My friends, I got a bit of a scare a couple days ago.

[mdmc]

(MODS- If this isn't kosher, please just erase it or lock it. I don't mean to cause trouble and really don't want to be banned).

A couple days ago I received a MOD warning here at DU. Obviously (for those that know me) I am not a freeper. I was warned, imho, for being too liberal and progressive, and not supportive of the establishment. I posted a bunch of anti-FISA compromise replies, plus a GD OP entitled God Bless Ralph Nader (the OP basically stated that it was beneficial to democracy to have some alternatives to the two party system). That thread was locked.

It got me a warning. Message received.

It made me very sad, and somewhat scared. In many ways a tombstoning here at DU is very much like a real life death. I would lose my ability to post here in the MH support group. I would lose my ability to connect with thousands of liberals that post here. I would lose the lounge, the political talk, the marketplace, the humor group, and LBN.

It made me realize how important DU is to me. And just how easy I could lose something that is important and meaningful to me.

When I think of all the people and ideas I have been introduced to here, all the friends, all the support, I almost feel overwhelmed. The thought of losing all of this is very hard for me.

I have decided to remain out of the LBN, GD, and GD:p forums. If I do post there, I will not post anything less then democratic party cheerleading. This is a Democratic Party site, and I will play by the rules.

In the mean time, I will try to stay here - in the MH support group, plus a couple other sub group forums. This is what is important to me. And I will do what it takes to remain part of this community.

[Forkboy]

1. I didn't see the threads you speak of.

Screwed up a tendon in my arm and took a few days off from typing and mouse-usage right as the FISA thing really started to evolve here.

One of the few things about DU that has always bothered me is it's tendency to forget the Underground part of the name. I can understand why they do what they do in GD-P, and I can play the rules they set, but over the years it's been very tough to have many thoughtful discussions about the role more parties can, and should, play in our democracy. Sometimes I feel many here think the goal is to make just the Democrats better, not the country itself.

I think some of the FISA criticisms would be allowed if it wasn't so close to the end of a tough primary, and I understand DU's desire to close ranks around the candidate. Unfortunately, some criticism is owed, and things can't always wait for the best moment to analyze things we see as wrong. By then it may be too late to do anything about it.

I've always been a Democrat, and believe our party is the best suited to solve many of the problems we face, but we're not the only party that has potential answers, and quite often over the last ten years not even the party with the best ideas. It's a real tightrope act to try to explain that in a way that reaches other Democrats without putting them on the defensive. I don't want to encourage others to vote for a third party, I want to encourage us to adopt those ideas that draw people to a third party. Win-win.

I'm not surprised the Nader thread was locked, just by the title. Regardless of what was said in the body of the post that header will always be a tough sell here. And really it's to our own detriment. We've used Nader as a total scapegoat to avoid looking at our own problems (which started to once again manifest themselves in this primary, though ironically the perceived battle for the party was really a battle between two identical candidates that both represent pretty much the same policies). We have yet as a party to try to actually hash out not only why Nader ran in '96 and 2000, but why he garnered both the attention and the votes that have outraged so many fellow Democrats (many of whom conveniently give a pass to the thousands of Florida Dems that voted for Bush in 2000). We have yet to grasp that people aren't voting for Democrats, they're voting against Republicans. By continuing to avoid this discussion we're only hurting ourselves.

[elleng]

2. I would be shocked if this were the case.

"I was warned, imho, for being too liberal and progressive, and not supportive of the establishment."

[mdmc]

4. as opposed to the opposite

posting pro-republican / pro-conservative / pro-Bush stuff.

You can get banned for three things (more or less)
1. Anti-social behavior (disrespectful, porn, foul language)
2. Supporting the GOP.
3. Supporting leftist parties or candidates that are outside of the Democratic Party (like Nader or Cindy Sheehan when she runs against Pelosi)

[elleng]

6. What does 'Underground' mean?

'Not the usual,' I'd say, so such as you suggest at #3 should not cause banning, IMO.

PS, the idea of 'banning' itself is just wrong.

[yy4me]

3. Great other groups, take a look around and leave the heavy

stuff for a while. there is a great cooking and baking group, computer group, home improvement, frugal & energy efficient, tons of others. Give your mind a rest and make friends elsewhere.

[mdmc]

5. I really like the small groups

I check out the frugal, humor, loner, MH, chronic health, dead, and marketplace groups.