which I offer without plan, in part as a result of reading several diaries about people leaving this site and why.
I had begun this diary, and what I was writing was not saved, so I lost it all. So the thoughts are now not as unplanned as they were before.
I claim no special insight or expertise. But I have been here a long time. I have been through two rounds of primary battles and many other pie fights.
I have also written more posts than anyone except Jotter and the Frontpagers, which might be why I have more recommends. That gives me no special status, but does explain my commitment to this place.
As I have watched what has been happening, I have at times been angry, at other times been saddened.
As I sit on my couch writing this, I feel as if I have a responsibility to say something. And so I make another attempt at this diary.
There are organized groups here. That was true well before the formal groups allowed by DKos 4.0. People with common interests would communicate about diaries they had posted in the hopes of getting enough recommends to keep them visible. I am a member of several such groups - on environment, on human rights, on other topics. I have never seen anything wrong with such groups, although I have always hoped that notifying someone about a diary on a topic of shared interest would not mean an automatic recommend without first at least glancing at the diary.
Recently, however, we have seen another phenomenon - use of group action to hide rate or to uprate hide ratings. This has been part of something broader, where there has been group action to disrupt, hijack threads, suppress points of view with which some disagree.
In my 7+ years on this site, I have had the occasion where there are people who strongly disagree with me on one issue - say, RKBA, where I am a strong supporter of gun-control legislation and believe the 2nd Amendment did not guarantee an individual right to bear arms independently of the militia (although I was willing to grant an individual right through the 9th Amendment) - but agree with me on most others, often passionately. Over time we learned not to jump into each others diaries on the topic, because we knew one another's positions and our disagreements. We tried to avoid hijacks. We might comment to correct what we thought was a misstatement of fact and cite our sources, but we learned to cooperate where we could and not necessarily get so angry as to attack persons in the areas where we disagreed.
There is always a risk when we feel passionate of our emotions overwhelming all else and our going too far in our expression. I understand this. There have been more than a few times when I started to write out angry and/or nasty comments. Most of the time I caught myself and deleted them before posting. In a few cases where I did not, I had to eat my words. Which was appropriate.
Some argue that our opponents are so ruthless that we have to match them in ferocity. Perhaps, but I offer some cautions. I am always concerned when innocent people get hurt. Yes, there are times when we must engage because to not engage is to acquiesce in even more people getting hurt. All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to remain silent in its presence, or to look away saying "this does not concern me." I know that. But we do not need to match evil for evil. We may have to choose between the lesser of two evils, but we should never forget that it is evil. If we insist upon an eye for an eye we should remember the caution that in the process we may make the whole world blind. Or, if as do I you prefer the words of Pogo looking out upon the devastation in the swamp caused by pollution, "We have met the enemy and he is us." I refuse to be like that field grade officer in Vietnam who argued that in order to save the Village they'd had to destroy it. Somehow that strikes me as warped.
I do believe this site needs moderation beyond the community moderation, especially given the organized nature of some recent attacks. I am not sure how best to achieve that.
One group of which I am a member has been engaged in ongoing conflict with another group. I have become increasingly disturbed by what I have read in that groups internal communications, some of which have been so heated that some members have left the group. We have had people explain why, and others merely remove their contact from how the group is organized, leaving others to try to figure who left this time, as they see the number of members has increased yet again. So far I have not withdrawn, but I also have chosen not participate in the tit for tat with the other group, which has its own share of problems.
I am not going to call out anyone, person or group.
I have experienced people who try to hijack a diary with a pet cause totally unrelated.
I have experienced people who make the same point repeatedly within a thread even when it has been suggested to them that is getting obnoxious, that if they want to discuss it in that detail post their own diary.
It is part of the open nature of this site that such things can happen.
And someone who has a thin skin probably should not post at a place where they cannot themselves moderate what comments get posted on their diaries. There will be people who challenge you, and if you are not up to that, perhaps you should seek a different venue to express yourself.
What should not be happening is deliberate intimidation and attack, deliberate attempts to suppress a point of view with which a small portion of this community disagrees.
Let me be clear. I am not going away. I value this place too much. That is why I am still here, after 7 years, after two rounds of heated primaries, after more pie fights than I can remember.
This place has given me the opportunity to work out some of my thoughts.
I have, thanks to this site, developed a voice, one that this site has also helped magnify, leading to other opportunities to have my voice heard.
I am a better writer because of this community. I am a more clear thinker because of this community. I am a better teacher because of this community. And I am certainly a better human being because of my participation in this community.
There will always be those for whom this community is not a good fit. I can respect that.
I can respect people who feel that what they gain does not justify the time spent in participating, however they may participate.
I would note that we may have been clobbered in the 2010 elections, but that does not mean - at least for most of us - that we have given up on politics. We may change our focus, and we may seek to find ways of changing the politics.
We may not be happy with all we encounter here, but that by itself may present us with a similar challenge as did the elections - what can we do about it besides merely walking away.
it can be wearing. But then I remember a Latin phrase that used to be the sig of a kossack I admire: Illegitimi non carborundum: don't let the bastards grind you down.
Be passionate. But also listen.
Acknowledge that there are difficulties, but recognize that difficulties present opportunities.
I cannot tell you to stay or leave. That has to be your choice, as staying is mine.
TTFN may make sense for some - they need some time and space and distance.
For others, perhaps it is a question of rethinking how they participate, how they engage.
This is a community of communities. The proprietor has never been totalitarian about the site, for which we owe him thanks. What happens here is as much a result of what we as a community do - or don't do. Thus if we are unhappy with things, we have the opportunity and perhaps the responsibility to speak up about it.
I have no great wisdom or insight. I've been here a long time, but there are those who have been here longer. And there are those whose tenure here is relatively short whose insight and words are far more valuable. All my length of tenure means is that I am committed to this community. Perhaps that gives my words more weight than they deserve. You will have to decide.
I am not going to tweet or email or put links to this on Facebook.
I sat down, for a 2nd time, to put down part of how I feel about what is happening.
I will post it.
It is here for the community to encounter, to respond or not as they deem fit.
Perhaps my tip jar will be trollrated. Perhaps I will become subject to a concerted attack. Or perhaps the opposite will happen.
Neither is correct - my words should neither be subjected to concerted attack nor supported on an organized basis. Nor should someone recommend or criticize merely because I am a well known and long time member of the community.
Each diary, each comment, should be judged on its own merit. If in fact you do not understand what someone is saying, perhaps you ought to inquire before making judgment. That applies whether it is someone whose work you know and admire - they could be wrong this time - or someone with whom you usually strongly disagree - they could be right this time.
I have probably rambled on too much already.
I will check on this from time to time in case there is a reason for me to respond. I will read all the comments, even if I add none beyond my tip jar.
Maybe there will be many for me to read.
Maybe there will be none.
It does not matter.
I felt I had a responsibility to write and post this.
Do with it what you will.
Peace.