Although I am normally an MMM (mild mannered mommy) on this blog, I am going to turn into another version of myself - the ranting politico!
I am so absolutely tired of receiving forwarded emails with half truths and untruths about various political individuals and situations. Ann Coulter, I despise your methods! I think that there is very little worth in most of what you say. You demean the process for your own fun and gain and fame. Shame on you and everyone else like you!
I am insulted by the propaganda of fear and emotionalism. It just gets me all bugged to receive these forwards which contain lies and partial truths and get good people riled up about the conditions of our nation and society. Certainly there is great cause to be concerned and to get involved so why re-focus people's attention on things that are not legitimate?
Here are some of my most hated lies:
- "In God We Trust" is NOT being removed from our coins. Some of the new coins have it on the ridge but it is NOT gone!
- Barak Obama is not a Muslim and even if he was, that would not automatically make him a terrorist or someone who hates America.
- Obama removed his lapel pin American Flag in a speech indicating that after 9/11 it became fashionable to wear one and thereby "appear" as a patriot without doing much else. He said he wants to wear the flag in his heart and have his patriotism manifested in his actions NOT his accessories. You can argue with that decision but quit saying it is because he doesn't believe in America!
- While it is true that Obama was caught on video tape NOT pledging the flag during the National Anthem, he is also the only candidate in that very same footage who is SINGING the Anthem. I don't know why he didn't have his hand on his heart but it seems I can't get to the bottom of it because everyone's time and trouble is focused on whether he is anti-American or not.
- There is not legislation or an FCC petition to make it so the LDS Conference, Music and the Spoken Word, the 700 Club, or any other mention of religion or God via the airwaves will be illegal. The FCC reviewed the petition mentioned in the 1970s (and the petition was only that the FCC ensure that channels reserved for education not include religion) and found that it was not within their rights to approve it. The supposed instigator - Madalyn O'Hair - has been dead since 1995.*
I'm insulted that pundits and "entertainers" and people who can make a YouTube video think they can put together some emotionally-charged words, images, and music and get me to quit thinking for myself. And yet, it seems to be successful for so many. Let's take a stand and refuse to be manipulated! I'm just so darn sick of it, aren't you?
*Madalyn O'Hair was not involved in the petition but she was an athiest and was one of the main instigators of removing prayer from schools - I bet she knows better now.
more ranting... how do you really think an email petition is going to work? If I sign it and send it to 10 people each of those ten have now started a whole new stream of emails. It doesn't all end up with the same list of signatures, does it?
Snopes.com is a very good place to check your facts. You can also check the AP wires or Reuters. Choose reliable sources and check your facts before you forward!
9 response(s):
Ah, Heidi. Thank you for your refreshing rant. Sometimes it just gets to be too much, doesn't it?
Wow!
Here Here! (or is it "Hear! Hear!" ?)
What about the one that says that Obama doesn't sing the National Anthem because he doesn't want to talk about "Bombs bursting in air", and would rather we sing "Let there be peace on earth"? That one was lifted straight from a satirical piece (where it was intended to be a joke), and then re-circulated as truth. I've received it three times in the last month.
This isn't a political one, but have you received the one about how in case of an earthquake, you can make a "Triangle of Life" and save yourself? We recently received that one from an uncle, and my brother (the structural engineer) thought it looked a little fishy. So, he checked it out in a few places, and found out that a lot of what the author says there could potentially be just as dangerous, if not more so than traditional "duck and cover" methods.
Sometimes it's a little hard for me to maneuver around the AP wires or Reuters, but I LOVE Snopes.com!
Anyway, now I've done my own little rant. Sorry. (but not THAT sorry)
Woohoo!! Go Bamamoma!!!
Way to go!
Heidi Jo!
Right on sista! Snopes is great and although I don't get an abundance of these pass along garbage messages it might be because I have sometimes been a little outspoken about receiving them. Our previous bishop handles them SO SO SO well. His response to things like that (which he sends to everyone who received it along with himself) is always worth quite a few smiles by the time you are done reading. :)
I too hate these forwarded emails, political or not, with a passion. That being said, what type of person allows themselves to be "distracted" by these things. You know what it is before you start reading. Just delete and move forward instead of allowing yourself to get all worked up about it. Seriously, get over it. I spent more time reading your rant than I did a year's worth of Punka's forwarded junk spam (which, as you know, is voluminous).
What kind of person allows himself to get sucked into a rant that is clearly labeled "RANT" and then complains about having to read it? J/K - I'm just thrilled to have a comment from the illustrious blog-stalker who is also known as my brother, Andy. btw, some of my young women were looking through my pictures this weekend and they think you are HOT! (their word)
AMEN, Sister! Sadly, I think most of those who are sucked in want to be. They love drama of it. The rest need to be willing to calmly research it before they jump on board and become ranters in their own right.
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