Getting emails in ALLCAPS bugs the hell out of me. It is almost always right-wing nutjobbery, and usually I am one of a few dozen recipients, all of whose names and email addresses appear for the world to use.
But today, I received one of these ALLCAPS epistles, and I came to a bit of understanding.
The story is below, but here is the money-quote:
JOE, I ALWAYS TYPE IN CAPS AND USE A #14 FONT BECAUSE OF VISION PROBLEMS.
I can relate to this. I am slightly deaf, and I tend to shout a bit. If someone is shouting, verbally or in ALLCAPS, they might necessarily be rude, or right-wing people.
Using ALLCAPS might be a sign of physical blindness, not moral blindness.
Just sayin'. I say more, below the squiggle.
A few days ago, I received an email, purportedly originally from Bill Cosby:
"I'm 83 and Tired" Worth reading.....
This should be required reading for every man, woman and child in Jamaica,
the UK , United States of America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand and
to all the world...
"I'm 83 and I'm Tired"
I'm 83. Except for brief period in the 50's when I was doing my National
Service, I've worked hard since I was 17. Except for some serious
health challenges, I put in 50-hour weeks, and didn't call in sick in nearly
40 years. I made a reasonable salary, but I didn't inherit my job or my
income, and I worked to get where I am. Given the economy, it looks as
though retirement was a bad idea, and I'm tired. Very tired.
I'm tired of being told that I have to "spread the wealth" to people who
don't have my work ethic. I'm tired of being told the government will take
the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy
to earn it.
I'm tired of being told that Islam is a "Religion of Peace," when every day I
can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and
daughters for their family "honor"; of Muslims rioting over some slight
offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because they aren't
"believers"; of Muslims burning schools for girls; of Muslims stoning
teenage rape victims to death for "adultery"; of Muslims mutilating the
genitals of little girls; all in the name of Allah, because the Qur'an and
Shari'a law tells them to.
I'm tired of being told that out of "tolerance for other cultures" we must let
Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries use our oil money to fund mosques
and madrassa Islamic schools to preach hate in Australia, New Zealand,
UK, America and Canada, while no one from these countries are allowed to
fund a church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia or any other
Arab country to teach love and tolerance..
I'm tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global
warming, which no one is allowed to debate.
I'm tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and I must help
support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do. Did a giant germ
rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up their noses
or stick a needle in their arm while they tried to fight it off?
I'm tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and politicians of all
parties talking about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or youthful
mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was getting
caught. I'm tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich or poor.
I'm really tired of people who don't take responsibility for their lives and
actions. I'm tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination
or big-whatever for their problems.
I'm also tired and fed up with seeing young men and women in their teens and
early 20's be-deck them selves in tattoos and face studs, thereby making
themselves un-employable and claiming money from the Government.
Yes, I'm damn tired. But I'm also glad to be 83.. Because, mostly, I'm not
going to have to see the world these people are making. I'm just sorry for
my granddaughter and their children. Thank God I'm on the way out and not
on the way in.
There is no way this will be widely publicized, unless each of us
sends it on!
This is your chance to make a difference.
“I'm 83 and I'm tired.
The email was from someone I did not know. I googled his email address, discovered his identity, and replied:
Yeah. This is "food for thought" exactly like pink slime is "food"; this particular bit of garbage has been around for several years, and is not fit for human consumption.
It is a nasty, hateful bit of fiction. Bill Cosby has disavowed it as a bilious fraud. (The person committing the fraud did not even get Bill Cosby's age right.)
When a person receives a bit of nasty email like this, he can take a responsible course of action: research the claims made and respond to the sender, or just serve the hateful and untrue pink slime to his friends and correspondents.
I am taking the better course, and I hope you will, too. Please let the person who sent this garbage to you know that it is a hoax. And send this message to all your recipients, so that this hoax ends. I don't want to eat pink slime, either physically or intellectually, and I doubt that you do. I hope you will let me know that you have taken the responsible, honest course of action.
Here are a couple of citations:
Bill Cosby's website:
http://billcosby.com/...
Snopes:
http://www.snopes.com/...
I sent the email. I called the fellow. He was a very talkative, pleasant fellow, who indicated that he did not know me, either, and was pretty sure that he had not sent it to me, but that at least three other strangers had received the mail from his mailbox. He had forwarded the "Bill Cosby" thing to others, but not to me.
I soon received another hoax email from him, and, again, he denied sending it deliberately. I believe him.
He sent me an email today:
JOE, I ALWAYS TYPE IN CAPS AND USE A #14 FONT BECAUSE OF VISION PROBLEMS.
THESE ARE SOME OTHERS FROM THE "MAIL ADMINISTRATOR" THAT I RECEIVED.
J*****@ULTRAPLIX.COM
DOES NOT EXIST
K***@HCTC.COM
DOES NOT EXIST
W****@AOL.COM
RECIPIENT ADDRESS REJECTED: AOL.COM
J**@AOL.COM
RECIPIENT ADDRESS REJECTED: AOL.COM
NONE OF THESE ADDRESSES INCLUDING YOURS ARE IN MY ADDRESS BOOK/ CONTACTS.
I HAVEN'T SENT YOU OR ANY OF THE ABOVE PEOPLE ANY E-MAIL. AT THIS POINT I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO. PEOPLE ARE GETTING E-MAIL FROM ME THAT I AM DEFINITELY NOT SENDING. I WILL TRY TO FIND OUT WHAT IS HAPPENING. I WILL CHECK WITH WINDOWS MAIL AND COVAD, (MY I.S.P.).
UNTIL I FIND OUT WHAT IS GOING ON, PLEASE DELETE ANY E-MAIL FROM ME BECAUSE I DID NOT SEND IT.
DAVID L***