Help Stop the Smear Campaigns Against Obama

Posted By: BossE Stone

July 28, 2008

Last week, Stonecipher wrote a post regarding lies about Barack Obama being spread through the Internet. The same day of that post, my dad received an email containing lies about Michelle Obama.

The Obama campaign has a page dedicated to fighting the lies being spread. Here is the link to the page showing us a few of the people responsible for the lies and the previous garbage peddling they have done.

Often when receiving a forwarded email containing lies, I respond by replying to everyone the email has been sent. Encouraging each person to fact check before sending such craziness and providing sources for them to do that.

My parents are currently visiting me so when the offensive email was received, I was able to share with them how to figure out how an email is full of lies. My dad was so upset, he sent a response to the person who had forwarded him the message and to the people who had previously sent the email.

Stonecipher and I thought it would be helpful for everyone to post my dad’s response for use as an example on how to fight these smear campaigns. While we can’t keep everyone from spreading the lies, we can certainly respond to the ones we receive.

Feel free to help stop the spreading of lies by using the following email as inspiration for your response. Please remember to keep it honest. You don’t want to stoop to a lower level by fighting lies with more lies.

Dear (insert senders name here),

I don't know you, so I will speak to you with kindness and sympathy. I know you are a victim of another political hoax. Please go to the following web address and read the entire Snopes exposition on the subject from which your forwarded e-mail supposedly came.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/thesis.asp

Also, please note that the six attachments that your forwarded e-mail came with is evidence that some one has created 'a look alike' web page of an actual web site that is known to fact check and eliminate fiction. The forwarded attachments in your e-mail lack the quality found on the Snopes web site and include the tell tale sign of a “crazy person” email: multiple font sizes and colors.

What this false information in your e-mail involves is out right fraud. Since you have sent this to me for unknown reasons your own personal reputation is now in question.

I learned many years ago that your personal reputation was a far more valuable asset than a lie.

I enjoy reading and learning as much as possible about history and politics. Fiction is not my cup of tea.  Some people find any discussion of politics offensive, especially if it is contrary to their beliefs. Some people find fiction far more entertaining than truth. Some people cannot deal with the truth and rely on drugs.

Some people get great entertainment out of creating dissention, subterfuge by mixing just a little truth with false or distorted information so that it sounds like the truth but is actually pure fiction. I hold people that create these types of lies in great contempt. The same contempt I hold for drug dealers.

Our great democracy cannot survive in the sea of lies that have been created to assault people and our government institutions. The dissemination of these lies via the Internet and other media needs to end.

Debate and discourse on real issues that impact us are needed. That is true democracy.

How well do you know (insert previous sender’s name)? Did (previous sender) create this cobbled together e-mail?  Do you know his true identity and his US mail address?  If so please share it with me so I can also question the source of his information.  It could be that (previous sender) is also a victim of this hoax?

One of many things I learned while serving in the US Army in Vietnam was 'Don't believe anything you hear and only half of what you see.’ That now also applies to the Internet.

If you want to restore your reputation please send an apology to all that you sent this e-mail to and retract this lie. The same applies to (previous sender).

If you cannot retract this lie and apologize then please take my e-mail address out of your address book and never contact me again.

Sincerely,

My dad signed off with his full name and address. That, as well as all the names and email addresses of the offenders have been removed for protection of privacy, even if some of the above don’t deserve it.

And as always, the corn and bean report: For July 28, 2008, corn is at $5.82 and beans are at $14.00.

Check out BossE Stone's last piece: McCain Hates the Free Exchange of Ideas

Also, check out BossE Stone on digg.com here.