Congradulations DU

[FlippyDoo]

My brother and his wife have always voted republican. Always. In order to keep some semblence of family peace I try to avoid talking politics when they are around. This past Wednesday was a different matter. They stopped by the house and I could no longer hold my tongue. Everytime he brought an issue up, I fired back a response. He was kind of surprised that I was answering back so quickly and confidently. He finally asked where I was getting my information. I told him that the biggest part was from this website. I may not post here alot thanks to work, but I do lurk every chance I get. This sparked his interest so we fired the computer up and loaded DU. We discussed things calmly. He was impressed at the scope of knowledge on here. He did have some concerns. Most revolved around some of the barbs directed toward republicans of color, Christians, and soldiers. He wanted to know how progressives could call themselves tolerant while degrading these groups. I was sort of at a loss at first. Then I decided to just tell him that it was mostly exageration to drive a point home. Kind of like artistic license. He seemed willing to buy that. Any way, after several hours of discussion he's agreed that the Dem candidate in our US senate race could be a good pick as well as two of the Dems in our local race He just called me a couple of hours ago to tell me he has decided to vote for those three democrats. I know it's not as good as him voting a straight Dem ticket, but this will be the first time that he's voted for a Democrat in 20 years. It means a lot.

[peacebird]

1. welcome and WELL DONE!

:hi:

:toast:

[Sydnie]

2. Congratulations FlippyDoo

And a hearty welcome to DU too! :hi:

Getting them to listen and think is half the battle ... the other half is getting them to act on the knowledge that they gained. You have succeeded in both. Good for you! :hug:

[in_cog_ni_to]

3. We'll take what we can get and THOSE 3 ARE VERY IMPORTANT VOTES!

The more Democrats in office the better! Kudos to YOU for changing his mind! That's HUGE!:woohoo:

[Hugin]

4. Congratulations to YOU!

It's acts like that which are the REAL change!

[The Blue Flower]

5. DU has been the very best resource

In the years that it's been in existence, DU has been an amazing resource for information and research. Many, many stories finally made it into the mainstream due in large part to the digging that DUers have done. It was brilliant in its conception and has filled a critical need in the discourse. We should all be thankful to those who started it and have maintained it. Especially as we go into this election.

[calimary]

32. Absolutely. This isn't just a website. It's a think tank.

Can't even begin to count up how much I've learned since I started coming here. It's an online community to which I've become rather addicted.

Oh, and by the way, FlippyDoo - Welcome to DU (even if you've been lurking here awhile)!! And congratulations back atcha for your good work! Souls CAN be saved. And thank you to your brother for keeping an impressively open mind.

[Mr_Spock]

6. That's cool

Welcome to DU :hi:

[karlrschneider]

7. It means a lot to us too, and to the USA! Well done and a warm welcome!

:toast:

[bigwillq]

8. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[Old and In the Way]

9. That's a great post...thanks for the nice words.

As a frustrated progressive, I've become a lot more cynical at the politicians and the hypocrisy that the Republicans have used to empower themselves. It's gotten worse over time. The only possible Rx for this is to get Democrats elected and changed the dialog back to liberal/moderate issues and programs.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Nite Owl]

11. That is encouraging news

Welcome to DU!

This is a great place for news, I've finally gotten a couple of people to join and now they are addicted as well!

:hi:

[Geek_Girl]

12. That's Great to Hear

Welcome to DU

:hi:

[alcibiades_mystery]

13. Buuuuuullllllshiiiiiittttt

Calling it on ya.

[Kire]

20. I agree

I bet he won't provide links to those "degrading" posts.

Also, if he can't post due to his job, why do they let him lurk?

[SeveneightyWhoa]

29. The thread title says it all, doesn't it?

Congrads!

[Pachamama]

31. Too many children left behind.....

:eyes:

[EvangelOphileBlican]

14. You should send over a bottle of wine and tell him your are glad he reached adulthood. n/t

[mntleo2]

15. Barbs Directed At Christians and Others ...

...you might tell your relative that we Dems are WAY beyond "labels" meaning we could give a rat's behind about what color a person is, or what their religion is. It is not about that, it is about what they are promoting and if they are living their words ~ or just expecting everyone else to live them while they do what they want. It makes little difference who you are if you are touting the forcing of your beliefs down other people's throat, which most neocons want to do.

Look I could care less if Condoleeza Rice is black, but I DO care that she is so inept and a liar to boot. She spoke about "mushroom clouds" for the very purpose of instilling fear into We The People. She allowed herself to be used by the neocons and is their willing go-for. What color she is is not the point, however the point might be that as a woman of color, she should know better than to fraternize with such elitist snots who think they are the only ones entitled to the things of this world and that they can use others to get it.

I am myself a Christian. But I am embarrassed by the open greed that many mega-church people of my faith show. I am appalled at the hatred they have towards gays, people of Islam, and how they have supported the now terrible treatment of the poor and ill (unless they receive that faith-based tax money they spend less than 15% on for real services, the rest going into their pockets). They are hypocrites and war mongers, which is in direct opposition to what their own scriptures tell them to be.

And when oh when have we put down the troops? We support our troops BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT THEM TO BE NEEDLESSLY HURT ANYMORE. I see nothing here on DU except support for the troops. Now, criticism of the people LEADING the troops is another thing ~ especially when our "leaders" are chickenhawks themselves like, oh just about everyone in the Bu$h cabinet who are raking in the bucks in the name of war. Lets face it, these people have caused the death of thousands here and abroad for their own gain.

Dems are WAY beyond caring if someone is black, gay, religious or what. This is true equality because we are judging a person by their actions. However, if you profess to belong to a certain group, as an American, not only should you speak for your beliefs but first and foremost you should also expect yourself to do or be whatever it is you expect others to do or be. If you are for war, then be a soldier or send your won children to it. If you are gay but ignore ~ or worse ~ add to how terribly gays are being treated, then you are a turncoat. If you are a person of color and promote people who participate in intimidation and discrimination, then you are also a turncoat. If you call yourself a Christian and hate anyone you are not abiding by what Jesus said was the greatest commandment: "Love you neighbor as yourself" of if you are rich, well you are not listening to Jesus who TELLS you outright to "sell and give away all you have and follow Me" so therefore you are a hypocrite. It goes way beyond color or religion. It has to do with what you are doing.

My 2 cents

Cat In Seattle

[matcom]

16. #5

Welcome to DU! :hi:

[foo_bar]

18. congrats

http://tinyurl.com/y2pscc

Sorry to the mods for having to delete this post, but there's now 7 votes for the internet equivalent of a robocall. Here's the hint that this is satire at our expense:

Most revolved around some of the barbs directed toward republicans of color, Christians, and soldiers. He wanted to know how progressives could call themselves tolerant while degrading these groups. I was sort of at a loss at first. Then I decided to just tell him that it was mostly exageration to drive a point home. Kind of like artistic license. He seemed willing to buy that.

Also the fact that this poster repeatedly says he's a Republican and bashes DU. Just a heads up.

[magellan]

19. Good detective work -- this one didn't even have the sense

...to use a different name than the one it uses on that other site. DUH. These are the dumbf*cks who put the current regime in power, and boy does it show.

[foo_bar]

28. he left a trail of erotic GOP poetry

"Take that Chimp!!!!",
Suddenly my heavy heart
begins to fill with cheer,
I can't smell anything strange
so I know FlippyDoo is near.

"This chimptatorship will end
by the year two thousand nine",
My dear guide FlippyDoo
telepaths into my mind.

- Anonymous

And now for something completely different:

So many Americans who had felt pride in our country now feel anguish and shame, for the current regime of blood, wounds and fire. I thought of the clean linens at your table, the shining knives and the flames of the candles, and I could not stomach it.

Sincerely,

SHARON OLDS

http://mt.middlebury.edu/middblogs/ckoh/Diversity/009817.html

[Brundle_Fly]

17. #6

this is a very common theme.

showing him this site, I hope he came and lurked here a little as well.

Good on you FlippyDoo, and good on you DU!

[Kire]

21. FlippyDoo has been tombstoned.

He's very creative, I'll give him that.

[Gregorian]

23. And such a nice username.

:)

Although it did sound like one of those porn ads.

[Sydnie]

26. Damn it, I should have known

when he spelled Congratulations with a D!

[Canuckistanian]

22. deleted

Guess I should learn to read first.

[Blue-Jay]

24. I call Shenanigans!

[roody]

25. Being with family means you can make tasteless jokes and it's okay.

[Erechtheides]

27. Freepers can't spell

"If you got a D, you wouldn't deserve congratulations."

MORAN.

[SeveneightyWhoa]

30. Congrads on the tombstoning!

Great thread, buddy! It means a lot, indeed!

[VOX]

33. FlippyDoo make boo-boo.

Now he enjoys the view from up on Boot Hill. :rofl:

[ms liberty]

34. Yay! Great job - and Welcome to DU! n/t

[4_TN_TITANS]

35. Congrads on getting tombstoned....moran. n/t