Greetings:
This is my first posting on Kos. The letter below is rather angry, and deals with my "reactions" -- which are what reactions are, potent, emotional, and of merit in that they reflect some concerns that may be of import to a party that I care about.
I'm not trying to be rational. Take this letter as a "report."
I post it as evidence of anger, for in the end what happened to Weiner could happen to any one of us -- and the possibility of that is deeply personal, deeply emotional, and that emotion has to stand for what it is.
(The threats not to give money to the DNC are actually rather silly. I'll still be giving to my Congressmen and Senators, so the statement is truly a symptom of powerlessness, and nothing else --powerlessness that I need to transform, for in the end, blame is a rather silly thing. Standing for something -- something good -- counts. Didn't Shepard Book say that to Mal in the movie version of Firefly? Hey -- I believe in Shepard Book!)
As a first entry goes, this is not my best work. Again, take it as evidence in a court case at which my privacy, my personhood -- my ability to be me in a world without being destroyed -- seems more and more at stake.
Thanks to everyone here at Kos for the real work they do in making this world a better place.
Warmly,
LBS
I loved Schultz and Pelosi until this call for a congressman to resign when his privacy has been invaded.
The message Pelosi/Schultz are giving:
1. Democrats do not have loyalty. We do not stand together. Why bother to support Pelosi/Schultz -- for they will be the first to stab you in the back when you are down?
3. The Democrats are untrustworthy wimps, who do not like outspoken people -- particularly New Yorkers, and particularly those who seem to be Italian and/or Jewish. You don't trust New Yorkers to make decisions, so if 60% of the people in Weiner's district want him to stay, they should ignored. (New Yorkers aren’t real Americans, after all.)
4. The Democrats are the wimpiest, do nothing, stand for nothing party --- one that cares more about pleasing hypocritical Republicans than for helping the middle class and poor.
5. I cannot trust the Democrats to defend my rights to my OWN Twitter feeds, cell phone conversations, email, etc. and my right to say or do legal stuff without someone blithely trying to (and probably succeeding to) destroy me – the ultimate surveillance state, supported by the Democratic Party.
6. I cannot trust the Democrats to stand by anything they say – and certainly not to defend my Medicare, my social security, my Medicaid - -that I have been paying for since I started working. In the end, they will give those away as easily as they gave away one of their most effective congressmen.
7. I cannot trust the Democrats to be politically savvy. They don’t build loyalty amongst their own politicians, so they are never able to garner votes on issues that matter. During crucial periods when Democrats need to stand together and look strong, they choose to divide the party, treat a popular New York politician reprehensibly (and a politician whose district could easily turn Republican to boot). They do not stay focused on message – a fact made all the more clear when they allow Republicans to steer the media in any way they wish, particularly in setting the meme that deficits are more important than jobs.
8. I cannot trust the Democrats to be politically savvy, for they want to get rid of one of the only Democrats who had a voice, one of the only Dems to actually have guts – one of the only Dems to keep the party afloat during periods when it defined itself more by what it wouldn’t/couln’t/didn’t do or dare do, but never by what it might stand for.
9. To reaffirm: I cannot trust the Democratic Party.
I am sad, discouraged, down – I want to leave this party, and I will not give it any money in the upcoming election or do anything to support it because it means nothing.
And I am a person who was a real supporter – one who spoke for the party whenever I could (like Weiner did – but I guess that is called careerism and brashness to the Democrats, not having a voice.)
Yes, last week I was proud to be a democrat. Last week I loved Pelosi, loved Schultz. But I am a human being living in a very scary modern world. What happened to Weiner could happen to my friends, my loved ones.
It could happen to any one of your constituents, anyone who is a registered democrat. My bet is lots of us are scared.
What if I were filmed going into an abortion clinic and that were used against me on youtube?
What if I were gay and a roommate chose to secretly film me and then put it on Facebook? (This happened, or do you not remember or care? A boy died. He died. He is still dead.)
What if I were a closeted gay woman living in a place where the only contact I could have with another were via Twitter pics, and someone decided it would be fun to hack into that account?
What if I were anyone, anytime, being an American – not a North Korean – doing what Americans do (i.e. being free, not harming anyone or breaking the law) but doing something any one person disapproved of and could put on YouTube? What if?
You stand for my destruction. You stand for my friends’ destruction. You stand for the destruction of anyone who draws outside random lines that constantly change – in a modern world in which technology allows more and more of our lives to be invaded.
Really – my anger is fear.
So much fear.
And distrust – because if you let Breitbert and the Republicans take down one of our best so easily, how can I trust you to do anything to defend the rest of us.
I disagree with Weiner on many issues, but this week I’ve already donated money to his campaign fund, money that would have gone to the DNC. I will continue to give to him every time you make a statement against him, and I will rethink my membership in your strange, meaningless, stand-for-nothing-except-how-to-be-obsequious-party.
I will send a copy of this to the President and to other Democrats who may still have spines.
In the end, I do wish you the best! I know how hard you work – particularly Congressperson Pelosi, who has herself had to endure such horrible slander. I will never stop admiring her, but I don’t know if I can respect her in the same way again.
This story is intensely personal – and being so, for so many of us – it will not be easily forgotten.
And not because of what Weiner did – for he did nothing wrong, nothing at all wrong – but because of how he was slandered, vilified, and, worst of all, back-stabbed by his party.
Please know that my anger stems from profound disappointment, and fear, and sadness – for those who I thought were my leaders, are the led. And I have to turn elsewhere for leadership.
I will keep you in my prayers.