Am I a troll?
Am I a troll if I believe in bipartisanship?
Am I a troll if I think Joe Lieberman is an honorable man?
Am I a troll if I am pro-life for the same reason I am pro-welfare?
Am I a troll if I'm registered Independent, or Republican, or third party?
Am I a troll if I want to protect my children from pornography and terrorism, even if it means the loss of a few rights?
Am I a troll if I voted for Ralph Nader in 2000, or Ronald Reagan in 1980?
Am I a troll if I hate Michael Moore?
Am I a troll if I think women and blacks have already earned full equality in America?
Am I a troll if I like some Republicans, like John McCain, Lincoln Chafee, or Chuck Hagel?
Am I a troll if I think sex should be private and kept away from our kids?
Am I a troll if I try to engage you in debate about your viewpoints rather than listen to your invective?
Am I a troll if I've voted for Republicans in the past, and may do so again?
Am I a troll if I think America is the greatest nation in the history of the world?
Am I a troll if I think we should ban burning the flag?
Am I a troll if I think I'm going to Heaven?
Am I a troll if Howard Dean is too liberal for my tastes?
Am I a troll if I want to lower taxes?
Am I a troll if I get tired of hearing about politics?
Am I a troll if I hate Hollywood?
Am I a troll if I think the war in Iraq is justified?
Am I a troll if I think marriage ought to be between a man and a woman?
Am I a troll if I disagree with you?
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Thing is, I don't agree with any of the above statements. Not one. Zip. But what if I did? What if I agreed with some of them, or all of them? Would I be a troll? Would you troll-rate me off dKos, or hate me in your family, or scream in my face at work or on the street?
Because that's not the Democratic Party I know. That's not the Party I just joined after years of saying I'd never join a party. To me, the Democratic party is about ideals and positions, but it's also about loving thy neighbor and helping people and being kind and wise and doing your best for as many people as you possibly can.
See, here's the deal. We all know people like he individual described above. Some people call them swing voters, or fence-sitters, or just plain idiots. But we need them, dammit. We need every single goddamn vote we can get our hands on. And beyond that, we need them as people. They're Americans too, and many of them are good human beings -- delusional, yes, but fundamentally good and kind and loving. They need us to help them. And we need them -- well, because we want to help, or ought to want to help.
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm the last person to say the Democrats haven't been in need of a spine transplant. I've been a Dean supporter since December of 2002; I cheered as the good Doctor kicked some Republican heinie and cried when he lost in Iowa. So don't attack me for not being a liberal, reform Democrat -- my credentials are unassailable.
but Howard Dean taught us to hope. He taught us to act, to create change. He didn't teach us to hate, or to shun, or to treat our fellow Americans with contempt. The Bushes and Roves and Delays, the fat cats in Washington and our state legislatures who want to use our country for their personal power, sure -- but not the rank and file, ordinary Americans who, for one reason or another, see something in the Republican Party that they appreciate.
We're never going to please those people on issues -- certainly not all of them, and not with every aspect of our platform. But it doesn't matter; we can win them over anyway -- and we don't have to give up one whit of our platform, not one jot of our ideals. How can we win these people? By treating them with the love and kindness and respect they deserve; by showing them that the Democratic Party is a wonderful place to be.
Recently, there's been a lot of Republican-bashing on dKos, some of it directed at people who are honestly here for information and kindness, and who have met with more than their share of hatred and intolerance. And it has got to stop. Right now. I understand the value of "the Kos" as a rallying point for reform Democrats, but our anger should always be directed at the Rethugs in Washington, not at individual voters. How are we going to teach people to love their neighbor when all we show them is hate?
We have to remember that we're not fighting against, we're fighting for: for the hearts and minds of Americans, for democracy and our rights as citizens, and for our right to govern our country with tolerance and love.
Banning real trolls, people who come here to disrupt and destroy, is fine and necessary. But not every Republican or swing voter is like that. We'd better not start burning bridges unless we're damn sure we've evacuated all the civilians.