Monday, July 28, 2008

Chain Emails Suck

It has been a while since I last posted... what can I say, I have been depressed since the Lakers and Portugal both lost. Anyways... on to something that really bothers me... CHAIN EMAILS

Here is a letter I wrote to someone in response to an email my wife received:

Dear ...
I am writing this letter not to defend Obama… But to defend the integrity of the political discussion. Alicha just received a forward regarding Obama’s supposed “snub” of troops in Afghanistan. First of all, whenever I receive a forwarded email I assume they are not true... why? Because, most of them aren’t true. How do you know, though? Good question…

Since the advent of email and the ease of sending information chain mail have flourished, from “if you send this to one hundred people your wish will come true” or “for every person you send this to you will get a hundred dollars”. Also any myth, legend, or rumor (true or false) gets spread at lightning speed. Not that these stories are new, it is just that the internet is a vehicle that can be used for very cheap (free) and very quickly (practically instantaneous). With all of this crap floating around what is there to do? Well...

I found an excellent website that deciphers the true and the false rumors (and some partially true) that float around the emails world. The website is called www.urbanlegends.about.com. It researches chain emails to see if they are true. I would highly suggest it to anyone to look at before they send out a forward to see if it is true.

Needless to say, the Obama story is not true. There are two articles cited in the response. One is from a lieutenant (who I believe was at that base) and then another story by the guy who wrote the email saying that his story was not completely true and that the email was only meant for his family. Here are the links http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/barackobama/a/afghanistan.htm and http://urbanlegends.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=urbanlegends&cdn=newsissues&tm=133&gps=73_1364_1276_595&f=10&su=p504.1.336.ip_&tt=2&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A//www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dc/2008/07/obamabashing-gi-retracts-claim.html

Again, I am not writing this to defend Obama… I like him on some things but I also have issues with him too. But, that is not the POINT! I am writing this because we as Christians are called to value truth and to not gossip or lie. And, I believe that if we send stuff that is malicious and that we do not have proof of we are just perpetuating lies. A lie about someone you don’t like even someone you might say is bad, is still a lie.

So, check your facts and if you cant prove it dont send it!

Jason

1 comment:

Kurt Willems said...

I get one of these forwards at least once per week! I am sick of the propeganda! Oddly enough, the chain emails tend to be from people on the "right." too bad that the group that claims to have the largest group of evangelicals has to resort to gossip and namecalling so often!!!!