Reply #50: I could not agree more

[Eyes_wide_ open]

"I think it is wrong for people at a Democratic forum to post thread after thread urging silence on things that matter."

and so very, very sad because if they are successful, they will have sealed their own fate ... never seeing that by using the tactics of the enemy, even if we win we will have gained nothing.

Doesn't anybody here remember that the madman in the White House used the very same rhetoric to rally a nation blinded by fear to silence the dissenters to a war that nobody but a few neocon and vengeful mob wanted?

Unity is a wonderful thing, and necessary if we are going to win. But we do not have to accept the shrubbery's definition of unity. Unity, to me, means working together towards a common goal. We don't have to agree on every little point of method and procedure. We do not need to be silent about what we think needs to be done to reach that goal. I do not accept the neocon mantra "if you aren't for us you are against us".

Some things Obama has done recently have caused me some concern as they have many here. If we can't talk about those concerns among ourselves, how in the hell do you think we're going to convince anyone not already on the team that they should join us?

Yes there has been some over the top bashing that needs to stop, it really is counter-productive. But you're never going to stop that with equally over the top rants of STFU and take it either, and it is just as counter-productive. How about we spend all this time we're wasting fighting with each other to do something that actually helps move us towards our goal?

Admin can take care of disrupters. Time spent arguing with them is just time lost. Labeling everyone that expresses a different view on any given subject than our candidate as a disrupter ... or disloyal ... or purist ... or progressive ... or whatever ... may win you a battle, but cost you the war. You really don't want to chase everyone away that doesn't agree 100% away do you? That's definitely a losing strategy.

In the words of MLK
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."