"Careless Forwards Further Terror!"

I have a problem with relatives who like to urgently forward Urban Myths to me - usually warning me of some impending doom brought on by the current Presidential Administration, Nancy Pelosi, or Bill Clinton (which I find quite odd as he hasn't been in office for well over a decade!) but sometimes it is due to "The Media"® (which doesn't include Fox News for some reason) or some corporation that didn't donate to the "Tea Baggers" (which IS Fox News ... but I digress).


When ever I get these bits off bad fiction I quickly go to Snopes.com, find the link to the e-mail they have just forwarded to me (and EVERYone on their list) and send them proof of the HOAX they have just particpated in. I then gently (though not as gently now as the years of this drag on) suggest they go to Snopes and check this stuff out before forwarding it.

Of course, they still never bother to check these e-mails out. It's aways, "Grab your torch and pitchfork first - worry about those pesky 'facts' later."

As I was reading through this latest bit of sludge that fictitiously told of some guy who had predicted some attack (on Fox News of course) that later came true ... I started looking at these bits of fiction in a new light. Since I feel certain I am not the only one on the Internet who suffers from these "Spam who cried Wolf" friends ... I thought I would share my response.

Feel free to copy it and send it to your Uncle next time he sends you that bit about the Twin Towers being an inside job done by Bill Clinton.

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Good news! Snopes says your latest e-mail is a Hoax so you needn't fret about it.

It has gotten me thinking though.

Since the original creator of this piece of fiction meant to generate an atmosphere fear, distrust and growing terror among U.S. citizens, shouldn't that person be considered a terrorist?
If you and I in turn (even unwittingly), help to spread this sort of fear by passing along a terrorist created e-mail, are we ourselves aiding in an act of terrorism?

The more I think about it, terror e-mails like this could be considered the modern equivalent of the propaganda pamphlets that enemy armies used to drop from aircraft over cities and towns?
With e-mail though, just one initial attack might reach hundreds of thousands of civilians, striking directly into their homes and actually using the unwitting civilians themselves to launch the NEXT wave of terror and misinformation on their own friends and family ... simply by hitting the "Forward" button!

When you think about how little a "hoax" e-mail messages costs the enemy, this then is a very diabolical and cost effective tool in the terrorist's arsenal. We've been hearing for years that wars would someday be fought in "cyber space". Bogus e-mails like the one you were fooled into sending me could very well be the opening shots in that war!

Given all this, I pledge to check and double check any "Warning", "Cautionary tale", or "Anti U.S. Government/Personnel" e-mails that get forwarded to me - before I forward them myself.
I for one, refuse to voluntarily be used by terrorist/anti-American forces to help them spread their messages of fear and hate! I would like to encourage all of my friends and family to join me in this fight against the spread of terror and hope you would encourage your friends to do so as well.

Remember the phrase "Loose lips sink ships" ? Well, this is "Careless Forwards Further Terror!"