Chaylee is the student from West Virginia who lost her call centre job for refusing to read a misleading anti-Obama script to potential voters. Several of us at DKos were so impressed that we wanted to show our gratitude by helping a bit with her college tuition.
We won't be doing that.
I'll explain why below the fold.
I got in touch with Chaylee the day the story broke, and was really excited to get the ball rolling. We exchanged a couple of short emails, just to establish that she was "that" Chaylee Cole and that I was a reputable person. She didn't know yet what we had in mind.
Then I asked for the details we would need to set up a scholarship fund, and I didn't hear from her for 24 hours.
This morning I logged in to find a message from Chaylee that really touched my heart. I won't paste the whole message in as it's a private email, but she has turned down our offer of help, and also doesn't want to talk to the press--although she has had reporters from CNN and elsewhere badgering her for interviews ever since a small story in her local paper went national. Here's why, in her own words:
I don't feel that what I did is anything but ordinary. The decision that I made was not a political based decision. To me it was the difference between what's "right" and what's "wrong".
In my book, someone who acts on principle with full knowledge of the consequences is truly admirable, doubly so when he or she feels that the act needs no reward.
There is one thing we could do for Chaylee: She's still looking for a new job! So if anyone lives in the Lewis County, West Virginia area and has a business, or a job lead, please get in touch and I'll pass it on.