Was this a bad thing to do?

I've been getting RW emails from my Dad, responding, debunking (thanks DU!!!), and basically being 'defensive' versus 'offensive' with it all. The emails I get are part of group forwards and I finally told my Dad to take me out of the group address list.

No one in the group (except me the blacksheep and rebel) had ever hit the replyall button. No one in the group ever sent out debunking information--except me.

So tonight I decide to send (to all) an email with Riverbend's blog with link and the following:

"In the interests of staying informed, sources from outside our 'world view' can only help us to better understand the world we live in. The voices of those from across the seas, those that are actually living there, can bring us invaluable insight into the powerful impact America has as well as help us understand. These are people all over the globe who are essentially making diaries for the internet.

This is one of the blogs from someone who lives in Baghdad. There are several links with other blog sites and often bloggers will link to one another. One link, Turning Tables, is a blogger in the armed services who is now back in the states, but his entries while he was stationed in Iraq is worth reading. Raed in the Middle is also another good one. Blog entries are listed with the latest first, so you might want to start with the archives.

Baghdad Burning is my favorite though. It is a very intelligent, highly educated female living in Baghdad giving her perspective of her life. Enjoy!"

Mind you, these are people that I barely know if even that. The strongest connection is some tenuous thread of friendship my Dad has to these people that he plopped my email addy in a group and kept sending RW propoganda to. So, did I do wrong?

Maybe if only one or two of this email group starts reading and surfing and becoming informed...it will be worth it. It's different tactic, but *sigh* am I just the eternal idealistic optimist?

Thank goodness for "Reply to all"...

might work. Maybe I shouldn't check my email for a couple of days. LOL

Honestly, I have no other input/perspective but that from what my Dad has sent. Maybe I can make some headway with this approach. :)

n/t

http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/

There are several links located in the right hand column. Enjoy!

I'm older than I wish I was, and one thing I've learned..... there is often not a "right" and "wrong" answer, or a "right" and "wrong" solution. Most everything we do has both a "pro" and a "con" side to it, and weighing those, while tedious, helps to arive at a solution we can live with. Who knows....... you could get some surprising results from your action....... you can also get some heartache. In the end, it comes down to what your conscience dictates, and whether you are doing it to get back at people, or because you really want some to open their eyes to something they haven't considered.

People can tell us, from their own perspective, what you "should" and "shouldn't" do, but we are all different, all have different motives, and different resources and inner strength. And, all of that at different times. So, what might be "wrong" for someone else may not be "wrong" for you, and what is "wrong" for you at one time may not be "wrong" in another time.

You've sent it, and it may very well be that one person will be curious and open-minded enough to follow up on your links. IF they do, they may have their eyes opened. In which case, you've accomplished a great deal!

Or they may all get very angry, and start a big feud, or an uncomfortable family silent trip.

You did what you thought was right, and what they do with it is up to them.

Here's hoping for the best! :toast:

Kanary, who appreciates the courage of your actions.....

That means a lot. Here's hoping it will open at least one mind. :) Who knows? Maybe the others have been ignoring him all along and I'm just the one who spoke up?

Thanks for reading that post of mine, and glad it helped somewhat. :hug:

We put sooo much pressure on ourselves about doing "right". Most of life is a damned crapshoot. :hi:

And, the answers for others isn't necessarily the answer for ourselves.

Kanary, sending you a can opener for those minds...... ~~gigglesnort~~

hope it works. Glad to see her back

and posted about it here. It doesn't sound like it's getting any better and I really appreciate her entries.

My prayers are with her...but I'm soooo glad she's back!

how one forms a bond on the internet? Especially with all the drama she's had for last year.

my uncle started spewing crap, he separated himself from the rest of the family with his hate. being wrong is being wrong, not thinking is not thinking. you did the right thing. I wrote a letter in to my local paper refuting a puke state legislator and i actually got a post card from an elderly female thanking me for writing the letter. Its time to get involved. Your dad (and my dads generation) are the ones consuming our resources. Let 'em have it at every turn.

Although this is not an organized debate where you get eqaul opportunities.

Keeping people you're trying to converse with on the defensive is counter-productive.

Kanary

room it would be a bit fairer. As I said, no one else to my knowledge has countered the false forward lies except me. I'm already pretty much resigned to the fact that this is what he believes as like-minded people. Then again, maybe they're just deleting as soon as they receive. :shrug:

and he's ALWAYS be a Republican :puke: I'm just hoping on hope that something will get through. It's going to a VERY conservative part of of state and I'm half expecting emails that try to tell me it's all just a girl in California. I can't wait for that one!

Today I resisted a really strong urge to reply to everyone on my cousin's email list, mostly because I don't know most of them and I don't care to argue with anyone who might defend the piece of right-wing B.S. my cousin distributed. I only replied to her.

Personally, I don't think it's very cool to assail people with your political views when you don't know theirs. And I think it's even less cool of your dad to assail you with his views when he knows yours - especially after you asked him to take you off the list.

on a consistent basis, isn't the sender presuming you agree if you don't respond? That's really what got me to take this approach. I keep receiving but I am certain that any opposing views or debate in response are not being sent to me. Are there any? Do they all agree? Are they even making an attempt to be informed?

There's no "here here" or "right on!" replys. There's also no "check this" or "maybe if you considered" that--again except for mine. Maybe they are all deleting Jack's emails with the RW spin (and now his daughter with the liberal views). But at least I gave it a shot!

Can't hurt to try. :)

but then it's pretty presumptuous to send that kind of email in the first place, unless you know for a fact that the recipients are interested and inclined to agree. I'm talking about your dad, not you. I don't think you made the wrong choice. Your dad included you in the group, and that gives you the right to respond to the group in my opinion.

My cousin sends me two or three of these group forwards a day, and I usually just delete them. I find them irritating. Usually they're just stupid jokey things. I only read the one today because it mentioned Iraq in the subject line.

I really wanted to reply to the group, but decided not to because the content of my reply was potentially upsetting to any idiots who might be on the list and included a fact that I picked up in my work and wouldn't want floating around the internet with my name attached.

There's a bit strong connection between Dad/Daughter and cousins, but that I'm not sure about the leanings of some of the people in the group has caused me to think twice about the reply all...

All I can say is, go with your gut. Only you can decide the best course of action for this. How strongly you feel and believe you must take action will motivate you.

Sometimes you have to take a risk when it comes to family matters and politics. Particularly when they have made the ass-u-me that you are on board with everything hook line and sinker.

He he turned my mother into a raving right-wing lunatic to whom I can barely speak anymore.

You are not obligated to bash your head continually against a wall. Since only you were willing to engage in a debate, it is not much fun engaging in a monologue.

You will find other ways and other people you will convince.

That was my last ditch effort with whoever is in this email group. I've been removed from the email group per my request and telling my dad I'm voting for Kerry.

Here's hoping for making people think!

When I read your post I applauded! The end of the film makes a call to action for all of us to get out and debunk the horse shit that gets peddled in the guise of news. You certainly did your part! So, thanks.

By the way, if you ever want to get really pissed, watch this film. Sean Hannity is a dirtbag. He keeps a running count of the days left, as he puts it, "until George Bush is elected to his second term as President." Yes, this airs on his infotainment show. Anyway, you're part of the solution! Congrats!

:dem:

RV

that permeates Central Illinos though...it's going to be tough to sit them down and get them to watch it without sewing back their eyelids and setting up a theatre sized screen.

Thanks for the support though. It's my little way of at least giving it a try. :) I'll go door to door and get signatures, march in rallies, and sit through hours of planning meetings to get the public motivated. But when it comes to family, a 'softer' approach might have a bigger bang. :)

"If you've received this email in error or no longer wish to receive email from me, please hit reply and type "remove" in the subject line. Sorry for any inconvenience."

I don't think we can afford to be nice and let this garbage continue circulating on the internet unanswered. I've hit "reply all" a couple of times, I don't get right wing spam anymore.

emails I'll put that in. Better yet, I'll blame my Dad because that's the Republican thing to do. LOL

I'm thinking about visiting the home town within the next week or two. I might have to skip the parents.

When you see his e-mails just hit delete.

When he talks politics to you, tell him what his grandkids did this week.

Don't risk losing something so important.

There's a lot of history and it's not a tight relationship that's being risked. In fact, politics is just another thing that thay can tell me all over again about "head bone" problems. :rolleyes: Anytime something didn't fall into their line of thinking that was the prognosis. So I'm not too worried about risking things.

But I'd agree that I can't talk politcs with my Dad.

I exchanged emails for a while with a minister who's a friend of mine. I sent him lots of links that he never read.

One day, he sent me a long smear of Richard Clarke to which I responded "stick your smears of American veterans where the sun don't shine".

I apologized when I saw him in person but a few weeks later the subject of torture came up. He said no one was tortured, period. I said "OK, bring your son over to my house this weekend and we'll have a sodomy, dog-attack and $hit covered frat party". He walked off shaking his head.

Now, I really felt bad, saying something like that to a minister. Still, he was lying and I don't tolerate people lying directly to my face very well. I understand that right-wingers are exposed to masses of propaganda lies but sometimes I still just can't stand the pure denial of truth that any thinking person would be able to see, regardless of the intensity of the propaganda.

So, we're still friends but certain topics will never come up again I'm sure.

It seems to me he essentially declared war between ideologies/beliefs between you and him. He was willing to smear but not willing to debate (i.e. him not reading the emails you sent and then attempting to refute).

I'm glad you still have a friendship with him as you obviously treasure that. Even though we might take that bold step, we also need to recognize when to step backk when it comes to family/friends. :)