When Markos started DailyKos back in 2002, no one could have predicted where it would lead.
Condoleeza Rice
Back in ought six, I believe it was, I was in my sixth year of political agony brought on by GWB and his gang of pirates (apologies to actual pirates). I had witnessed the deterioration of our political system, the reverse Robin Hood ripoff of our economic system, and the ongoing drive to cheapen human labor and human life itself. I had watched agog at the downward spiral of all uplifting social values and the ascendancy of greed, hardheartedness and aggression. I'd seen hard won progress cavalierly cast aside by foolish and ignorant men who understood neither history nor humanity. I'd observed the rehabilitation of war by the rightwing lunatics in charge. I'd watched helplessly as all things great, good, just and righteous were assaulted and eroded by mendacious, selfish, mean little people who had schemed, clawed, cheated and bribed their way into power. I'd watched the trashing of every worthy cause by those who cared for nothing and no one but themselves.
I was apoplectic.
Then I found Daily Kos. It was like a man lost in the desert stumbling into an oasis. Suddenly here were all these like-minded people who were as furious as I was at George Bush and his scheming band of scum. Suddenly here were all these people who cared about the poor and the working class. People to whom progress, social justice and equality for all were not only important concepts but necessary conditions.
I don't mean to suggest it was all wine and roses for me here at Daily Kos. The audience here is demanding and trial by fire the norm. I found myself challenged by highly intelligent and profoundly knowledgeable people. I had some splendid conversations and some memorable arguments/flame wars along the way. But the process, while not always pleasurable, was edifying and educational. It caused me to question myself, to challenge my most basic assumptions. It stimulated my thinking and made me grow. All of these things made it irresistible to me and I've been hanging out here pretty much ever since through all kinds of ups and downs, including one near GBCW. It didn't take of course. I think I went about a month without posting. But I checked in fairly routinely. Once you find a community that resonates with you, it's hard to do without it...I have found.
Over time DailyKos became more than a cool place to hang out, it became a family, a community. I didn't realize how much I missed having a community, a place to belong. Community is one of those things that had been eroding for so long, yet one more thing deemed unnecessary by the the 1%. The more time I spent at Daily Kos the more it came to mean to me.
Over time I have witnessed some remarkable things here at dkos – good, bad and ugly. But it's mostly been good. I've seen people reach out to each other, comfort each other, help each other and support each other in every conceivable way, and I've seen a ton of it. This community has done many remarkable and generous things, more than any other organization or community I have ever known. Examples are too numerous to list. You don't have to look far to find it. Scratch the surface of Daily Kos and you'll find a deep and pure vein of all that is best in humanity. A surprising number of the finest friends I have found in this world, I have found right here.
There are some disagreeable folks here too from time to time, but what is yin without a little yang? We are all made better when suitably challenged. And that Daily Kos is not monolithic is one of its charms. And I know some will disagree but I see the extent of support here at Daily Kos for the Occupy movement as speaking very well of this community.
So anyway, I write all this to explain why I love DailyKos and why I think it is worth supporting through the subscription service. I've gotten a lot out of this community. I know many others here have as well. I can't see the harm in giving a little something back. Those who are able. It's purely voluntary.
Someone gifted me a 3-month subscription a year or two back. I'm sorry to say I have forgotten who that was for it was an act of kindness worth remembering. I found it very enjoyable having the subscription because life is just better without advertisement, but being unemployed I wasn't in a position to spend even the paltry four bucks a month ($40 per year, $100 for lifetime). It's only paltry if you've got it of course. I don't mean to suggest otherwise.
When asked to write about the subscription drive, I figured I could write about the gift sub I had and how cool it was, then while I was writing I got a notification that I had received another gift subscription, this time for LIFE! How cool is that? (Though the term still makes me nervous.) It was a gift from my dear friend side pocket, one of those fine folk I mentioned earlier, a fellow kossack who became a friend and a brother. I am very touched by his generosity and thoughtfulness. But then those qualities are so abundant here at Daily Kos that it gives me hope that our better angels may yet wax ascendant in the story of our species.
I'm very happy to be a part of this community. Here are a few pics I've snapped along the way:
RIP Ben.
Above, the lovely and talented Denise Oliver Velez.
Above, me and exme arden, RIP.
So the moral of this story is that Daily Kos is worthy of your support and when it comes to advertising, you deserve a break today.
Dr Eric Bloodaxe RN has a post with more info on the whole gifting thing including a list of gift worthy kossacks (it's a very nice thing to do):
http://www.dailykos.com/...