God bless the trolls.

[PurgedVoter]

In this community we have always had trolls. Like flies, they seem to prevent all pure thought, meditation and purpose. While sitting by a placid stream with the luxury of a moments contemplation, it is easy to forget that we have brethren with issues that we would rather keep at a distance. The flies keep us down to earth.

Even the nasty attack dogs have a purpose. They teach us with their attacks. At times we learn to close the fence, but they remind us what is out there.

Sadly not all the trolls are doing it on purpose.

At one time our community consisted of people who had looked closely and sought the truth. Many of the theories that were considered fairly outrageous at the time have now been shown to be fact. Now that the signs are obvious, some discussions that were relegated to the dungeons of strange, are now current news articles.

As we face the storm, many of those who previously said, "It will never rain here," are now huddling in under our roof. They still hold many of the logical habits, and prejudices that kept them from looking ahead. A lot of our 'Trolls,' are simply angry folk that are against the evil they helped support.

Sadly it will take time for them to learn. Some of them never will. Some of them just want things to work right, but still think that good Christians hate the same people Jesus hates. Some of them still want selfishness to be shown as the great productive force that they have been conditioned to believe it is. (It may well be, but a politician who believes in selfishness, is never going to help you prove it.) Some of them still believe that conservatives reduce national debt and crime.

Some of them still believe that medicine for the few gives them better health. They have no clue about what causes and cures epidemics. They have not yet realized that the problem is more than just the men who are at the top. It is with the entire shared philosophy of discrimination, hatred, greed, selfishness and self righteousness.


So our community is now much broader. Our big tent has unexpected new members. Some of the attack dogs are on our side. These trolls, not the paid for members of the pioneer club, but the trolls who have turned, are perhaps a bit slower, and are for sure more stubborn, but they give us a new opportunity. Just being against the same people we oppose is not good enough. We must teach them to see that selfish leaders, bought leaders, and two faced leaders will always be a danger, even if they look like they are on your side. If we can teach them that discrimination, hatred, greed, selfishness and self righteousness are childish positions and cannot be allowed in a leader, then we can protect our own party from becoming what we oppose and regain the honor we want to feel as we face our flag.

God bless the trolls, and help them to see and learn.

[phantom power]

1. They also keep the billygoat population under control.

[kansasblue]

2. Take is as a compliment. DU is powerful and.....

and I'm sure Karl Rove is sitting at his desk thinking how to bring it down.

Seriously, As I read some of these post I have that in mind. Karl's people are here.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. I'm not one of Karl's people

Just sayin . . .

[DancingBear]

6. I'm not either

It is, however, much easier to blame inward faults on outward forces.

Makes the shit soup go down easier, ya dig? :hi:

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. yep I dig

:hi:

[karlrschneider]

8. You're not Rove...I'm not Rove. That's two down!

:D

[cutlassmama]

21. me either eom

[SammyWinstonJack]

22. Rover probably has bigger fish too fry than us DUers.

:shrug:

[Quantess]

3. A lot of good, well-intentioned DUers have occasionally been called a "troll".

Especially when they're new here and/or have a low post count.
Let's all try to remember what it was like to be the suspicious newbie.

As for the truly stinky ones, may they all become more informed during their brief stays.

;-)

[Madspirit]

5. One Time That Being a Lesbian Helped

When I was a newbie and introduced myself, I made sure to include the lesbian part. Most people do not accuse lesbians and gays of being freepers or trolls... hee. Convenient.

Lee

[LostinVA]

9. I often see being "gay" or "lesbian" as a red flag with new posters

[Madspirit]

10. 'splain please...

:hi:

How are you doing? We haven't spoken in a while.

Lee

[LostinVA]

11. For the exact same reason you posted

I'm not saying you're a troll, but with other people, I consider that a red flag, until I get to know them.

[Madspirit]

17. Wow

I immediately think "FAMILY". I don't think I've ever seen someone here claim to be a lesbian or a gay man and then turn out to be a troll.

Strange, imo.

Lee

[LostinVA]

19. It happens all the time

Then they get TS'd.

[Madspirit]

20. That sucks...

I didn't think RWers would even pretend to be gay. That's terrible.
Lee

[Quantess]

25. I know what you're saying.

The trolls who are a parody of something. Their secret neo-con side is so glaringly obvious!

If Tony Snow were still in good health, this is what he would do: post outlandish statements like "I'M-SO-GAY, I **** chickens, and why are you Dems picking on me for being gay?", but only ANONYMOUSLY, in the spectre of pretending to be a DU'er. Let's just make a parody of gay, tree-hugging, womanish, Bush-Haters.

[LostinVA]

26. I know -- their version of being gay or a liberal or African-American, etc.

[Madspirit]

28. That Just Sucks!

I will watch for this in the future. Ick.

Lee

[NeedleCast]

12. I Think there are a lot fewer trolls

on DU than many DU'ers want to believe. It's just easier to call someone who disagrees with you a troll or freeper, thus dismissing them, than it is to argue a point.

[LostinVA]

14. Wow. Unreal.

[CreekDog]

15. There are telltale signs before the tombstone appears:

1) consistently cannot type the word "Democratic" even when it is the appropriate choice --instead uses "Democrat" exclusively even when it sounds stupid or wrong

2) goes after one presidential candidate in an unfounded, frequently nasty, personal way, saying they suppor another candidate; in another thread, they go after the candidate they supposedly support in an unfounded, frequently nasty, personal way

3) urges people to look for a 3rd party because the D's are as bad as the R's

4) claims to have always supported Democrats, voted for them, but never actually names any

I realize we all engage in a little of this from time to time, but when you see it consistently, I think you aren't dealing with the real Elvis but a costume. Who knows what pleasure they get or seek by doing this.

[porphyrian]

13. Yeah, let's equate some members to errant children and create our own second class!

I'm not sure that was your intent, but that is certainly implied in your post, and has been echoed by others less eloquently.

No one, NO ONE here is more valuable than anyone else. No opinion here is any more valid than any other. And when we create a subclass of DUers we treat and accept as less than the rest of us, our hypocrisy makes a mockery of what we claim to believe in.

Disagree. Argue. Even call each other names (I'm certainly guilty of that). But let's stop acting like some of us are better than others and fueling witch hunts.

[mmonk]

16. Lack of a cohesive party right now is bringing tension,

especially when the opposition uses everything they have, never gives any quarter, and never fights fair nor in interests of the people.

[Blue_Tires]

18. the force is strong with this one

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1529065#1529094

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

23. Thanks.

MKJ

[Richard Steele]

27. "He's dead, Jim."

[Hydra]

24. Don't forget problems with the system

I was always taught our system was perfect, and that capitalism is the way of the god.

Now I'm an agnostic socialist with HUGE monkey wrench. I still have my days, though.

Remember that with Freepers and other undesirables, their whole world is falling apart. This is traumatic, and it's no surprised that they'd like to take it out on us. It's just another form of "kill the messenger."

While I have days wondering if I'm doing the right thing fighting this system, they have LIVES of wondering why they don't fully believe in the glorious system that brings them poverty. "Maybe if I just believe a bit more, and get these people who are attacking the system to stop..."

Do I think they can be saved? Maybe...it all depends on them. They have to WANT to get out of their mental prisons, and it's not easy or rewarding to do so.

The people who cause trouble just to cause trouble will be gone soon enough. I don't cruise freeper boards for that reason. The ones who stay are trying to learn something, and we should do our best to help them do so, even when we have to put up with their "Oh, you're gay...did you know you're going to hell?" lines.

Just try to remember how deep the rabbit hole is. Most of us here know about a great deal of the rabbit hole, but there are still deeper and darker places unknown to many of us. For the freeper trying the pool out, the deep end looks REAALY deep from where they are.

As for the troublemakers- they'll get tombstoned before you know it.