My first political protest was in high school when I joined a group of students who stopped reciting the Pledge of Allegiance after indivisible, since we were far from having liberty and justice for all. (I graduated in 1964.)
My first major protest was a sit in at the Boston Federal Building to get federal protection for the Selma marchers.
The most significant change 9/11 brought into my life was that I now know people who are Muslims and/or Arabs.
This really matters to me.
I must admit I have tended to stay out of the comment threads on the pro/anti Obama diaries and on the I/P diaries. The venom was too much for me. But the general idea that saying "I am not a racist" gives one the right to say anything they want, no matter how derogatory of black people in general, particularly of black Kossacks is incomprehensible to me.
The same is true for homosexuals, trans-people, Jews (I am Jewish), Arabs, women, the disabled - and whatever groups I have left out. Casual nastiness in the service of cleverness is offensive, but I cannot understand why, when told of the offense and why is has that effect, the offender does not simply apologize and change his/her behavior. The level of defensive posturing that goes on is appalling.
I don't know all the players who were banned, but I do know that Simone Daud was the only Palestinian Israeli we have and his point of view was needed here. I do know that the gang-ups on comments or commenters make my head spin. I do know that I learn from knowing people here like Simone, like rsevern, like Dee. I never knew a transgender person before, or a Palestinian Israeli. I do know that through knowing gay couples here I changed my views on marriage equality. I do know that I learn by reading BlackKos - though again, I often avoid the comments.
I do know that without such diversity, this site will lose incalculably, and we will all be impoverished.
So I am in. At midnight, I will log out for a week.