When I originally started talking about this, I friends-locked the post because I generally don't share posts about my mother with the world. However, this is so insane, so wrong, and so inadvertently funny, I think it's important to share it with everyone. What follows is an e-mail exchange involving me, my mother, and her friends.
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1st message, sent by my mother to about 10 people.
Subject: Obama Alert/Wake up!!! sworn in to office with a Koran..... > Let us all remain alert concerning Obama's expected
presidential
> > candidacy.
> > The Muslims have said they
plan on destroying the US from the inside
> > out, what better way to
start than at the highest level - through the
> > President of the
United States, one of their own!!!!
> > ALSO, keep in mind that when
he was sworn into office - he DID NOT use
> > the Holy Bible, but
instead the Koran (Their equevelancy to our Bible,
> > but very
different beliefs) Please forward to everyone you know. Would
> > you
want this man leading our
country? ------------------ My response, to all: Hi. None of that is true. http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/muslim.asp But hey, mass hysteria is easier than looking up the truth, right? ------------------ A response to all from someone I don't know, identified as Chassih: Sometimes "mass hysteria" is not so hysterical... As one who organized & ran tours to Java & Bali (Indonesia), I frequently ran into anti-Semitism, usually spouted by Muslims who'd never seen a Jew in their lives but knew they hated them. As for Obama's being a member of the United Church of Christ, that is an Afro-centric church with strong ties to a radical Palestinian group, Sabeel. (See the following ADL statement on that church) <>I removed the article because it's largely irrelevant, but if you'd like to see it, just ask. -------------------- My response, to all: Oh, yes, how could I forget? All Muslims are evil, right? And Obama must be a Muslim because of his name. And if a Muslim is running for president, it must be part of a secret plot to infiltrate America. That is, after all, what that insightful, uncited, unsupported e-mail told us. And if someone sends me an e-mail claiming that the Jews were behind 9/11 and Bigfoot was spotted in Oregon, I guess I should believe that too, because everything on the internet is true! I’m sorry, but distrusting all Muslims based on your own negative personal experiences is no different than Muslims distrusting Jews based on lies they have been told. I’m not even sure who I’m talking to, but I don’t particularly care. That email about Obama swearing in on a Koran is a blatant lie, and to try to and support the sending of that email with unrelated, anecdotal evidence is just in bad taste. I didn’t want to get involved in an argument; I just wanted to stop stupid stories from being spread. ------------------ Then I get an email from Lynne C., asking who I am and "how and why" I am sending her messages. Apparently not everyone is familiar with "Reply to All" I tell her who I am, and she promptly responds with this (sent only to me): As Dona's daughter, I think you should know thatI have regard for your mother and her wisdom--As well, you should know that one who sends messages that are unsigned to people she doesn't even know is somewhat creepy-and certainly does not inspire credibility--and, after all, when we talk about ideas we are talking about credibility. I also think you might learn something of value to you if you tried to understand the important underlying concern of your mother: that is, the security of the free world and the security of freedom itself. Those who follow the Koran have, YOU HAVE TO ADMIT, have been the supporters of terrorism against the free world. WHO ELSE have filled the ranks of every known act of terrorism in the last 10 or 15 years? And, do you also support the ideas of Iran's president? I can see you are a young woman who at least is trying to engage in world politics and this is good, but you should take time to sort out what you value--I would find it hard to believe that you would value a ruler or a way of life (those who follow the Koran?) who would deny you the right to education--and certainly the right to speak your mind and express you ideas freely. Have you thought about this? Please, please--THINK more on the subject. Lynne C.
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My response to Lynne C (I wasn't even going to bother addressing her insanely racist remarks):
Obama isn’t a Muslim. That was the point of the email I sent out. I appreciate your point and your beliefs, but my point is that before we make judgments, we should know the facts. The e-mail my mother sent was blatantly untrue, and I will not watch someone perpetuate lies and conspiracy theories right under my nose. And I didn’t sign the email because the names I scanned on the list were mostly family who I knew. But thank you for calling me creepy, questioning my credibility, and implying that I don’t know about world issues and politics.
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