Stop, think before you forward e-mail

When in good faith and with strong convictions a friend forwards an e-mail message that seems, on the face of it, to be too outrageous to be true, I, at one time, would immediately respond with documented contradictory information.

I no longer do that. I only suggest that we, all of us, think, before we forward. Think about this.

Would you do what is suggested in the message?

Does it make sense? Is it all that normal to commit the social or political suicide indicated?

Well, maybe the message is not true, but it serves your agenda. Maybe it says words you would like to say and to believe. Maybe it is a godsend to you.

But also, maybe it is simply a person or group unfairly maligning another person or group that does not agree with them or their ideas. Maybe they can think of no other way to make their case.

So very often those "too good to be true", or those "too outrageous to be true" e-mails we get show up again and again over the years and clutter the airwaves.

I have no idea what the ultimate capacity of the e-mail storage bin is, or even if there is any. But for my part, my hate mail storage bin is full. Maybe I should punch "Select all" and then hit "Delete!"

Trouble is maybe there is something in there that serves my purpose.

Joseph Russell Vannier

Hoffman Estates