Last I checked this site was for politics. It was for supporting team blue, to elect more and better democrats. And it’s also a wonderful community that has done much for many here, from providing support to financial assistance to some of our neediest in their most difficult times.
Which brings me to today’s rec list. Among the stories is the diary “Lovey the feral kitten needs help. Desperately,” in which a deeply caring diarist outlines the struggles of a nearby feral cat. And I, a cat owner and lover am sympathetic to the animals’ plight and the diarists’ emotions. Were that all it were, I would have let it pass uncommented, there are all kinds of communities here that don’t relate to politics, we’ve discovered it’s fun to talk about what we love with people who share our values.
But instead, the diarist is asking for $2,500 to provide medical care for a feral cat. And people are contributing. It’s their money, so fair enough, but not here. DailyKos is for raising money for political candidates, not unowned animals. You know how far $2,500 goes in a state legislative race? A lot farther than it goes providing medical care to a feral animal population, that’s for sure.
This doesn’t even get into the issues about verifying the story and that the money will be used to provide care for the cat. I’m not impunigning the diarists motivations or their plans. But when diaries like these get promoted and money is brought in, how can less savory people not want to fill this place with sad stories aimed at suckers?
There are plenty of places to raise money for sad animals, and plenty of places to contribute to causes that help sad animals. This is neither, and we are worse off if we are going to try to become everyone’s personal cause fundraising portal.
UPDATE: Due to the overwhelming positive response to this diary, here are some pictures of my kitty: