A Time for Change

Iran exploded in violence this weekend, but the breaking news on that was on Twitter, ot CNN or MSNBC (I don’t even acknowledge FOX as a nedia source).  I got into blogging because I wanted to work towards effecting change, but the goodpeople on twitter are shaping things up through social media microblogging.  When the MSM networks decided to take the weekend off, Twitterers from Iran to California started pressuring CNN for coverage through using the hashtag #cnnfail.  As you can see from the New York Times article referenced here, socialmedia is leaving the media behind and exposing the media for the useless corporate-driven nonentities that they have become.

It is now time to jump on social media or get left behind.  I say join and let’s change the world one tweet at a time.

Another death, this time from an apparent member of the Free Republic who walked up to the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. with a rifle. You can see the CNN story here. I came home from a long day and saw this piece from Daily Kos indicating that the shooter, James Von Brunn, was a member of Free Republic.  Readers of this blog may remember the Free Republic from this blog post and the abusive comments that blog post caused from this group.  They want to be considered “comservatives” or “Libertarians” yet others would say they are just another hate group. Please see this from Kos.

Readers also may remember when the Department of Homeland Security came out with a report that indicated that right wing hate groups were on the rise and that theree was a growing threat of domestic terrorism caused outrage from the GOP.  I had seen the hate.  Journalists had seen the hate.  It was not hard to find. See my post on that here.

Wake up America. The GOP and Faux News has ratcheted up the right wingnuttery with their fearmongering and lies.  WE are in danger.  The President is in danger.

Something needs to be done.

I want to thank all of the people who sent email, posted comments, and tweeted about the blog.  I was really very surprised by the response.  I have received such nice emails from many, many people, including some of the blogs harshest critics. On the other hand, I also received communications from regular readers that surprised me.

The following is an email that I received from someone whose name I will withhold because it was sent via email, but it meant a lot to me so I will share a portion without revealing the author:

Hi Catherine – I just left a comment on your blog and wanted to send you an email to tell you how much I’ve learned from your blog.  Most political blogs lose me in their rambling writing style and I am never comfortable commenting as I don’t feel like I “fit in”.  Wasn’t the case with you.  I wanted you to know that.

***

Anyway what I’m getting at here is that I felt some parallels by what you were saying in your last post, I know how you feel.

You did good with “Change”.  A lot of good.  Maybe one day you’ll pick it up again.  I just wanted to know you made a difference to me.

So what I learned from this whole blogging experience and then not blogging is that it doesn’t really matter if you are the best blogger that you can be or if your blog falls far short of your own high expectations, because, as I always say, when it comes down to it, the people in your life matter and maybe they are all that matter.

So, because you all matter a lot to me, I’ll be back.  I am not sure when though, but it will probably be some time later this summer.  Blog on I will.  :-)  Did Yoda say that? If not he should have.

Thank you all for everything. I’ll be back soon. In the interim, if you want to catch up, I’m on Twitter: @atimeforchange.

Kind regards,

Cathy