An open letter to Cindy Sheehan, from the administrator of Democratic Underground

[Skinner]

Dear Cindy:

My name is David Allen, and I am the lead administrator of Democratic Underground. Like the vast majority of people here on DU, I was surprised and dismayed to learn of your resignation as the public face of the anti-war movement. Even more upsetting to me is the fact that apparently a post here on my website was one of the reasons for your decision.

I am going to try to keep this note relatively brief. I cannot match the eloquence of your public statement, or the eloquence of the many people on Democratic Underground and elsewhere who have asked you to reconsider. My intent is merely to add my voice to the huge chorus of people who believe you are a vital voice in the anti-war movement. As the administrator of Democratic Underground I would like the opportunity to provide a little bit of context with regard the offending post referenced in your resignation letter. Having read your statement, I know that the post here on DU was not the only reason you made the decision you did, but it seems that that post may have been the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.

The most important thing I think you should know is this: The vast majority of DU members support you and your efforts to bring an end to this terrible war. That has been true for as long as you have been fighting to end it -- as you know from the many DUers who stood with you at Camp Casey and elsewhere. It remains true today.

I understand how frustrating it is to give your heart and soul to something, and then get personally insulted for it. It is even worse when those insults come from people who are supposed to be our friends and allies. I am not going to provide an excuse or justification for that ugly post -- the person who posted it does not in any way speak for me or most of people on this website. But I am also not going to lie to you and tell you that it was posted by a troll. As far as I can tell, the person who posted it is a legitimate member of this site. (As an aside, the specific language used was not acceptable under the rules of this website, and the post in question was deleted by the moderators for that reason.)

Democratic Underground is not like all those other blogs, where one person (or a small group of people) regularly sets the tone by articulating the "official" point of view. I sometimes share my opinions, but I only do so occasionally, and I don't think of myself as a blogger or pundit. I think of myself as more of a "referee" between different factions. As a discussion forum, we see our mission as different from that of a traditional blog. Rather than requiring that DUers champion a particular viewpoint, I believe our members are best served by permitting a (relatively) wide range of opinion. That includes many viewpoints that I disagree with, and the majority of our members disagree with.

When you made it clear that you were going to challenge Democrats as aggressively as you challenge Republicans, you knew that many Democrats would not support your efforts. Likewise, it was inevitable that some here on DU would not support such efforts. You are a public figure, and as such the rules of this website permit our members to criticize you, just as our rules permit members to criticize Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid. If anything, such criticism shows that you are making a difference. You are being criticized because what you do matters. If your goal is to change the direction of this country, then there are worse things than being criticized by a small number of anonymous keyboard commandos on the Intertubes. Far worse that you be ignored.

If you simply cannot go on any longer, and you feel you must resign, then you have my understanding and my gratitude for everything you have done to fight against this terrible war. You have already done way more than anyone to help bring an end to the war in Iraq. You have earned your place in history, and you have earned the right to step aside if you feel you must.

But if you feel you still have some fight left in you, if you feel that you can still keep going, then I hope that you will do so. The anti-war movement, the country, and the world need people like you. Please do not let the criticisms of a few people get you down.

With heartfelt thanks,

David Allen
Democratic Underground