For my 50,000 post: Thank you and appreciation to DU. [View all]

[Irish_Dem]

Thank you DU for keeping me sane through the long time political reality we slog through. I have been a Democrat since childhood like my father before me. I became a political junkie at 8 years of age when JFK ran against Nixon. It is hard to find kindred spirits, but they are here on DU.

For day to day news, DU is the best site to get accurate news with commentary. When there is breaking news, the only place I want to be is here on DU. Whether good news or bad news, this is the place to get the best information and support.

Thank you for posting provocative, interesting OPs and comments. The liberal viewpoint from walks of life, backgrounds and values; it runs a fascinating gamut.

Despite the variations, the common thread is aways there. The deep love for democracy, and respect for the worth, dignity, value of all humans and our planet. The belief in a fair, free and open society. We value, truth, honesty. And the advancement of cvil rights and a more perfect union.

This is a true community. We listen, we argue, we get testy with each other, at the same time we are kind and supportive.

I have seen people give me very sharp elbows one day, then turn around the next day and stand up for me if someone else has been unfair or wrong. One time a newbie troll attacked me, making absurd and vile statements. Within minutes, DU members jumped on the troll and sent him to oblivion.

I trust this place, I get as good as I give, but we have each other’s backs.

Thank you to the owners for managing one of the best run forums on the internet.

Thank you to the workhorses on this site. The ones who do the heavy lifting, provide the latest news, the videos, the articles, information from other sites. The specialty information by experts who post here, medical, legal, academic, education, business, etc. And those who post anecdotal information of interest.

Please understand that you are not just touching DU members. I read DU every day. My friends, family and neighbors rely on me to provide news, Dem deep weeds and inside baseball news. One of my close relatives is a young Dem attorney who works for a liberal law firm and is in the know. Thanks to DU, when I am with her, I can give her information of interest she didn’t know.

Thank you for the jokes, the humor, the serotonin boost pictures which gives us a welcome break from jarring news. And the specialty posters the photography, music, labor, science, anthropology, food, etc., too many topics to mention all of them.

On a personal note, for most of the time I have been here, I never made OPs. I made comments. I don’t like attention or the limelight. I am a background helper. And introvert. I like the one on one interaction provided by responding to comments. And I don’t think I have much to contribute of value, meriting an OP.

But recently a long time DU member, one I respect and admire, PM’d me out of the blue. They said I should be making OPs. I was taken aback, and didn’t like the idea at all.

After thinking it over, I realized it was my turn to contribute more. So I got off my duff and stepped up to the plate by making a stab at the OP world. So thanks for listen to my .02.

Thank you for letting me be a part of this site. I don’t always see the world like other people do. I grew up in an Irish Catholic military family, moved from pillar to post as a kid, was not always living stateside. Military bases in Southeast Asia were crowded during the Viet Nam war. So we lived off base on the foreign economy. We tried to fit in. Then coming stateside to non military Americans who lived a different life than we had was a challenge. We tried to fit in there too.

Then getting degrees in political science and mental health gave me more of a unique world view, then being a therapist for over 40 years. Cynicism and idealism baked into my DNA.

So a long way around the barn to say thank you for letting me be a part of this site.