"The Untruth Hurts, Even Online" WP

This one hit close to home for me...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A29305-2003Aug21.html

washingtonpost.com
The Untruth Hurts, Even Online


By Keith R. Taylor

Friday, August 22, 2003; Page A21


"Hey, take it easy, Dipsey. It can't hurt." The admonition addressed to my screen name came back over the Internet. It was tweaking me for objecting to an urban legend. <snip>

This one was forwarded to me by an old Navy shipmate, a staunch conservative and a friend of 45 years. He is spending his golden years by forwarding me every right-wing e-mail that comes across his computer, and I'm spending mine by throwing a fit whenever he gets my goat.

<snip>
Just to make sure that justice prevails in this ideological war I even hit "reply to all." Thus they go to all those on his mail list, most of whom have the same ideological bent as my pal. I know many of them.

<snip>
This e-mail was attributed to Andy Rooney. The style was vaguely reminiscent of the curmudgeon, but the sentiments were closer to those of Rush Limbaugh. I sent a copy to Rooney at CBS and checked with an Internet site devoted to investigating urban legends. The Internet site tore the legend apart and Rooney threw a fit. I had enough proof to throw my own fit.

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is really good at debunking these, writing a response and sending it to the list that got the original. Many of these come from an aquaintence of ours. I finally wrote to him explaining a few things and essentially asking if he really advocated a one party system in our country. He did not know what I was talking about. He said he was apolitical and didn't even remember the last time he voted but he gets this stuff and just sends it on to his extensive list of people. I guess I either made sense when I responded to him or he took us off his list. Some people really believe this stuff but it disturbs me even more when they have no clue but spread it around anyway.

and nobody wants the vaccine.

Frightening.

They eat this stuff up. I think that the sea air must eat at their brains the way it does the ships. Lots of rust. These are men who had pretty good careers but now they act like the Captain in Mister Roberts. Aren't there any career guys who are the Mr. Roberts type character?

I'm sure it must be discouraging for all military men and women who are wise enough to separate fact from fiction.

I am sure the freepers think that all military are on their side. They would be shocked at how many of the people at our peace rally every week are ex-military.

who feel like they have to just keep their mouths shut right now, or they'll not be considered for promotion. It was the same way during the last * mis-administration.

She sent the "marine not crisply saluting Clinton" thing. I sent her the Snopes and the Break that Chain links debunking it. She got furious.

She informed me she had two stepsons in the military, and she knew a crisp salute when she saw one.

:shrug:

The lies just do not bother some of them.

Said she switched to the republican party because the democrats left a bad taste in her mouth.

I wrote back and said "tell your right-wing friends that this is untrue, an urban legend - typical lies started by the flying monkeys on the right" -
I haven't heard from her in months - they sure don't like hearing the truth.