If you're going to forward those anti-government / policy emails, check the facts?

[draggar]

I get a TON of political emails (especially from my strongly Republican father in law who hates Obama). Why is it that thoughout the entire chain of FW: FW: FW: FW: times a few dozen times not ONE person actually researched the email?

I'd say most of them all I have to do is go to Snopes and they show that it is either completely fake or misleading / partially true (and of course, the "important / shocking" parts are not part of the partially true).

Are people really this bad? Are we that closely related to lemmings?

And then people wonder how so much bad / inaccurate information gets out there.

[smileyeagle1021]

Draggar, did you know that I molest children?
Did you know that I corrupt youth?
Did you know that I intentionally spread AIDS to heterosexuals (despite not even having AIDS)?

I was surprised to find that out too, but those are the facts that I have received in emails about all homosexuals.

I'm really not surprised that the government has become a target of blatant lies as well.

[Red Panda]

I think it has alot to do with the older generation not realizing how easy it is to make a chain email. Some people think if it is professional looking and is on the internet it must be made by somebody who has journalistic integrity.

[KnitShoni]

I think it has alot to do with the older generation not realizing how easy it is to make a chain email. Some people think if it is professional looking and is on the internet it must be made by somebody who has journalistic integrity.

That does have a lot to do with it, I think. I think it's also that people tend to look for anything to support their view, and when they do, they're either too lazy or just don't care enough to take the time to do some fact-checking.

[Gravekeeper]

That does have a lot to do with it, I think. I think it's also that people tend to look for anything to support their view, and when they do, they're either too lazy or just don't care enough to take the time to do some fact-checking.

Its the echo chamber. People, especially when it comes to American politics lately, only hear what supports their world view. Doesn't matter if its true or not, they want it to be true, facts or reality be damned.

Reality has a well known liberal bias after all. =p

[Stormraven]

Also, I think most people who do research the emails, don't pass it on. There's often a backlash from those involved when someone does the research and proves the email wrong.

[HYHYBT]

On the rare times I still get those (as the people who send me mail have by now been taught better) I hit "reply all" and pass on the snopes link along with a request to check before forwarding. Not just the political ones, either; there's a lot of misinformation going around.

Because when I'd only reply to the sender, all they learned was that, when forwarding to me, add the line "Is this true?" at the top.

If more people would do this, and do it consistently, there'd be a lot less garbage floating from inbox to inbox... but sadly, most people who don't fall for these messages just delete them.

(Though Mom has a few who send her that kind of thing, sometimes several different ones in a day, who completely ignore any and all corrections.)

[crashhelmet]

My dad forwards these emails too. Sadly, he always BCCs everyone, so I can't reply all. One of the ones he sent recently really pissed me off and it wasn't a blatant anti-Obama or Anti-Democrat like they usually are. This one was about a soldier that jumped on a grenade to save some Navy SeALs.

The email stated that Mike Monsoor, some random EOD tech in the Navy jumped on a grenade and saved 47 Navy SeALs that were walking by. As a tribute to this random hero's sacrifice, all 47 SeALs showed up to his funeral and "pinned" his casket. The email goes on to say how we need to support our troops because of the sacrifices soldiers like this make and how he's a true hero because he saved 47 people, etc etc. I wish I still had a copy of it so I could post it here.

The truth behind the story? PO2 Mike Monsoor was a Navy SeAL himself. He was in a sniper's nest when then grenade was thrown in. It hit him in the chest and he opted to fall on it because he couldn't get it out in time. He saved 3 other SeALs, not 47.

The "pinning" of his casket is true. Every SeAL in SeAL Team 3, which he was a part of, attended his funeral and "pinned" his coffin before it was laid to rest. It's a long standing tradition.

In my opinion, that email dishonors the memory and the sacrifice of what the PO2 did that day. You can read the SOA here and Snopes has an article here.

CH

[Kaylyn]

Oh, god. Back before the 2008 elections, my nephew's wife decided to forward one of those anti-Obama bulletins on Myspace. At the time I wasn't an Obama fan at all, but I checked Snopes anyway, mainly because the bulletin itself said, "This is VERIFIED on Snopes!" Guess what? Snopes actually listed it as FALSE. I made my own bulletin, copied and pasted it, and at the top went into a spiel about verifying information like this for yourself before passing it on; whether or not you like the guy, you should at least base your judgment on the facts and not on false information being spread on the internet. Wouldn't be fair to you if suddenly everyone hated you because someone else was spreading lies about you, would it?

My nephew forwarded MY version of the bulletin...but first deleted the stuff I'd written! I knew it was my bulletin he'd forwarded because of remnants left over from my additions.

I proceeded to unfriend his wife because ALL she did was forward junk like that...of course her world ended because someone didn't want to be her friend, and she sent me a message and another friend request, saying it was MY fault because if I didn't agree with her views, I didn't have to read the forwards. All because I was trying to educate her and others...*sigh*

It was about that time I discovered Greasemonkey and an addon that allowed me to block her forwards on Myspace through Firefox, so I could remain in her friend collection and not hurt her feelings, and still not have to deal with her anymore.