Why the Democratic Underground should never change its name...

[catnhatnh]

...is because the stands taken here over these past eight years WERE heroic.During an unconstitutional regime appointed by misguided "Justices" a band of citizen journalists chronicled the day to day abuses openly on an internet controlled and monitored by a regime capable of oppression, illegal detention and ultimately torture. Stories and discussions archived here will in the not distant future be used by historians who WILL write the history of these years. For all that dark time while "liberals" were smeared and ridiculed and bashed we, all of us, contributed as we could to light a lamp of sanity while the beloved country of our youth spiraled into insanity and fascism.

And once they got their fenced "free-speech" zones we knew here that IF THEY WON every poster to this board was indeed marked. We may never know the exact tipping point that ended the worst of their fever-pitched Reich dreams but we must recognize it was a near thing.

Noon today when the oath is taken, much of this will seem melodramatic. A Democrat, democratically elected in a landslide will begin to erase not only the damage done, but the far darker shadows the neo-cons planned but failed to achieve.

We never threw bombs, we never subverted, we never turned traitor to our country. We chronicled, we archived, we argued, and we pleaded. And now we've won.

When a Frenchman of a certain age dies and the facts fit he is proudly named in his obituary as a member of the French Resistance. It means that in his country's darkest hour when most surrendered to a Nazi evil, that while others acquiesced ,or collaborated, or even profited from their country's demise, he at least opposed evil. And that while not every resister faced death every resister paid true allegiance to an ideal of democracy and so was marked by the Nazi's to be destroyed.

When their peace arrived the French Resistance disbanded. Some returned to their farms and cities and some even later entered the halls of government power. But be they plowman or merchant or banker or politician the resistance was their finest hour. They licked their wounds but remembered the danger past and stood ready to oppose evil again if it rose in their time. And they died still "the underground" and still ready if called.

And so should we.

[Mind_your_head]

1. ......."the resistance was their finest hour".....

[tuvor]

2. "We chronicled, we archived, we argued, and we pleaded. And now we've won."

Great post.

[tavalon]

3. We've won a significant battle, indeed, but the war is far from over

Today, we rest and celebrate. Tomorrow we go after the treasonous bastards while holding our own to a reasonable standard, which is probably going to surprise the shit out of them.

[newtothegame]

4. While I agree DU should never change it's name, those who think...

they'll be writing about us in history books are kidding themselves and here for the wrong reason. Iraq is not Vietnam, America is not Nazi Germany, etc...

[catnhatnh]

5. I think you misunderstand...

I think that when histories are written these eight years of DU documents will be an invaluable trove acting as a living timeline and amassing evidence of America's near collapse of morality, of economy, and of our political system. There is a difference between thinking you are a "hero" and knowing an effort you aided in whatever small way was in fact heroic.And if all my obituary said was "He was vocal in opposing George W. Bush" I would be fine with that.

[newtothegame]

6. Understood and agreed :)