Hey you former Repubs and Freepers. Let me ask you something.

[devilgrrl]

What took you so long to figure out that the Bush Crime Family/current Republican party are nothing more than a bunch of sociopathic grifters? I thought it was pretty obvious - like 20+ years ago. Where have you been?

[Lecky]

1. What's more important is that they are here now :)

[silverweb]

2. Nice welcome.

Maybe it would be better to just welcome those who have joined us without driving them away with hostility and vilification?

Better that people join us later than never, right?

[NoodleBoy]

3. word... it's vitriol like that that drives millions away from politics

and keeps them away.

[roguevalley]

4. I am more worried about people who can't change when they

hear the truth than those who have. They are most welcome. I see them as ambassadors into the freeperland from wence they came. It takes guts to change this much. Bless them.

[silverweb]

11. Too true.

And they never realize how politics affects every aspect of their lives and how they only lose by staying uninvolved.

[devilgrrl]

7. sorry for the harsh tone...

but I can't for the life of me believe that so many people fell for their bullshit in the first place! What else can I say?

[Beam Me Up]

8. I can appreciate your wanting to ask the question. It is the way you've

asked it that some might object to. I'd like to know the answer as well, for many different reasons. One of them being that I've been on this side for so long -- since JFK -- it is difficult for me to comprehend anyone living with a completely different point of view. I want to ask the question, or one something like it, because I want to try and understand -- not because I want to blame anyone or accuse anyone.

Understanding, for me, would be healing.

[silverweb]

9. There are a couple of possibilities.

We could welcome them and let them know how glad we are that they've joined us.

We could ask them exactly what moment or event it was that opened their eyes.

We could ask them for ideas and help to get through to those still drinking the Kool-Aid.

:)

[wake.up.america]

12. One of the great wonders of the world. What took so long?

I am certainly no Einstein.

I saw this back in 1999. Chaos and endless misery from this gang of thugs.

[nine23]

15. I didn't think it was harsh, and I certainly don't see it as "vitriol"...

If I crossed over from a life-long lefty to newbie conservative, and someone asked the very same question using exactly the same wording, I'd see it plainly as an opening for dialogue. And I'd probably give you an earful, considering the enormity of the decision I'd just made.

But THAT scenario will never happen. I ain't crossing over nowhere!:)

Peace.

[ropi]

5. what are the former republicans and freeps up to.....

since the 2nd amendment is being shredded up in New Orleans with all the gun confiscation? what's up with the NRA and all those others too?

[OKDem08]

6. welcome all former freepers!

I didn't see the truth, fell for the WMD's justification, & felt the sting of being a 'newbie' at DU.
Enter into the light and rejoice in the truth! Bless you!

[silverweb]

10. A belated welcome.

I'm here too sporadically to keep up, as rapidly as things move around here. Anyway, nicetameetcha!

:hi:

[Ladyhawk]

13. When you're raised strictly within a single point of view, and that

point of view is echoed by church and school, it's hard to break free.

[Sgent]

14. I gre

Lets see, I'm 30. I've been an "out" D for about 3 years. There were a variety of issues.

First off, I was always a Libertarian, and have been an ACLU member since high school. So I wasn't a true "Freeper" anyway.

The thing that turned me over the edge is when I worked my 2nd job out of school at a rural clinic in one of the poorest areas in the country. When our R govenor cut Medicaid funds, I saw people die. I saw people who couldn't get the surgeries they needed. I saw people who couldn't see a specialist and were in pain daily. I started to understand the toll that no transportation has on people.

Most importantly, I saw these were good people, and although they existed, they were not "welfare queens". They were uneducated, and not very sophisticated, but they had a richness of their own.

It was then I decided that the republican approach to poverty was one of ignoring it and hoping it will go away. It was then I was ready to fully embrace most of the D plans. Although I will admit that I often am seemingly more moderate than many here, I find my views become gradually more liberal as time goes on.

[donheld]

16. I'm still wanting to know what changed Arriana Huffington

She used to be venimously right wing, now she's quite progressive.

[Buns_of_Fire]

18. Perhaps a little can be gleaned here...

I also believe more fervently than ever that government dollars, however many trillions of them, will never mend broken lives without citizen engagement. What I found, whether in South Central or Anacostia in Washington, D.C., is the truth of what the Rev. Henry Delaney, who has been transforming boarded up crack houses in Savannah, Ga., once told me: "I want to get people involved in what we're doing. It's like putting a poker in the fire. After a while, the fire gets in the poker too." It certainly does.

So you can blame my evolution on the fire getting in the poker.

http://www.ariannaonline.com/about/latimes.php

[awoke_in_2003]

17. What took so long?

I don't know. Foolishness of youth, maybe. A little more education and real world experiences. Started noticing differences between me and the party in the late 90s (thanks to Newt). Finally took the invasion of Iraq to finally open the eyes. Sorry it took so long, but I worked to try to reverse it during the 04 campaign, and will continue in the 06 and 08 and so on.