A daily series, Connect! Unite! Act! seeks to create face-to-face networks in each congressional district. Groups regularly socialize but also get out the vote, support candidates and engage in other local political actions that help our progressive movement grow and exert influence on the powers-that-be. Visit us every morning at 7:30 A.M. Pacific Time to see how you can get involved. The comment thread is fun and light-hearted, but we're serious about moving the progressive political agenda forward.
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Good morning Kogs and Kossacks in Dailykosland!
Merry Monday and welcome to the working week...
Today would have been my mom's 77th birthday, and the most positive tribute I can give her is to remember how much she would have loved this place.
She did love it, vicariously, frequently asking me from her sickbed about what was on the blog, and listening to me read diaries to her about Bush and Cheney and Olbermann and Colbert.
If something like Daily Kos had been around when she was younger and healthier, she would have eaten it up with a spoon. But she retired just before the internet became widely available.
She was proud to be a political junkie and she raised me to be one too, from a very young age. Some of my very earliest memories have a political aura to them. Mom hated Nixon so much she claimed I was a Nixon-hater in the womb. I was born during the Eisenhower administration, the first time Rs were in the White House in my mother's young life.
I don't remember anything about Kennedy's election, but mom took me and my sistercousin to Kennedy's inaugural parade when I was three and my cousin was seven. Mom told me the President had a daughter who was about the same age as I was. I named one of my doll babies "Caroline".
Sadly, mom also took both of us to JFK's funeral procession. My strongest memory of it is that it was very cold that day.
Johnson was elected in his own right in '64 with huge D majorities in the House and Senate.
Mom told me most of the people in the country were Dems, and added that "when people show up to vote, Democrats always win." But she also explained about voter suppression, and Dixiecrats, and not everyone with a D after his name was a friend, and not everyone with an R by his name was an enemy. She made sure I knew that Everett Dirksen helped Hubert Humphrey get the votes to stop the filibuster against the Civil Rights Act.
On Sundays as she cooked she would listen to the morning shows and provide running commentary. She would fill in the gaps in flawed arguments, point out who was lying and who was speaking half truths. Soon I could answer back also. I learned how to recognize talking points before I ever heard the term "talking points". I learned how to debunk political spin before I ever heard the term "spin".
By the time 1968 came with all its political whirlwind and woes, she said the Southern Strategy would work better in 1968 than it had in 1964. Black people registering to vote Democratic, combined with riots in the cities, were driving Dixiecrats, "hard hats" and "negrophobes" to vote Republican, or cast protest votes for Wallace. Mom was terrified that George Wallace had a chance to win and talked about leaving the country. The measure of how frightened she was of Dixiecrat rule is that she was somewhat relieved when Nixon won instead of Wallace.
Before I was a teenager I could hold my own in partisan political arguments among my family, and those arguments were frequent. I cut my teeth on them, listening first from the children's table, then from the kitchen. At weekend and holiday family dinners the fur flew, especially between my mom and her conservative Republican brother, a cop who liked Nixon's "law-and-order" meme. The shouting matches were chaotic and everyone took sides. When I made a good point, my mom would beam at me with pride. But it never got personal. At the end everyone laughed and hugged and went home loving each other.
By the time I was 15 I could (and did) challenge the political arguments of people three times my age. And I wasn't just repeating what mom told me, either. I read non-fiction and listened to speeches and looked things up in reference books. Respectable newspapers were fact checked then. I knew good sources from questionable ones.
The seeds planted before I was in kindergarten took root and became a permanent part of me. All through my life when mom and I wanted to have conversations without stepping into dangerous or sensitive topics, politics was always the safe place to land. It was where we could easily find common ground and agreement with each other. Republicons and conservatives were always doing something foolish. My love of politics and a discerning mind to understand political strategy were two of her greatest gifts to me. Sometimes when I am engaging a troll as a whetstone to sharpen my wits, I think of how she and her brother sharpened their arguments against each other as sparring partners, and I know she is proud of me!
Did you have any political awareness as a child? Were political arguments common in your family, or rare? Do you remember how old you were when you first heard about political parties and the differences between them?
At what age did you become aware of politics?
Start up soundtrack
Teach Your Children by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young on Grooveshark
Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today) by Temptations on Grooveshark
Let's Build Communities!
Our team is here to provide support and guidance to new and existing volunteer leaders of each regional and state group, helping them with recruiting, organizing and executing social and action events.
We invite you to join in this effort to build our community. There are many ways to pitch in.
If there isn't a group to join near you, please start one.
Instructions on HOW TO FORM A NEW DAILY KOS GROUP
List of All Existing Meatspace Groups
THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY
by Dave in Northridge ♥ for Los Angeles Kossacks
The LAKossacks welcome shanikka to their fair city. Many people attend. Here are few photos:
L-R: moore musings and shanikka
New Attendees:
L-R: Former Chicagoan Now Angeleno and bruinkid
Please visit Dave in Northridge's diary for many MORE photos plus Food Pr0n! Enjoy! You can join Los Angeles Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to Dave in Northridge.
by mimi ♥ for Virginia Kos
The DC and Maryland Kossacks welcomed Chaucounne on her visit to attend a conference in DC. It was a last minute meet-up pulled of by mimi.
Here's one photo:
L-R: mimi, kim (wife of olliegarkey), olliegarkey, webgenie and Chacounne
Please visit mimi's diary for many MORE photos! Enjoy!
You can join Maryland Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to JamieG from Md.
You can join DC Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to NinthElegy.
by sidnora ♥ for New York City
Thank you, sidnora, for the great photo diary recap. So many terrific photos of our NYC Kossacks and all their food pr0n. It looks like everyone had a really good time. There's still time to rec her diary.
Here's only two photos of the many that belinda ridgewood, joanbrooker and Denise Oliver Velez provided:
L-R: the camera-shy Yasuragi (yes, she weally showed up!), belinda ridgewood, kathny, malloy, Miscweant, No Exit, Son of Broccoli, jfdunphy, mightymouse, plf515, sidnora, Mets102
L-R: Ian Reifowitz, plf515, sidnora, Denise Oliver Velez, Mets102
Please visit sidnora's diary for many MORE photos! Plus massive food pr0n. Enjoy! You can join New York City by sending a Kosmail to sidnora.
Four Kossack regional groups descend on the California State Capitol
to demand that Governor Jerry Brown ban
the oil and gas production process known as fracking
by navajo ♥ for Connect! Unite! Act!
Representing Northern California, the SFKossacks, Central Valley Kossacks, Paradise & Chico Kossacks and the Silicon Valley Kossacks gathered on the mall of our state capitol in Sacramento on Saturday, March 15th to protest fracking. Governor Brown has the ability to ban the environmentally destructive, water-intensive oil extraction practice known as hydraulic fracturing in California. The state is in a severe drought and the last place our water should go is into fracking. It is estimated the protesters numbered around 4000. We endured the hot sun which sent the temperatures into the 80s as we gathered midday to make a lot of noise and get the attention of the Governor.
Please note red arrow pointing to our Daily Kos banner to gather all us Kossacks together!
Please visit paradise50's diary for his terrific photos!
You can join SFKossacks by sending a Kosmail to navajo.
You can join Central Valley Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to tgypsy.
You can join Paradise & Chico Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to smileycreek.
You can join Silicon Valley Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to Glen The Plumber.
Event Organizers! Please contact wink from Netrootsradio.com by KosMail to schedule airtime with them to live broadcast your Event. Wink & Justice will then promote it on The After Show radio program!
Tuesday, April 1st
Motor City Kossacks Join Demonstration to Object to Bankruptcy Plan for the City of Detroit
TIME: 10:00 AM
LOCATION: Federal Courthouse
231 W. Lafayette St. • Metro Detroit
ORGANIZER: Send peregrine kate a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. peregrine kate
2.
3.
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Maybees: |
Latest diary: Action Diary: Protest on Tues 4/1, 10 AM, Federal Courthouse in Detroit
Saturday, April 5th
Baja Arizona Kossacks 4th Annual Picnic
TIME: 4:00 PM
LOCATION: Home of Mr. & Mrs. sneakers563
Address by Kosmail to RSVPers • Tucson
ORGANIZER: Send Azazello a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. Azazello
2. sneakers563
3. rasbobbo
4. DaNang65
5. ItsaMathJoke
6. Itzadryheat
7. pwoodford
8. ramara
9. Desert Rose
10. chloris creator
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Maybees:
cosmic debris
LandruBek
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Latest diary: Baja Arizona Kossacks Open Thread
Saturday, April 5th
Seattle & Puget Sound Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: Noon - 3:00 PM
LOCATION: Pyramid Alehouse, Brewery & Restaurant
1201 First Avenue South • Seattle
ORGANIZER: Send EagleOfFreedom a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. EagleOfFreedom
2. Reetz
3. John Crapper
4. John Crapper's S.O.
5. WisePiper
6. bleeding blue
7. mlharges
8. Caligrrl
9. Regina in a Sears Kit House
10. Regina in a Sears Kit House's DH
11. Ojibwa
12. Notrouble
13. Bleeding Blue's spouse |
Maybees:
otto
Kitsap River
Charles CurtisStanley
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Latest diary: Seattle & Puget Sound Kossacks April Meeting
DAY TBD, April TBD
Potential Boston Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: TBD
LOCATION: TBD
[Address] • [City]
ORGANIZER: Send GreyHawk a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. GreyHawk
2. Hawk Wife
3.
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Maybees: |
Latest diary: Boston Kossacks - Up & At 'em!
Saturday, May 3rd
DKos Asheville Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: 1:00 PM
LOCATION: The Bywater
796 Riverside Dr. • Asheville
ORGANIZER: Send randallt a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. randallt
2. davehouck
3. Joieau
4. Gordon20024
5. SteelerGrrl
6. SteelerGuy
7. GulfGal 98
8. Otteray Scribe
9. flwrightman
10. people power granny
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Maybees:
Audri
Mr Audri
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Latest diary: [Waiting for linked diary]
Tuesday, May 13th
SFKossacks Roll Out the Red Carpet for LeftOfYou & Expat Okie
TIME: 11:00 AM, Early lunch!
LOCATION: Yank Sing
Rincon Center, 101 Spear St. • San Francisco
ORGANIZER: Send navajo a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. navajo
2. LeftOfYou
3. Expat Okie
4. side pocket
5. Justice Putnam
6. dharmasyd
7. Lorikeet
8. jpmassar
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Maybees:
annieli
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navajo maintains the above event list. Kosmail her if you have any diaries
about your event or if you have changes or additions.
EVERYONE is welcome, tell us what you're working on,
share your show and tell, vent, whatever you want.
This is an open thread. Nothing is off topic.