Over time email expanded and more and more people were able to communicate. Some time around 1998 or so, I stopped writing regular letters, except to my mother. She never had an email address or a computer. After she died, I never sent another "snail mail" letter via the post office. I have to admit I have sent important letters via FedEx but only for business. All my personal mail is email. Over the years I held on to my AOL address. I have friends who know it and it's a pain to switch to another provider. Today, I have email at work. I have another email address on my Treo phone, and my old AOL address. Three email accounts for the parts of my life.
As email evolved so did the idea of spam and junk email. AOL was always ready to provide filters to block most of it. The worst is stuff sent to me by friends who like to pass on chain email.
Some of these so called friends have never sent me a real email about their life or what they think. They ONLY pass on chain emails. Naked women, flag waving, bible thumping bullshit I do not want or ask for.
At first when I got this crap, I read it. Then deleted it. Much of it is in support of some cause. Help the poor little kid who is dying of aids by sending this email to all your friends kind of stuff. I never really understood how this would help. I guess the kid died because I did not pass on the chain email. In the last few years this chain email has begun to include more important issues. Some are about global warming. Some about Iraq. Many are about how America is going to hell because of Mexicans or the lack of school prayer.
About a month ago I got a chain email from a former coworker from 5 years ago. He never sends me an email about where he works or his life. But out of no place he sends me an email saying how great jesus is for saving him. This would have been another delete, but I read the whole thing. At the bottom it said something like this:
"If you think you are really a christian and you send this type of chain email to your christian friends...then this time show your faith by sending this on to EVERYONE in your address book."
The email was saying. You aren't a "real christian" unless you forward this crap to people who do not want it. That pissed me off.
Nobody has stronger opinions then me. I have spent over 50 years thinking about this stuff and I can discuss and debate almost any important issue. Much of what I believe, I post here, but I do not send chain emails to friends to prove my faith or lack of it. For me, chain email is not about faith. It is about being inconsiderate of others. Further, I am annoyed by people who have less then zero writing skills and send the ideas of other idiots, rather then write.
Email should not be like...having friends over for dinner and then try to sell them AMWAY.
So, I have begun to push back. When I get this crap I reply to all and explain that America is a great country but we are diverse. Our strength comes from this diversity and we need to understand that chain emails are ..."LIKE WEARING UNDERWEAR ON YOUR HEAD". You can do it but you only look stupid.
For the record:
- I think illegal immigrants have every right to be here. If they walked 900 miles and risked their life to live here, they passed the test. Many of the people who were born here are not as tough.
- I do not support the god-myth. I understand why people need it, but I do not.
- I want a President who will make government work for taxpayers.
- I dislike traffic laws. I think if you hit other cars you should have to ride the bus.
- I think Service in America is in a crisis. There is almost no real service.
- I do not like to watch sports. It seems like watching other people exercise. I can not understand why men carry on about athletes.
- I love my wife and children even when they do odd things.
- I will give you the shirt off my back, but I will beat you to death if you try to steal it.
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