TIME TO SAY NO TO POLITICAL E-MAILS!
I'm sure this sounds strange, coming from me, as I used to send out plenty of all kinds of e-mails: save the earth, save the wolves, save the polar bears, buy fair-trade coffee from Catholic monks, etc. etc...but then, this is why I now(for nearly two years) have a blog, so I can state calmly how I feel--or rant if I must.
The number of e-mails politically oriented and sent out, en masse, keeps growing. Nearly all appear to have a strident, unforgiving tenor, and/or begin by saying that this is for "everyone" to read....then it launches into numerous lies about "Obama, the Liar" Or "Obama the Terrorist". Good Lord!
Whatever happened to critical thinking, to actual intellectual discourse? I can respect almost anyone's opinion, but don't insult my intelligence by calling Obama a liar, a socialist, AND compare him to Hitler--all in one letter--and expect me to believe you think the letter you sent was "relevant"(!).
Anyone else out there, getting hit with this trash? Oh, I almost forgot--if you dare to respond(even with polite-ness), you're accused of being non-inclusive, intolerant, and unable to respect others' opinions!
I'm really feeling quite ill--which I do NOT need, given I'm trying to get well enough to get my (long-overdue) surgery for Diverticulitis, scheduled. Sigh.
Peace, kids. I mean it!
8 comments:
lisa honey- i have no idea why you would get those emails. mark them as spam and your email filter will help a bit. in the meantime, good luck with the surgery. positive thoughts coming your way :)
Hang in there, Lisa. I hope you feel better soon. Love, Helen
I actually haven't gotten such emails (though I'm very guarded about who gets my email address), but I can see how it would be wearying.
I *do* have to point out that your own exhortation was completely one-sided, politically, and it's precisely that kind of partisanship that foments the very malice you're complaining about.
Temperateness begins at home, as they say.
Hi Betmo--Thank you so much for the good wishes!Actually, the e-mails are forwarded to me from neighbors, and associates!
Hi Helen--Thank you!
Hi Brrrooom--The reason my recent blog entry here may have sounded "one-sided", is that I was put on the "defensive" by these e-mails which, (big surprise!) are attacking(not addressing--that would mean reasonable, and measured)Obama and the Democrats.
The amusing thing of course, is that I'm NOT a registered Democrat(though as I've said numerous times, I currently lean much more to the Left than ever in my life!)
In fact, I regret having to lump Obama being called a "Socialist" in with him being called a liar, and being compared to HItler. We actually have some "socialist" institutions already in place in the U.S. and they work quite well(fire depts., police depts., etc.)
So to clarify: I don't think being called "Socialist" is necessarily good or bad, but to include it in the same letter as "He's a Liar" and Hitler and he are alike, well, that's just soooooo over-the-top.
And that's not partisan.
I've never called McCain any names. In fact, I praised him in 2004, because he defended Senator John Kerry, saying in part,"John Kerry served with honor in the Vietnam War, and it is despicable to dishonor, or try to discredit his service." He was the first to speak up and say that it's wrong to attack a man with lies, etc....but guess what? He then went--in 2007-- and HIRED FOR HIS CAMPAIGN, THE SAME PEOPLE who attacked John Kerry (falsely, and maliciously), the same folks who attacked John McCain himself, in 2000, when he attempted to best George W.(Check out the sources for this, in Paul Begala's well-documented, hugely footnoted "Third Term: Why George W. Bush Hearts McCain)
I think for poor John McCain(who I actually have some empathy for)this election is going to be all about "karma". We'll see.
Actually, I haven't received that many political emails at all, but I do have my junk filter set on high. All the GOP loonies just find their way to my blog.
Sorry you're feeling poorly again.
Hi Collin Kelley!--yep, you DO get alot of "trolls" at your blog--probably because they look for strong, popular political blogs. Don't you worry, Senator Obama has it "in the bag". Though we'll all keep campaigning as if he's losing, because that's what liberals and progressives DO, because we're all so afraid that somehow the Dems will screw this up(and we worry there will be "Voter Supression"(which may have already begun in Colorado, and Ohio))....
What a nightmare.
Hope you feel better soon, hon.
Thank you, Selma!!
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