Some thoughts about why polygamy discussions and other things (clinton/sanders/etc) matter right now
I have been on DU (posting) for 11 years. Been reading it since 2001.
I get it when people say that the whole polygamy discussion detracts from gay marriage and is something the right uses as a club - I don't totally agree though because I see this as a time of social change and casting off the shackles of a society based on rules made by a select religious group.
Right now in our society we are riding a wave akin to the 60's in some ways.
Discussions on marriage (back in the day it was interracial marriage being discussed), confederate flags, income equality, wars (ending some, the right wanting more), minimum wage, police and justice in general, health care, assistance for the poor, student loans, climate change, social responsibility, etc and and so on.
I remember when Du was talking about the 60's and the ole hippies and how active people were for social change - marches, songs, speeches, etc and so on.
It's a new era and new methods of change are in place. What once was a march of thousands is now a social media storm of millions.
The tools we have are different today. The struggles are the same. Where once you had a media that could ignore you, now you have a media that is by the people and for the people. And it's catching on more each day. Yes - media is consolidated and watered down - but people are bypassing it now with the internet.
Since I joined Du in 2004 we have seen the rise of youtube, facebook, twitter, reddit, and so much more. All those hours posting online didn't fall on deaf ears - it grew and grew into more and more people discussing things, fighting things. And yes, it enabled the opposition as well. But we have fought - emails, social media campaigns, research.......
Simple online communities like this one flourished. People got active, got educated, got involved. Ideas spread. Communities came together to fight for causes. They argued and fought (lord knows I did a lot of that). They got mad at each other, like we did back in the day - we kicked each others' asses over candidates and issues - but by and by we stood together when it was needed on things because there were bigger issues than whether or not someone pissed in your wheaties that day or said something stupid in the heat of the moment.
Back in the day (60's/70's again) people fought against the Vietnam war. There were marches, rallies, speeches, etc. People did the same online (and in marches/etc) against the Iraq war. And, once again, the people opposing it were validated.
Change takes time, it takes discussion, it takes people using the resources they have to reach out and communicate.
All this fighting over Hillary, Bernie, Polygamy, etc....well, we have been there before.
Let's keep it civil, keep it going, and let's remember that we won't get anywhere if we don't keep fighting.
Lastly. A video I made back in the day and posted here. How far we have come.
So glad we have progressed and we didn't just fight and kick each other to the curb. You never really lose unless you stop trying.
(And yes, Andy is in the video - if you don't know who he is, ask an old timer on DU about him)
= new reply since forum marked as read
Damned well said.
Maybe I should have written it in French 
I'm used to being in the minority and having a fair number of people unhappy with my posts. It's not all progressives here, and it should never be assumed so...but a lot of people have come around or at the very least gotten dragged along in the fight for a better situation in our country and for our minorities.
There are times we need to fight things out, when one group is dragging their feet, like the third way dems when it came to LBGT rights. As long as people are talking and listening, it's a good thing
I get there will be infighting here - always has been and I have been involved in more than a few in my 11 years here
I was here for a lot of those fights, and don't want to get into them all. Labeling is something I have gotten used to here (and elsewhere, both from the right and the left).
The worst things, in my life, I have been called have been here on DU. Some of those things were handled by mods (when we had them). And I get some people don't want to discuss things but want to go solely on emotion, but that doesn't lead anywhere positive for anyone.
We don't progress when we just rely on group think. That is something I expect from a small tent party like the republicans. When things aren't challenged/discussed we all suffer in the long run.
