Do you dispute your bogus emails?

[ckay87]

Oh, I just think I am at my wits end. I get so many bogus email messages from friends and family. I have been known to check the facts and email back my disputes, but I know that must drive people crazy

Then I get things where I just have trouble restraining myself. I am amazed at how people can write WHATEVER- without checking the facts - and if it hits a nerve it gets passed all over the net.

A wonderful friend who, I admit, I don't share political views with at all, sends me the following (she did NOT write this - it's just being passed around:

"This was sent by a friend and it made interesting reading, especially with what is going on with the schools and other topics where christianity is an issue.

To my friends and family:

What I have seen since Katrina:

The poor and the wealthy hurt by the storm- Black, White, Hispanic, Oriental and Indian.
Christian people giving, giving, giving. Churches going all out to minister; neighbors going door to door helping one another.

And thugs and hoodlums going door to door looking for someone vunerable.
Ice and water being fought over as police tried to keep the peace.
People coming up from New Orleans taking over empty houses because shelters there are full.

Out of town volunteers coming with food and staying for now a week, and still serving it.

The Churches all over this part of the country doing what Christians do in a crisis.

Fema getting help to us; the red Cross doing a great job in the shelters ; the Salvation Army doing a great job in the community

Four Hundred crewman from everywhere bringing back the power to our homes, churches and businesses.

Lines at service stations a block to a mile long; National Guardsman patroling the streets of Mccomb along with Kentucky policemen protecting us from the hoodlums.
Doctors, nurses and other hospital personnel working tirelessly, doing the job God called them to do.


WHAT I HAVE NOT SEEN;

The ACLU setting up a feeding line.

People for the American Way helping in the shelters.

The NAACP doing any work whatsover .

The American Atheist organization serving meals in the shelters.

Jesse Jackson directing traffic at the gas stations


I could go on but you get my message. It's the Christian people with love and compassion who do the work. The GRIPERS IN CONGRESS should come on down and get in line to pass the water and the ice.
Are you listening Hillary, Chuck, Nancy, Teddy and all the sorry loafers we call Senators and Congressmen? They don't have a clue as to what this life is all about here on the gulf coast.

Boy I feel better now.

Mike"

Now, I have my rebuttal all written out and ready to send back, but I know I need to restrain myself for the sake of my friendship with her. My rebuttal includes:

I can't speak for most of those organizations but the NAACP has, in fact, set up a fund for hurricane relief. But to debate the real point I have a problem with - there are plenty of non-Christian organizations helping down there, including and especially the American Red Cross. And to really blow the author's mind (I mean, this one might just kill him), he might read this...U.S. Muslims Pledge $10 Million For Hurricane Relief (http://www.detnews.com/2005/religion/0509/16/Relig-303953.htm)



I continue with a schpiel about religious predjudice.

I feel better just venting here. I think I need to delete my email draft and let it go. It's hard though - I have a problem with just about every sentence of part to of this "essay."

Do you ever just feel like authoring your own piece of garbage and see how far it gets passed around cyberspace? Do you ever debate stuff like this with your friends or the senders?

 

[caitycaity]

yep - i usually send a link to snopes.

 

[4greatboys]

I just delete the crap I get.

 

[jennyl772003]

I used to work with a girl who forwarded just about every email she got. I am pretty cautious when it comes to things like forwarded emails, mainly for the viruses. I would just delete them.

One day this girl starts up her computer, and guess what? VIRUS! She had a worm. I told her she needed to stop opening up all of these forwarded emails and stop sending them. So then she asked what I did with all those emails she'd been sending me, and I told her I deleted them all. She stopped forwarding to me after that.

 

[wvrevy]

I always respond to that kind of nonsense. I have a couple friends that fall on the "other side of the aisle" from me politically, and an uncle who sends stuff just like that all the time. The best part is, they don't usually send it to just me, but to a whole list of people (in my uncle's case, it's everybody in the family). I figure, I may not be able to publically refute politicians when they are spreading lies, but I can certainly do it when I get it in my mailbox...and yes, my reply goes out to everybody on their list, whether I know them or not.

I said it before and I'll say it again: If everybody in the world would just bookmark google and snopes, 99% of those stupid "chain" type e-mail messages would go away overnight.

 

[Tigger_Magic]

yep - i usually send a link to snopes.

Either Snopes or Urban Legends. If I can find the exact page on those sites, I link to that. I am forever sending back these emails from well-meaning friends and family. Unfortunately, some people will believe anything they read on the Internet.

 

[Nickimouse]

Welcome to my world!
We just recieved the e-mail you wrote about. This same person sends a couple a week and it drives me crazy!
We also recieve these kinds of e-mails from my DH brother. I started to send a link to snopes about a story he sent but thought better of it. I figure peace in the family is better than my little jab.

 

[PlaneJoy1]

If it is a true "Urban Legend" then I will usually send a link and provide context that it is not true.

While the letter may not be your cup of tea, it simply presents a point. Christians/Churches are PRESENT AND SENDING money/donations, not just sending donations (which is vitally important as well). From what I read, it is saying that the presence of these other organizations hasn't been there in person. I, for one, see the authors point. Perhaps they have been there, but they aren't getting press, which would be hard to believe from some of those listed.

To each his own opinion.

 

[eclectics]

Just ask her to stop forwarding those emails to you. If she is a good friend she will understand and comply with your wishes. I have a friend who insisted on forwarding every funny photo and riddle she found. I explained about viruses and now I only get one or two screened ones per month.

 

[Pam]

I just delete the crap I get.

Me, too!

 

[horseshowmom]

I don't have a big problem anymore. I did used to though with a few people in particular. I researched it, sent them the facts, and before long they quit sending me the emails. Knowing them, I'm sure they didn't stop sending them to others, but at least they did stop sending them to me. Unless it happens often with someone like those did, I just delete them.

 

[minkydog]

I have a few lovely friends and family members who send me every little piece of *stuff* they get. I just delete. Most of these folks would be embarrassed if i pointed out ther errors, especially if I did it more than once. And why would I want to hurt their feelings?I can just delete.

I did ask SIL to stop forwarding stuff. She finds lots of things with pictures--one was pictures of fruit that had been made to look like famous art. Had about 1 million bytes. It totally clogged my computer for over 1 hour so now she sends it to DH at work

 

[Independent]

If it is a true, longstanding urban legend - like the one about Microsoft reimbursing for every e-mail sent - I will do a reply/all with the Snopes link.

Since I have friends from every part of the political spectrum, my mailbox is usually full with different forwarded e-mails. I have a wealth of crazy e-mails from the left, the right, hateful bashing and the sickly sweet "send this the 726 women who have made a difference in your life - I just did" type e-mail.

I usually just delete and ask the person nicely not to send them to me, explaining about viruses, etc. However, if the person continues to send me unwanted, ridiculous e-mails (like the one the OP posted) from any end of fanatical spectrum, then I figure they must feel that forwarding e-mails is a huge responsibility. So, not wanting to shirk my responsibilities, I just start forwarding e-mails from the other side of their viewpoint. IE: I get the one the OP posted- I forward a fanatical, left wing liberal e-mail or vice versa. It is amazing how quickly you get dropped from e-mail lists when you start reciprocating with e-mails the original sender might not want to read .

 

[Jennifer S]

I just delete. I will only forward funny stuff- like a joke or cartoon but only to those that will appreciate it.

I think those type (for me anyway) of emails have really slowed down. I rarely see them.