"Justice is a Snail" - "Karma never sleeps" - or "the Power of Facebook"

[Mira]

I came to DU in the early fall of 2004, after being sent by an old lady who so loved the 13 anti Bush stickers on my truck's tail gate, that she waited in the Post office parking lot for me to return to my truck, and to tell me about DU.

At that time I was hanging out on a mostly US website related to my profession, and the populace on that website was restless. Their backs were against the wall in the light of national events such as the incoming disclosures of wrong doing and suspicions of having been lied to. It was imperative to their sense of having had good judgment in voting for Bush to doggedly defend their right wing ass hat positions. That meant in their own minds, to each other - and to me. It was GWB re-election time and they were almost all getting ready to throw good votes after bad to clear their consciences, and make their previous bad judgment alright again.

I was loud, too. I stayed up at night typing and pointed out the things I had great trouble with that I was hearing and seeing. In the mornings I took my lumps, the general ad hominem attacks, such as the suggestions of my going back to where I came from and especially my lack of patriotism.

I hung in there. I clung to the PMs that gave me support. I had a mission. Then that fateful day the woman sent me to DU, when I signed up I realized there was a brother and sisterhood at DU ready to take me in with all my flaws, and that I could use my energy in better ways than to sow seeds under the snow in really poor soil.
I never looked back.

So here comes the Facebook finale.

We all get the invitations to be a friend, then when you look in at Face book they have a ripple effect. You get visibility to their friends, and today, one of my worst critics and most serious attackers from that other board wrote to me, tentatively, without giving me the friend invitation. He saw me on someone's list.

I was stunned to read these words:

"While we may have had our differences in the past I am hoping that we can just leave all that there.. in the past.
 It has been an awaking of sorts for me during the past few years. Beliefs i have held on to for so long no longer seem so chiseled in stone. I regret some of the word battles we had because I think I lost an opportunity to befriend someone who was truly worth getting to know."

I wrote him back, acknowledging his words, our previous battles, and a new personal beginning.

Then I got an invitation to be his friend.

When I left these folks, in my mind they would only get me to come back if I was apologized to.
So there we are, this was the closest I will get and it is welcome and happily accepted.

Thank you DU for my not needing to go back and attempt to fit in, thank you for being so well rounded that the many facets of who I am find places to hang out and to be a place where politics is simply not an issue.

Thank you for having become a safe home for me.

[Froward69]

1. Good for you!!!

sadly I just spent some time at my 20th HS reunion. I say sadly as my best friend from 7th grade through HS is still a hard core republican. We shared roughly the same attitudes throughout HS. he never went to college and says it "indoctrinated" me to be and "anti-American Liberal fool." he sent me a friend request on facebook and I accepted but all of our conversations spiral out of control. mostly revolving around how GW bush was a republican in name only. He admits to voting for bushco TWICE, yet denies bush was a true republican.
As I have been brainwashed by the "Liberal collegiate elite" I will never understand and I have turned my back on him and our shared beliefs from our childhood.
He complains his Health care got cut. but is ardently against any sort of "socialized medicine". He is frightened his oldest son will die in Afghanistan... but is angry we are "cutting and running" from Iraq.
I can imagine how abandoned he feels over Palins Quitting.

I could be smug and laugh at his ignorance, or how his life turned out. (He claims to be a defense contractor. but is in reality a security guard at Lockheed/Martin)

DU has become a home for me also I have worked through much anger and frustration here. I have made friends across our continent. someday hope to convince my Friend Democrats love our country just as much as republicans claim to. Somehow show him the Democratic vision of America is grander and holds far more potential than conservatism.

but for now that "Educated Liberal" in me, just feels sad.

[roguevalley]

2. Mira, nothing like an oasis in the desert. I am glad to be your friend.