JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum America's Watershed Election.

By the way, I invited all the people who forwarded me that text to come here and share their views on it. I also asked each if they'd checked it out for it's truthfulness. None have posted here or replied to my request. And they're not all raving lunatics. In most cases, they are well intentioned people thinking they've got a smoking gun of information about something. I have to say, if it HAD been true, I'd be a little concerned just as I would be concerned if most internet hoax emails were true. But I knew it couldn't all be true because if it was, it would be endlessly touted by all candidates running against Obama going all the way back to his Senate race. But here's the scariest thing.. a large number of people will read that and assume it's true.. they're the same people who read all the urban legends that go around and believe them... I generally do what Pat has done (go to Snopes or a similar site) and often there's plenty of info about the hoax there. But most folks don't do that.

Now I have concerns about Obama. I also have concerns about Hillary. I also have concerns about McCain. All three have something about them to consider long and hard. And I hope I can cut through all the bogus stuff to the truth and find the right one to vote for (or an independent candidate to support if a good one comes around). Are most people that dilligent? I hope so, but based on the number of scam letters I get every day from otherwise smart people.. and based on the vitriolic hatred of the "other" party I get from good people who are both republicans and democrats, I am not so sure that's the case.

I am not sure there is a solution. It used to be that the media was part of the solution, but now it's perhaps the biggest part of the misinformation problem. How did that happen?

Brian