I didn't know my neighbors were racists until today....

Recently I organized an email list for my street. We have a private road in the country and I thought it would be good to have communication, for safety, neighborhood watch, etc. Plus we have to communicate about road repairs and stuff like that. It's a short street with about 12 houses on it, spread fairly far apart. This is rural Vermont.

We agreed the purpose of the email list is just for that kind of stuff. No political stuff, or forwarding heartwarming stories from your mother-in-law, etc. It's not a list serve or anything like that. Just a list of names and email addresses so we can be in touch with each other.

Well the people across the street and one house down just sent me the email pasted below. the CC list is "undisclosed" so I don't know if they sent it to everyone on the street.

I'm appalled. We're supposed to boycott a stamp because it has Arabic writing on it, and its MUSLIM?!?!? The horrors of honoring anything Muslim! What the fuck is wrong with these people? I wrote back and said I didn't see what was really wrong with the stamp, and that I thought our country was supposed to be a melting pot where people from all backgrounds, races, and religions are respected. I said the email was just promoting hatred and racism against Muslims.

I did some research on Snopes and others, and found this has come up before, there was a stamp in 2010 honoring Ramadan and the same email was flying around. Also it appears the stamp in this email is not even an official USPS official stamp, and that it's a private company who makes custom stamps. I don't think it really matters. the fact that they forwarded it to me and others is all I need to know.

Unfortunately I'm going to think a little differently every time I walk by that house now.

Here's the email they sent. Obviously they didn't write it and it's been forwarded around a bit.

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FOREVER STAMPS COME OUT IN JANUARY - 46 CENTS BEGINNING 1/27/13
Don't buy this stamp! Keep reading under the picture of the stamp.



You must pass this on!!!!

46 cent Forever Stamp
Apparently they think that putting hearts and butterflies on the new stamp Will make most people not realize that the rest is Arabic and probably Not something we want to support.
New Stamp - The second MUSLIM one!!!


USPS New 46-Cent Stamp Celebrates a Muslim holiday.
If there is only ONE thing you Forward today... Let it be this!

President Obama has directed the United States Postal Service To REMEMBER and HONOR the EID MUSLIM holiday season with A new commemorative 46 Cent First Class Holiday Postage Stamp.

REMEMBER Adamantly and vocally BOYCOTT this stamp, If/when you purchase stamps at a post office.

All you have to say is "No thank you, I do not want A Muslim Stamp on my letters!"
The Flag of the USA Has always been my favorite.

Pass this along to every Patriotic American you know Get the word out!
Honor the United States of America !