or "off-the-meds" or "mind-altered-chemically." Or the ones who claim that we targets are PERSONALLY and UNIQUELY responsible for demeaning DU or the sure symptom of how DU has deteriorated. Haha, like there is not a CONSTANT flow of trivial, self-indulgent, or arbitrary opinions posted.

* They can't just skip on by threads or posts they don't like but are COMPELLED to log in with their CONTEMPT and DISGUST. Or with oh-so-snootiness and clenched teeth.

[RFKHumphreyObama]

41. And DU will continue to be the better for having you on it, Aristus

It's rarely I quote Ronald Reagan but the advice he wrote to George HW Bush in his farewell note that he left on his desk on the Oval Office rings true in this situation

"Don't let the turkeys get you down"

You are an infinite asset to DU and your posts have provided me with much enjoyment, entertainment, insight and education over the years. You are an essential part of what has made my DU experience and I'm sure many others will say the same thing and, if we lose people like you, DU may never recover and will undoubtedly be infinitely worse

Glad you're staying

On edit: I'm greatly saddened to see many long-timers go as well. Several of my friends whose helped make DU what it is for me have left and we are the infinite lesser for having lost them along the way. Which of course, makes me even happier that you are staying on

[Aristus]

44. What a nice thing to say. I'm overwhelmed. Thank you.

I'll continue to try to earn your approbation.

[spiderpig]

43. i'm tired of them too.

If you blow your nose they'll claim you're prejudiced toward snot.

I've never used "ignore" as much as I have in the past few months. Life's not worth it.

Remembering a John Cleese quote from a Dick Cavett show over 30 years ago. He (Cleese) said what bothered him about Americans was their attitude that "you can't say that - I might become offended!"

Love John Cleese.

[janlyn]

47. So glad you are not giving up!

I have not been a member for long but, what drew me here were the intelligence and voices of reason on this site. Members such as you and CP. Being an autistic it is very difficult to express myself in face to face encounters with people.
In DU and in members like you, I found a comfortable place to communicate.
I have seen the ugliness towards others increase but, like you I also will not leave. As long as there are people like you here,
I will stay.
There are very few places where I feel I at home, so a huge cyber given with thanks to you!!

[Aristus]

49. Thank you, janlyn.

That's very sweet of you. I'm glad you're staying...

[DonCoquixote]

48. Clownz

Now, I do not think that every (expletive deleted) is some plant/dispruptor, but I have seen enough of them here, and seen enough of them elsewhere bragging about how they are stirring shit here. I also realize that there are pople who are geuninely passionate about what they bellieve, but, like many Americans, they think this entitles them to be a (expletive deleted), the whole "Terms of service, we don;t need no stinking terms of service) types that will outright whip up lynch mobs against "That Op that always does that thing we hate."

Hoenstly, I think we need the older system, as juries are a JOKE! And for all tjhe peoplewho say "this restricts my freedom of speech", I say that if you cannot express a POLITICAL VIEWPOINT WITHOUT MAKING A personal INSULT, you really do nto have much to say, period.

[Aristus]

50. And for all the people who say "this restricts my freedom of speech"

- I agree with you.

...

It always amazes me when people whine about rules for civilized discourse "restricting their free speech".

The First Amendment protection of free speech is simply a guarantee that the Federal government will not imprison one for voicing dissent. That's all.

If a private entity, like, for example DU, places strictures on the things one can say, they are within their right to do so. And even if one strays from those rules, DU doesn't put them in prison.

Almost as many people get the First Amendment wrong as the Second...

[denbot]

51. CherokeProgressive was a friend, fellow trucker, Ihope he returns.

This jury system is not working, and needs to be modified.