Prologue: I originally posted this as a comment today at 4FB, then as a diary at FSZ.  I asked a fellow blog patron to post this at DailyKos, since I know people there who would appreciate a remembrance of this tragedy.  In response, his account was locked by the DK admins.  I ask you all, what kind of people are willing to stifle a tribute to victims of such an unfortunate event, their families and their friends, and the people of the State of Rhode Island?

Six years ago today, in the minutes just after midnight, the sound of sirens pierced the quiet night outside my apartment at the corner of Nestor & Main Streets in West Warwick, RI.  I wasn't asleep at the time - in fact I was wide awake chatting it up with some fellow Rhody friends online, drinking with my roommate and having a good time.  Unfortunately those sirens foretold the things I would write online, and I would not sleep that night.

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As a community we've had a lot of discussion here at MyDD, most of it around a month ago, surrounding the tragic death of Djimytai Damour at a New York Wal-Mart on Black Friday.

We discussed what it meant to live in a society in which human beings would trample one another underfoot for a deal on a TV. We pondered what Wal-Mart might have done differently, and we argued about whether Wal-Mart was even at all responsible.

I do some work with Wake-Up Wal-Mart, an organization that has worked to bring relief to Damour's family.

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A few brief words, after a frustrating afternoon of watching the news.  

I say frustrating because I have been telling friends and family that Hillary Clinton should probably get the Vice Presidential spot this year, as a recognition of the tenacious campaign she has run, the amazing new vitality she has inspired in the feminist movement, and for her ability to round out a winning coalition.  

Frustrating also because my last diary here was an earnest attempt to get my fellow Obama supporters to recognize the blatant sexism that Clinton has faced in this primary.  I wanted everyone to realize that sexism is just as real as racism, and that no-one deserves the sort of negative gender stereotyping that Clinton has suffered from at the hands of many in the media and in the blogosphere.  

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Somewhat to my surprise, it seems like there is some fairly heavy-handed moderation happening on this site.  Worse, this moderation appears to be either silent or disingenuously disguised as "bugs." For example, since I can "review hidden comments," I assume I am a trusted user.  But at the same time, I cannot rate posts.  On another of my accounts, I can see zero-rated comments, but neither rate nor comment.  I assume these features have been disabled because I offended someone who knew the administrators, but I have received no email confirming this.

Let's see how long this diary lasts...

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My girlfriend  just sent me this email about Blackwater. This makes me SICK!!!! Who really run's the USA when corporations can put their workers in danger, deny EVERTYTHING and then sue the very families that actually lost their loved ones for 10 MILLION?!  We need to help stop corporations from pushing around the little guy.  I donated to support the victim's families @ www.blackwatervictims.com .  Still in shock that Blackwater can get away with this!

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