To my newly discovered DU compatriots:

The rules here are still a mystery to me; I've never started a thread before.

Am I posting in the right sub-forum? Is what I am doing considered kosher, (or halal, or just plain copacetic)?

All I know is that an old school mate of mine is running for office in Oregon's 2nd Congressional District. She needs to raise a certain amount of money just to get on the ballot, apparently; which tells you what you need to know about politics in this "democratic" country.

Her name is Raz Mason. Whenever I heard her speak at a college community event or for a classroom presentation, I always thought to myself, Raz has GOT to run for office.

She is smart and extraordinarily articulate. She is one of the most principled people that I have ever known. Her convictions are forward-thinking and her desire to serve is sincere.

For those who might think that I am ladling on praise out of a sense of "cronyism", allow me to be frank. Ms. Mason and I had a falling out as often happens between friends. My own culpability in the conflict is clear to me after some self-examination.

In the years since we parted ways, I have never doubted her essential integrity. If she had been running for office in my area of the country, I would have voted for her in a heartbeat.

Raz Mason is campaigning for a position in a state clear across the country from me. There is no personal gain for me in extending my support to her aspirations. However, for the sake of the ideals that I hold dear, I am pleased beyond measure to help her in any small way that I can.

So, I am asking people from Oregon to consider this candidate. I am asking anyone with a concern for the state of our country to whet their curiosity and take a look at what Raz Mason has to offer -- not just for one district in her home state--but for our country as a whole.

Please consider giving even a modest amount to Ms. Mason's campaign. I knew her very well at one time, and I guarantee--she is not a person to squander money on selfish concerns.

Raz Mason has an impressive intellect. She is also determined and has heart that encompasses the whole spectrum of humanity.

Thank You for your consideration

My computer is giving me grief, so I am asking anyone who feels like picking a fight to let Vox know how you feel about statements in this article.

[link:https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/12/21/16807156/al-franken-resign-democrats-disgrace|"Al Franken resigned amid sexual misconduct allegations, but Democrats aren't making him leave in disgrace."

The writer insists that the allegations are credible, and I contend that they may not be so. The word "groping" gets thrown around, as if he was slithering through crowded rooms, feeling women up and down just for sh!ts and giggles.

He was situated close to people for photo opts, and misunderstandings occur, Vox.

I like their website for the most part, but it feels like no one can measure up to their standards of liberal perfection and progressive purity. Anyone who questions any allegation of anything is guilty of insensitivity in the very least.

To my "grr" let me add an "arrgh".

My user name is "Collimator" for a variety of (quite possibly pretentious) reasons, but right now I wish that I had chosen "Charlotte the Spider" because I so love that line of hers.

I have been enjoying looking around Democratic Underground for awhile but was reluctant to register because I have a bit of trouble finding my way around this site. Due to my age, I am accustomed to reading books and magazines with tables of contents and things of that nature. The layout of this place makes me feel a little disconcerted, like the way I felt attending my first Shabbot as I stumbled from the "back" or right hand side of the song book, to the "front" or left hand side.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure that I am communicating my point clearly, but I just feel bewildered at times dealing with the visual set up.

Oh, well, enough self-pity. I've been searching for a handy jungle vine to pull me out of that quicksand since the election. It doesn't help that the family members who have been gracious and generous enough to put a roof over my head are Trump voters.

There's a lot to read and think about here and I am grateful.

Just to cue you in to my place along the spectrum of political thought, I am a registered Independent but I pretty much vote Democratic. Once, I voted Communist, but that is a story for another day.

I tend towards a liberal prospective, but I really do believe in independent thought. Group-think scares the hell out of me. This is probably because I have been on the outside looking in through much of my life.

Alas, that statement is sounding a lot like self-pity, again. But it is late, and weariness tends to bring that out in many people. It's best if I close now in the hopes of making a better impression on you.

Thanks again for this place. It is a valuable resource of information and differing perspectives. Do carry on--but don't stay calm. Keep raising hell!

The current upswell of recognition and concern over the issue of sexual harassment started with the exposure of powerful men who were using their positions to access women for sexual abuse and then intimidate them into keeping quiet about it.

The #MeToo has moved beyond those first revelations about famous men to encourage women to open up about the persistance of sexual harassment/abuse/ assault in everyday life.

This is clearly to the good, because it stinks that one half of the human race has to go around living in fear of the other half of the human race.

We are acknowledging that it is not just famous men who make women's lives difficult by meting out such treatment. But fame and power extend a man's reach to do greater harm by putting him beyond the reach of consequences.

Enter Al Franken. This is not a man who used his power and position to seek out victims for his personal satisfaction and then furthered the use of his power to keep his victims quiet.

Franken's power did not intimidate women into suffering through unwanted sexual behavior and remaining silent out of fear of retaliation should their stories not be believed.

These women weren't freed from humilation and fear by the #MeToo movement to come forth and reclaim their personal power. Franken's power was never a threat to them, it was a threat to the people who already have power. Those individuals have no desire to give up what they have. And until Franken became a threat to them, there was no roll call of violated, demeaned, or offended women whispering in support networks, waiting for the day when Franken could be exposed without risking their careers or reputations.

The power being exercised here is not about victims finding their voice. It is about finding "victims" of minor gaffes or misunderstandings and tweaking their narratives to silence Franken's voice and growing political power.

If Al Franken had never become a Senator--if he had continued in his career as an entertainer, it is very unlikely that these women would have bothered to include their experiences with him in the chronicles of #MeToo declarations.

Franken's power made him a target; he did not use his power to target others.

Franken's actions fall into the spectrum of social improprieties if intentional and extend into the realm of misunderstandings that occur between people all the time.

Unfortunately for those who look toward a progressive future, there are people who understand very well how to take advantage of a misunderstanding to bring down a powerful person.