When I first posted here on DKos in August 2005, I had to come up with a screen name. NewCon06 was my idea of a cure for what was a horrible, cancerous infection in American Democracy, (the entire Bush Administration). A New Congress that actually represented the people of this country in the 2006 election.
Well, we all came together and did it. Well done. There was no participation too small in helping change the leadership in this country. Every little bit helped and Kos provided us with a forum for change. "We" got to speak our minds, voice our opinions, share our heartbreak and sense of despair. We fought eachother, argued, SCREAMED, snarked and ultimately united behind the simple idea that America is a better place than what it has become.
With my first post, I thought, "what a cool way to sell some I Hate Bush Gear". I knew right away that that's not what this community is about. It's about getting involved and making a difference. I didn't fully appreciate the significance of this community until I created a poster supporting nationwide peace vigils with Cindy Sheehan. Within hours, my simple wish to contribute was coast to coast, in newspapers, on other blogs, Kos bloggers even hosted the image for download so my ISP wouldn't get hammered. I was blown away by the support and the sense of community I felt from everyone.
My favorite comment that turned the lightbulb on for me was from midwestmom: "The best of "Kos"Folks...this is how we should be doing things...volunteering our talents to help people out. Please consider making voluntary contributions like this to helping out those mentioned in the KOS diaries!"
When my wife, son and I finally got to meet Cindy at a rally in Pittsburgh, she joked that I "should have Trademarked the image and made it rich", and that she had seen the poster everywhere she went. That was a very cool day.
I've won many Design, Advertising, and Marketing awards over the years, but seeing these images, all over the country, has made me proud to be involved in this great experiment here on DKos. Here's the link that started it all:
Stand with Cindy Link
I hope the Dems follow through for us because this is the America we want. Here are links to some of the national peace vigil photos that used my poster from Koz:
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