Forward Fun!

Recently, Shanshu posted about the annoyance of internet hoax forwards. I agree that it's annoying to receive a chain letter, a plea to sign a petition, the ten millionth "check out this dancing hampster! Hilarious!!!!!", or Irish chain blessing.

But what about the ones that are a little more, well, controversial. The prayer forwards? The political ones you don't agree with? Why would anyone who knows me even think I would be interested in something like this, which I received today from a co-worker:

"You don't have to be religious to appreciate this email
How ironic is this??!!

They don't even believe in Christ and they're getting their own Christmas
stamp, but don't dream of posting the ten commandments on federal
property?
USPS New Stamp
This one is impossible to believe.
Scroll down for the text.

If there is only one thing you forward today.....let it be this!REMEMBER
the MUSLIM bombing of Pan Am Flight 103!REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the World
Trade Center in 1993!REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the Marine barracks in
Lebanon!REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the military barracks in Saudi
Arabia!REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the American Embassies in Africa!REMEMBER
the MUSLIM bombing of the USS COLE!REMEMBER the MUSLIM attack on the Twin Towers
on 9/11/2001!REMEMBER all the AMERICAN lives that were lost in those vicious
MUSLIM attacks!Now the United States Postal Service REMEMBERS and HONORS the EID
Muslim holiday season with a commemorative first class holiday postage
stamp.REMEMBER to adamantly and vocally BOYCOTT this stampwhen purchasing your
stamps at the post office. To use this stamp would be a slap in the face to all
those AMERICANS who died at the hands of those whom this stamp honors.REMEMBER
to pass this along to every patriotic AMERICAN you know."

Except for the fact that it was all in BOLD and SUPER-COLORFUL!!!!, that was pretty much the gist of it.

Forget the complex and total lack of referencing sources. Forget that half of it is, well, plain wrong. Forget the fact that I find it to be offensive and racist. Forget the fact that I think it's jingoist, nationalistic bombastic garbage. Forget all that, and think about me, and think, "would Elizabeth really want to get this forward?" Why doesn't anyone ever think this before they hit "send"?

Plus, how scary is this, anyway? I mean, so they made a stamp for a holiday that some Americans celebrate, big freakin' deal. Uh, just 'cause religious fundamentalists bombed abortion clinics doesn't mean we don't still have the Madonna stamp for Christmas:

Instead of forwarding this crap, how about everyone engage in a real, face-to-face conversation today with someone you're unfamiliar with. Getting to know others as human beings and respecting them is a better step to eradicating intolerance, and fighting this kind of crap.

PAX