” To Puma or not to Puma ? “……. Hmmmm . Actually that is a rather asanine question , akin to ” To be a woman or not ?” ” To be a Lesbian or not to be a Lesbian ? “
It is what I am . I am a Democrat in exile . From the very begining of the movement , from the first glimpses of the usurping of our party . The earliest outrages actualized a collective metamorphosis of die hard Democrats into a brand new species know as PUMA .
Do some Republicans confuse the disdain of the early movement with the Obama forces as an invitation to don thier own spots or stripes and call themselves “puma” ? Yes … Well , I can stick a feather in my ass but that doesn’t mean I can fly .
Because some blogs have some RW loons that seem to spread their loonieness unabated , does that mean that each and every poster on that blog or the blog owner has become a RW loon ? No . Quit thinking in hyperbole .
Are there some OPs (original pumas) more conservative ? Yes . We had both Blue and Yellow Dogs in the Democratic Party . Get over it . There will always be differences in ideals within a larger movement . If you are far left -BE far left . If you were a Blue dog – BE fiscally conservative – but have the damn conversation . The same conversation we have been having since the inception of the Democratic Party , and sometimes it gets heated – so what . (as long as the personal attacks are left behind)
I come from a huge social movement . One that was comprised of 2 main caucuses and several smaller subgroups under the umbrella of each caucus . The 2 main caucuses were rabid foes INTERNALLY , but as a National Organization , we were singularly undivided .
The leadership of both cacuses were smart enough to know that we were a hell of a lot stronger united as a block than as individual slates . We fought over direction and ideals and contracts and compromises , and we did it in private , because when we marched , when we protested , when we stared down corporations and sometimes the Government , we did it together – shoulder to shoulder and side by side , and despite our diferences , we would not be broken .
Because there is a strong (and noisy) conservative faction in the puma movement , am I going to give up my voice at the table ? Will I take my ball and go home ? Will I kick OPs off the kickball field because they hang out with some conservatives ? Or call them names ? No , and if you do you’re only hurting your self .
Whoever you are , whatever your ideals , , no matter how bad your feelings are hurt or how mad you are , it’s not about you . It never was . This movement began because of a great and blatant injustice served to us on a giant shit platter and it had nothing to do with left or right .
Puma wasn’t started by only lefties and it wasn’t started by only Obama haters . It was started by DEMOCRATS – of all stripes . I am left of left on social issues and right of center fiscally . I will NEVER agree with every puma on every issue . I am an old school Democrat and an Original Puma , and I will never give up my seat at the table because someone else thinks I am too left or too right .
If you were a puma on or before May 31st -(whether you had joined a blog then or not ) you’re a puma today .
Stick to your core values and speak your truths . Don’t like the direction of the conversation ? Change it , but make sure you have your say at the table .
Eventually , Puma needs to have a convention . Whether it’s a secured online , teleconfrence , or live and personal . All of the leaders of the various factions need to come together like a genuine organization and elect leadership , develop a concrete platform , vote and move forward as a National force .
Sitting in our individual caves , shouting insults at eachother is not the way forward . We must learn the lessons of the successful movements that came before us and find our common ground or go the way of big hair and leg warmers .
Leaders , it’s your choice .You are all strong . Be wise .
Solidarnosk!
