Just a few days ago, a person "supposed Christian" said to me "They should nuke the middle east and make a parking lot out it." So much for "Blessed be the peace maker" Mr: Christian? Anyway, later on (over time) this person and others, sent me emails full of stuff like kill, hang, burn and etc. They were full of hate because they referred to past catastrophes and blamed a certain people or peoples as a whole and not terrorist or radicals types. They went on with stuff like - Hang them all and etc. I receive a lot of these email like chain letters with the message -> Pass this on as soon as you can to all your friends / family. I'm a firm believer in free speech and press. Let me state here and now that I fully agree with their right to compose and send such messages. Most of these emails seem to be forwards written by someone else / somewhere else. I couldn't help but wonder if the recipient even reads all text in such messages? Anyway, It really comes down to one's own judgment or decision when they receive these emails. They could just hit delete and not take part. Unfortunately, most people seem to pick their recipients and hit send. By sending or forwarding this type of trash, you are helping to undermine those of us working to defend free speech and press. Many would say / ask - How do you define hate and haven't we got more then enough anti-hate laws? Yes and I don't agree with them. As a matter of fact, I think they are unnecessary. I don't think any Country needs nanny laws to control free speech. I don't think we need or should be told what we can and cannot say, as that is not free speech. We should be able to decide if something we are going to say will offend some one. The World is not perfect and no matter what, we will always be able to find, hear, receive, intercept something that might offend us. I say so what and get over it. The World is not a perfect place and never will be. So, what I am saying here is this. Why not delete such emails if they talk about hanging people or making parking lots out of Countries by bombing them. Why forward such nonsense. I have written back and asked these people why they send / forward such messages? I have even tried to take each paragraph and point out misconceptions and etc. A lot of them had no idea why, cause all they did was click "forward" in their email program without reading or thinking. Others would read only part of the text and re-send. So, why re-send emails that talk about nuclear bombs, if you don't believe in the use of such weapons? Why talk about hanging people if you don't believe in killing? If people keep sending and re-sending these kind of messages, they are helping to fuel the installation of anti-hate / speech laws and etc. We should read all of such emails and decide if we agree with the writer's views. Such email could be coming from those who promote the installation of anti-free speech laws? Did you ever think about that? Be wise and delete them!


One more thing. Don't be afraid to delete those email chain letters. Your legs won't fall off, your brain won't run out your ear and you won't die. That is a ploy to get you to forward these messages. I have deleted thousands of them and I'm still kicking. Basically, they are just harvesting email addresses.

I get those types of messages, too, Sir. If they contain claims about this "group did this" or 'that person said that' and 'the sky is falling if we don't nuke them NOW' type of garbage, I like to check out the claims at http://www.snopes.com When I find a contradiction, I always send that info back to the originator of the email with a request not to send propoganda to me. Then I block the sender. Doesn't always work, but I can always designate their mail as spam and it is automatically filtered out.

HERE'S AN EXAMPLE

Good example, Catherine. Interesting.

Sir, I get those emails too. I always answer them, not by sending them back, but by inquiring from the sender why they sent this to me. I tell them what they have sent is not true and point out why. If I have time, I send them the correct information and where to find it.

Haven't been doing the last part lately, just send out the complaint to my 'friends' that I do not want hate sent to me in the form of a 'friendly' email. And I inquire why they are sending hate through the mail...