forwarded emails

Okay.... here's the deal: I hate forwarded emails....



Why? Three reasons:

1. Because most of them are urban legends that serve only to fuel fear. And the fact that it has been forwarded over and over without anyone stopping and checking the validity of the story/statement/message really bothers me.

2. The other type of emails usually are very political and they are coming from friends who I guess assume that I feel the way they do about certain issues. 99.9% of the time I DON'T agree with them and of course do not forward them on.

It's this second type of email that bothers me the most. I feel like it is someone forcing their beliefs on me.... and in the few times I have emailed my counter-point back it has caused a HUGE brew-ha -ha. For some reason these people felt like it was okay to bombard me with their opinion, and could not understand why it would offend me, but if I emailed MY opinion back they would get offended.

3. I don't like to cry at my computer. I don't want people emailing me sob stories about kids with cancer or mothers and fathers at war etc etc etc. I know that suffering is out there.... and if I choose to inform myself about it, that is my business.... Especially the 'solider' emails. I know what it is like to have a love one at war. I know about the sacrifices... I don't need some ridiculous email to remind me.

Once in a while I forward on a funny joke to a friend ... once or twice a year I guess. I like jokes...
I like pictures of friends and family. I like birth announcements, and marriage announcements. Birthday and holiday greetings are great too....

This may sound harsh, and maybe I am being harsh. But it is the way I feel. I think these emails do a disservice. They promote fear, they encourage erroneous information and they promote ideas that can hurt and offend people.