What the fuck is wrong with these people?

Well played!

surprised he's still here. But these non-Dems spouting nasty attacks on Democrats and DUers who are real Democrats have translated "Democratic" in the name of this site to small "d" democratic, and that's enough for them.

And I guess the site owners are okay with that. There's nothing we can do other than not respond to them. It's what I do. Ignore them. Say your piece and when you get snark, move on. They're not worth your time or trouble. Can't talk to a brick wall, Sparkly. I'm sorry, though, that they've come after you.

Let us be clear. Hillary Clinton is a diehard Democrat. Sanders is a diehard DINO and cares about nothing else but self-aggrandizement. I'm a Democrat. I will vote Democratic and for Democrats. Because elections are bigger than my pet peeves and purity-scales. It's about the country and the people who aren't as fortunate as we are. Democrat John F. Kennedy once espoused, "a rising tide lifts ALL boats." I firmly believe that.

In a winner-take-all system like we have, you have to pick a side. Best to pick the side closest to your beliefs, and remind oneself, nobody and nothing is perfect.

I'm such an idiot, here crying my eyes out.

I was on boards such as they were in 2000, then came here in 2004 as a "Clarkie" only after he dropped out (hearing it was hostile here), then came on board for Kerry and fought the Kucinich puritans... And I stayed away for awhile when it seemed things were going the Democrats' way.

I agree with you 100% -- Never voted other than Democrat and doubt I ever will. (Pres. Clinton also referenced the rising tide lifting all boats -- and we've seen it.)

I guess I just thought DU was still a place where discussion boards were discussion boards. I posted in GD, not GDP -- about a specific issue -- and got hit with this crazy thing about Hillary Clinton and Gaddafi?!??

This is nuts. This is no longer a place for Democrats. I have no idea what Skinner is doing anymore.

You're not an idiot! Never allow yourself to think that way. THEY are. They're PAID internet trolls, selling out this country for a few bucks.

BS' campaign has spent well over $16 million dollars for attack dogs on social media who are being paid to post favorable things about BS. These armchair warriors are given scripts to go to Twitter, FB pages, progressive and liberal sites like this one, and their job is to convince people that BS is good for the country, good for us, and good for the cosmos. They do this via the Revolution Messaging service that helped President Obama with fundraising and getting his message out, and was positive and hugely successful. BS is using them to do the exact opposite of positive. They're as nasty as he is.

If that turned out to be true.

Plus, DU is not real life. The Sanders supporters I know personally would never behave like some of the Sanders supporters on DU. In fact, they would be appalled. Civility is part of being a progressive.

It's not hard to spot them, but the big problem is they have been "accepted" by our local anti Obama, anti Hillary, and anti Democrat gang. The same hater who have been here since Obama was elected, and who started in on their hate fest. Sadly it looks like they have taken over DU, and there doesn't seem to be anything we can do about it.

I fall apart when my 12 year old gets the flu. How you are dealing with your tragedy is beyond me. DU used to be a progressive community where you could find support for your pain, whatever it happened to be.

But not any more.

The callousness of the partisan idiocy on this site has reached levels I never thought it would.

I wish you strength. I don't know what else to say.

the "you're for Clinton so you're all holier than thou and think you know who we are" was just too much.

Really upset me.

Thank you so much for your words.

I am not sure how to take back my post in GD so they can't forever haunt me with it.

Bill is immediately condemned. It is a sad fact her in DU--and so many other sites. I am saddened that so many have hard hearts --for a truly horrible problem of heroin addiction.

I thought GD was for GD and didn't realize how hard those hearts are. Must be nice to feel you're perfect, right? And the rest of us are evil no matter what our lives are like.

I'm sorry you went through that.

Thank you! That helps.

...reading that, I wanted to say something but I was so appalled I was at a loss for words.

I am so sorry.

Thank you. This helps.

...bullies had the gall to call you a bully.

These people make me want to wish terrible things on them which is not something I normally do; so I'll just instead hope for karma.

I would never kick a sad Bernie supporter when s/he was down.

Grr....

Been that way for a while.

Now I do! This is the mind-think that exterminated people, but they're all worried about Gaddafi.

no longer exist for me.

Sorry about your treatment Sparkly.. I read that from the comments here. I don't read their bullshit.

I read some things on GDP, not having been visiting DU for awhile, and posted on this group that I am so glad you are here!

But I suppose I got overconfident in thinking the GD board was safe territory.

There should be a place just for sane people apart from whatever DU is now. Is there?

Funny I just don't even read GD anymore.. didn't even know it was this bad, though.

I will let you know about the sanity places, too.

right fucking now.

Do you want to know why
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=7762616

ALERTER'S COMMENTS

The OP, Sparkly, was talking about an SNL skit that was offensive. The thread was immediately hijacked by revbones and TM99 who both extensively harassed the OP even when she disclosed that her own child is a heroin addict. TM99 is laying this behavior strictly on Sparkly's avatar that reveals she is a Hillary supporter. If I am able to I will alert on revbones as well for these attacks. This is unconscionable.

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Sun Apr 17, 2016, 12:28 AM, and the Jury voted 3-4 to LEAVE IT.

Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Leave it as an example of the pot calling the kettle black.
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #3 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #5 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #6 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: I cannot even believe the ugliness of BS fans who continue to Project everything that's egregious about themselves onto Hillary's supporters. Simply because they don't bow @ the altar of berniesanders.

Please Hide! This will be going to Skinner one way or the other. How the hell does this poster think he has the right to talk to someone like this on DU?
Juror #7 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: uncessary rudeness.

This isn't FR, we have standards.

.................................................................................................................

Sorry, juror#1 is ignorant.. they can still see the post when you hide it! And, it lets the board know you don't approve of the ugly insults that does say everything about the poster and nothing about their target.
In fact it's paid more Attention when it's a Hidden post.

I really appreciated your comments.

DU was in the early days more nurturing, no blame, times have changed, the push for us to be at each other's throats has turned into a run away train of never ending reality show drama...

I hope you realize you are in no way responsible for what has happened to your daughter, all you as a parent can do is take it on a day by day basis...

My sister in law told me though that once an addict, always an addict, but one can learn tools to help control the addiction...

I go to meetings and have support, and right now things are stable.

I just meant to raise consciousness about the issue and how it's treated in popular media. I had no IDEA what I was getting into in attempting to discuss anything on DU!

I remember DU after MWO folded (remember them?). It was contentious in the "politics" and "primary" forums, but it's become nuts. I can only think a lot of cave-dwellers have ratcheted up the fury on purpose.

Thanks so much for your reply.

Support is key, support for you, the simple truth is if you don't focus on your life, you will just become another statistic, I sympathize I do, well aware of the pain and heartbreak that occurs especially when someone you love at present is not trustworthy enough to let them know you would move heaven and earth to assist them, such becomes thier crutch..

Hererion abuse is rising fast, the idiot politicians once again not caring about actually truths have encouraged people to find cheaper and easier drugs then pain meds....

I was told once, not sure if it's true, that if you try it once and like it, forget trying to stop, all you can do is try not to ever touch it or if you do, hope you hate the feeling...


Humanity's dirty little secret, for the majority of people world wide, unless it touches them, it matters as an after thought meant to be filed away under, I'll think about it later when I have time...

It's why our jails are over crowded and oh so profitable, taboo subjects became cash machines for a select few..

Many here lovingly called it the "Horse" because at that time we were just beginning to come to grips with the *selection" and the gut punch of that election.

Likewise that was the site which directed me to DU.

I've been a member since 2003 during the buildup to the Iraq invasion. It was a whole different place back then. Even the 2004 primary was not as divisive as this one is.

A lot of the vitriol started after Obama was elected. Either they were emoprogs who felt Obama wasn't doing enough or Republican sock puppets. It's reached a crescendo today as your linked to post shows.

You can meet their doppelgangers over there. Or would clones be a better term?

Is it like that old elm tree thing that was supposed to be central ground, but all right-wingers?

They won't be hard to recognize.
http://www.discussionist.com

Check out their latest poll results: http://www.discussionist.com/1015799717

Not exactly Bernie Sanders zealots, but the anti-clinton rhetoric is very close.

The pain of watching someone you love in the grip of addiction is unbearable. I know what you are going through (and I bet many others do as well) and I just want you to know you are not alone. If you ever need to talk or get help in any way, there are so many loving people here for you. The Hill peeps have your back. I'm sorry that something that was supposed to take your mind off your troubles made you feel bad and that sharing about it brought the lunatics out of the shadows.

You know what the good news is? You have a heart and courage and that comes through. Don't share your sincerity or goodness or pain with them. They are literally bad people with dark hearts. Stay in the light and where it is warm and people are kind. With us!

Sending healing prayers

I just wanted to raise the issue of the stigma, and how it's still okay to make jokes about it.

Thank you so much for your compassion.

I alerted on TM99, and wish I could alert on the lot of them. They're horrible, horrible human beings.

I do not understand who these people are, or why.

seen smoke coming out of my ears! My thoughts about the SNL skit mirrored yours. For God's sake, why would they think this is funny or okay? I wonder if my friend, whose son is a heroin addict, saw it. Bet she didn't see any humor in it. I'm sorry you were treated like that. Those people that posted that crap were pushing their own agenda, and intentionally missing your point.

Sparkly, I hope you saw my reply in the thread where I attempted to apologize for the disgusting treatment you received. Again, I apologize, and, again, my heart goes out to you. If there's anything I can do as a healthcare professional, I'm happy to help, and I'm happy to provide an Internet shoulder to cry on, regardless of our differences in candidate choices.

To this forum, thank you for allowing me to post this to Sparkly. I hope you don't see it as an invasion of your forum and appreciate my sentiment.

giving Sparkly support.

I was just a jury for one of those insults.. posted the results up thread.. it was a Leave.

Just felt like someone needed to stand in support of Sparkly and offer some genuine empathy. To be attacked for her post, that's ridiculous. Reading the replies, given the knowledge that her daughter is struggling with this, I can't help but see why she would respond how she did, I know I would. Glad that the post was left alone.

Skinner. So that wasn't a good thing.

going back through the original thread now and I see what you meant. There are other posts that deserve a hide as well...we'll see what happens

...for being human; politics seems to take it out of many of us.

.... and having a pretty extensive fling with heroin myself. Sitting around the old trash can after a hit because you didn't want to puke on the floor, or everywhere else for that matter. If not for a couple of really good friends I may have passed the point of no return myself. Definitely not something to be mocked. I was lucky enough to kick it before it got a stranglehold. Too many are not that lucky.

I am stunned and upset that it devolved into that.

Thank you, on this forum, for your understanding and support.

Is there a "Sane Democratic Underground" where we could all congregate? If not, I'll just hang out with you here.

Now they have locked me out of a thread I started, but won't let me close it?!???

I am done here.

This is CRAZY.

Every single day I feel like shouting THIS IS A FORUM FOR DEMOCRATS YOU IDIOTS GO AWAY.

They both have displayed the slimy, dark underbelly of the BS campaign. There are many good and decent BS supporters. Unfortunately they are drowned out by the ogres under the bridge just waiting to pounce with their mindless insults.

in any other circumstance I would pity that person.

...happy to have just served on a jury that hid the 'laughing about her Iraq vote' too. I was juror #5.


Mail Message
On Sun Apr 17, 2016, 01:39 AM an alert was sent on the following post:

She probably laughed before casting her vote in favor of the Iraq war too.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=7762718

REASON FOR ALERT

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

ALERTER'S COMMENTS

Part of the pile-on against the OP, who posted about a personal reaction to SNL, solely because the OP now uses a Hillary avatar -- as has been explicitly stated by some of the attackers. Even after letting it be known that the OP's own kid suffers from heroin addiction, the allegations of hypocrisy continue because (and this beggars logic) Hillary sanctioned the death of Gaddaffi and voted for the Iraq War.

JURY RESULTS

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Sun Apr 17, 2016, 01:56 AM, and the Jury voted 4-3 to HIDE IT.

Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Alert abuse. A post about Hillary is about Hillary, not about the OP.
Juror #2 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: The post adds unnecessary hurt and inflames the discussion without adding information or value.
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: The whole thread needs to be trashed. The "stuff" storm here needs to stop.
No hide.
Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #5 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: This post is part of a political dogpile on someone about a non-political joke that offended them in a non-political manner and posted in a non-political forum group (GD) just because Hillary is on her avatar. This is abuse and should be hidden.
Juror #6 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: It is inappropriate and certainly rude, as well as insensitive and over-the-top, not to mention disruptive.
Juror #7 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: Hide. NOT relevant to the OP, and pretty nasty under the circumstances. This is General Discussion, not GDP.

Thank you very much for participating in our Jury system, and we hope you will be able to participate again in the future.

I alerted on three poster-hijackers in that thread: TM99, revbones, and Bubzer. My first alert was rejected, but someone else got him, and the other two were successful.

I was afraid that Sparkly would get dinged for telling them to fuck off, which in my opinion was a justifiable response on her part under the circs. I'm sorry that indeed happened.

The people who piled on that way should be ashamed of themselves, but they are incapable of shame at this point. DU itself should be ashamed.


JURY: If someone complains this is Meta, please refer to the link in the post I am replying to. This is an extreme circumstance.

...glad I didn't post in that thread as (I think) that would have 'disqualified' me for jury.

The Hillary/Sanders skit at the beginning is getting old real fast.

not funny at all

and that your thread was hijacked with politics. What happened on that thread should never have happened on DU.

I posted a story on my site a few nights ago about an anti-heroin crusader in Iowa that lost two of her sons in one night due to apparent overdoses:

http://democratsforever.freeforums.net/thread/6657/anti-crusader-loses-sons-drug

One of the a%%wipes that responded to your post with such disgusting hate has been flagged for review. Maybe it will be a twofer..

No primary-related anything should have been posted in that thread. And once you explained that this was intensely personal, anyone who made that mistake should have self-deleted their post and apologized.

I don't understand how a jury let that stand.

A friend of mine just lost her second son to heroin. My heart breaks for her and for you.

Sparkly, I am so sorry this was dumped on you! There is no excuse for this crude behavior or the diversion of your heartfelt thread into gutter politics. Once upon a time, you would have found empathy, and your thread would have generated a thoughtful discussion of the appropriateness of satire and humor in various situations. I don't know if that DU will ever return, but you do have many people here who care about you and your family.

...should call them HINOs (human in name only).

Horrible 'people'.

Here's the note I left for you in that thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027762586#post94

Dogmatic ideologues are NOT renowned for their compassion or empathy, Sparkly.

"Needy friends" are not their concern. They deal in broad movements and great "revolutions".

To hell with personal pain. Compassion will not advance the cause. On the contrary, it only demonstrates wavering weakness. Anarchists and insurgents understand this verity and live by it.

They show no mercy and take no prisoners. Only a scorched earth strategy will win their latter day revolution.

I'm so sorry you've been subjected to this unwarranted onslaught. Some people need to go back to "humanity" school. First, be a human, and only then propound your political dogma.

...this site has been more like "BernieUnderground"... Yuck!

PEACE!

I only go into my groups (Hillary, cooking and pets) anymore. The rest is Bernie Underground.
My son is also a heroin addict and I was absolutely sickened by that thread. I'll
stick around til after the primaries but if there's still people here who would rather have a Repug in the White House than Hillary, I'm outta here.

...hope I'm not reopening a wound this a.m. But I felt compelled to add my voice in solidarity.

I've been a reader here for years and only recently got into the mix by posting some thoughts. It is startling to see how camp sanders goes from zero to outrage in a matter of a post or two. The other day I found myself tearing up over just how vitriolic Sanders' side has become. Seems it's gotten worse as he's getting closer to losing.

But I've been reminded while reading through some calming words of those whose posts are in the thousands that MANY are here to stir up the animosity between democrats. Professional posters who will just keep poking until civil discourse is shut down and we all hate each other and hopefully won't vote at all...

When I remember that's their goal, I do my best to take that power away from them. I disengage, I refrain from snarking back (hard to do!), I give them as little ammunition as possible. For me, that technique helps.

I also try to remember that no amount of logic or facts or appeal for basic human empathy will change minds around here any more.

It's gone past silly season into are-you-freaking-kidding-me season. Case in point, yesterday I alerted on a post that was saying in their cleverest way that Trumad was schtuping a Great Dane. Not even slurs of beastiality against a fellow DUer gets hidden if it's Camp Sanders doing the slurring.

On Sat Apr 16, 2016, 03:43 PM you sent an alert on the following post:

hey Trumad, did you catch that one guy?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=7761883

REASON FOR ALERT

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

YOUR COMMENTS

"Balls deep in his neighbors Great Dane?" Are you kidding me? Please tell me this site hasn't gotten that bad...are we really down to accusing folks of beastiality in the name of political discourse? And not even a protective sarcasm tag....please hide this!

JURY RESULTS

A randomly-selected Jury of DU members completed their review of this alert at Sat Apr 16, 2016, 03:54 PM, and voted 3-4 to LEAVE IT ALONE.

Juror #1 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: Not hiding for "balls deep in a Great Dane," though that is pretty revolting. Hiding for the content of the entire post, which is piss-poor writing of a sophomoric attempt to insult. Not clever, not necessary.
Juror #2 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: As far as I can decipher, this appears to be a rude and insulting post, nested inside a generally insulting thread. So I am guessing it is appropriate to hide.
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Just mad random riffery comparing the worst of GD with FR People need to develop a thicker hide Unless it is directed at a DUer as an ad hominem attack it's just nutty prose poetry
Juror #4 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #5 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #7 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given

Thank you.

Question in an appropriate place, yet people who claim to have Dem or lefty values saw fit to attack her. And others aided and abetted by refusing to hide nasty, insulting posts. (I sent an alert abuse alert on one).

The pope was correct about certain people's needing a psychiatrist, and it is a great shame that the website owners have allowed this place to become so hostile to Democrats, contrary to its stated mission.

...has been lowered dramatically. Will it mend once Sanders returns to being the Independent Senator from Vermont? Who knows?

I, for one, certainly hope not. There are some very creative thinkers around here...

You beat me to it.

Fact of the matter is---DU has become infested with trolls hiding as BS supporters. Really simple for them to do.

I could post my opinion about peanut butter in GD and within a few posts Hillary will be blamed for Peanut allergies.

We only have a month left of this shit---and when Hillary wins the nomination---the trolls won't be able to hide anymore.

And could read through his cleverness that it was aimed at you. Couple of jurors weren't bright enough to see what he was doing.

Sorry that was slung at you ~

It is not the place I joined in March 2004. There are so many unkind posters here now that are Trump- like in their insults and ugly posts.

The "ignore" and "trash" functions are so useful. I never used them until this year! Also having our Hillary Group and the wonderful people here have made DU bearable.

was horrified as I read the thread. I too remember when DU was a sensitive and caring community. I have been here since DU began and have never used the ignore feature until now, but there are several people who showed their asses in that thread whose opinions on any matter are meaningless to me. I will not be subjected to their ignorant and hateful rants again and I hope you will not either.

Take care, Sparkly.

I suspect that some of them hate Clinton - and they are unsure why - far more than they "love" Sanders.

Personally, I think that hatred of a politician is fatuous.

Hopefully a look at his absolutely atrocious posting history and 12 hides in the last 90 days brings a well deserved ppr.

I changed my avatar in solidarity. No one should have to put up with that crap. There are some people on here who are nothing but bullies. I'm so sorry for you and your family, and so sorry that you were treated so bad.

But the BS of late has driven some of that from here.

Our hearts go out to you regardless of what some have posted.

absolutely horrendous posts by TM99 are gone. Anyone reading the thread at this point will not get a true picture of how very abusive it was.

How does that happen?

I don't recognize my old haunt since the "hired" BS crowd came. The abuse is horrid so I mostly read and only post in our small group here. I've been searching for a friendlier crowd but haven't found one on the net yet.

look at the hidden post. These are just gone, no explanation.

do you have those posters perhaps on ignore?

Sorry for the confusion.

....was on the verge of being banned back in February but it was blocked by a couple of people.

I've alerted one of his hidden posts (so that the administrators see it) and explained what went on in February. He's also now flagged for review. If there's any justice, we shouldn't have to deal with him any longer.

Many aren't Democrats. I'm so sorry about your daughter and hope she gets the help she needs.

I don't know if I've ever seen a worse attack, and I've been here 14 years.

My best to you and your daughter.

I almost responded to that poster but what is the point. All it would do is create more hateful spew from him/her and you don't need that. I'm sorry about your daughter; my beloved niece became a meth addict. The good news is that there is a chance for real recovery. She has been clean and sober for almost 8 years and is doing very well. I hope that for your child.

I'm sorry that happened to your thread. That was one of the weirdest derailments I've ever seen.

Its a feeding frenzy

Now its Bernies World SMH

you've been subjected to this abuse. I cannot fathom how any thinking and feeling person would take your pain and turn it into something else. That's disgusting behavior.

All the horrible thing said to you, dear.

You have nothing but love in here for you.

Last edited Sun Apr 17, 2016, 05:22 PM - Edit history (1)

into a nasty attack. I hope both of the worst will be banned. There is no excuse for them to be out from under their GDP bridge attacking people in GD.

That other places (or places) are horrible.

for so many, especially our youth, on the net. They do not have the courage, guts or confection to do it to someones face, only hiding behind a screen. That surely tells us how immature and insecure they are in life.

DU is not a good place right now. Keep to the safe neighborhoods.