The Aunt Jemima Backstory

With the ongoing protests about the insane level of police violence and racial injustice in the USA, suddenly Aunt Jemima is back in the news. A false meme instantly began pushing a complete BS story about Nancy Green all over social media.  Then I received the same meme in an email.

You can imagine that I, your humble fact-checking and “backstories” writer, just had to make this post.

Fact-Checking BS Emails

It’s that time again!  The presidential election brings the crazies out of their basements and think-tanks to compete in the “BS Email & Social Media Follies”.

Lots of people have asked me how to go about fact-checking, so let’s discuss it here.

First, let’s take a look at fact-checking, and a few tips on how to spot a BS email or post.

How To Spot a BS Email or Post

• A BS Email claims to be factual, rather than opinion.  And it is full of fake “facts”, quotes, and lots of hyperbole.  A false message often contains a tiny grain of truth.  This is done to give “cover” or deniability to the liar, and it also gives lazy readers a false sense that the entire message must be true.  Let’s not be lazy readers, my friends!  If something is just too “on the nose”, or fits a political narrative a bit too exactly, don’t forward or re-post it until you’ve checked it out.
• If a quote seems out of character for the person to whom it was attributed, check it.
• Always suspect emails with giant font, a lot of exclamation points and ALL CAPS!!!!!!!!!  (If you can imagine someone hysterically yelling the message, definitely check it.)
• If the post or email quotes a known propagandist or propaganda organization, be suspicious.  (There are some individuals who have made a very good living twisting words, telling outright lies, and especially, selling hate and fear of “the other”.  They often refer to themselves as “real Americans” and other people as outsiders.  Always fact-check anything these people say.)

There are several types of people who contribute to a “successful” BS email or social media meme:

1. The despicable people who knowingly create these emails and posts, and who don’t care that they’re terrifying our elderly and uneducated, since their goal is to gain votes through deceitful manipulation.
2. The above mentioned elderly, who came from a time when creating a fake TV “news” station or building a website based on false “information” would be considered shameful. Yes, there was a time when a reporter strove for honesty and tried to be impartial. After all, the airwaves belong to the U.S. citizens, and a person using these airwaves had an ethical obligation to help educate and enlighten citizens, not outright manipulate them.   Sorry, that time is long gone. (You cannot blindly believe what you see on television or read in an email or see on a website.)
3. The uneducated, who do believe what they read or see without fact-checking.
4. All of the above people, who forward BS emails to vast numbers of people, continuing the cycle of dumbing-down the country.

A great example: Today an email came forwarded to me printed in GIANT BOLD COLORED FONT and of course, lots of exclamation points!!!!!!: the better to scare you with, my dear.

Another Reply to Old Right Wing Email, “The Fence”

Several years ago I posted a reply to the right-wing propaganda email, “The Fence”.  Today I found another response (written ‘way back in 2010) that was so excellent I’ve posted it below.  It’s from DailyKos author aarujo; read the entire article here.

REPLY to “THE FENCE”

If a Democrat hears about a crime in his neighborhood, he calls the cops, and then finds out if his local police department is adequately funded.

If a Republican hears about a crime in his neighborhood, he buys a gun and gets shot by his wife when he’s drunk. Unless his kid used it to shoot the neighbor kid first.

If a Democrat has a religion, he practices it at home and at church.
If a Republican has a religion, everyone must practice it in all public places, schools and courthouses.

If a Democrat isn’t a homosexual, he doesn’t have sex with homosexuals.
If a Republican isn’t a homosexual, he wants to ban homosexuals from ever enlisting in the military and getting married (because there’s nothing worse than a monogamous homosexual) but will still have sex with them in a public restroom.

If a Democrat sees his hard-working neighbor out of a job, he wonders if any of the existing economic policies cost him his job, how this can be corrected, and how society can help him until he gets back to work.
If a Republican sees his hard-working neighbor out of a job, he assumes the guy is lazy or being punished by God.

If a Democrat doesn’t like a talk show host, he changes stations…and finds that they are all Republicans even though half or more Americans are Democrats.
If a Republican doesn’t like a talk show host, he calls him a terrorist-loving, America-hating traitor who should be shot (or maybe that was just Rush Limbaugh).

If a Democrat has good health insurance, he wonders if others have it too and how he can help them get it.
If a Republican has good health insurance, he doesn’t give a crap if other people die in the streets like unwanted dogs.

If a Democrat hears a good idea like “Love your neighbor as yourself,” they try to live by it.
If a Republican hears a good idea like that, they make a long list of exceptions to the rule, to include women, minorities, immigrants, gays….

Lastly, if a Democrat gets an un-sourced email, he wonders if it was concocted by some big DC-based corporate public relations lobbying firm who knows just how to push Republicans’ buttons.
If a Republican gets an un-sourced email, he forwards it without thought because it pushed all his buttons.

Another Crazy Email Entitled “Hard To Believe In America”

And they’reeee back.  Actually, they never went away: The writers of deliberately deceptive emails intended to enrage/terrify US citizens who are too gullible (or lazy) to fact-check.  This one capitalizes on fears that in the United States, good upstanding (majority) Christians are somehow being discriminated against, while evil (minority) Muslims are getting coddled. Here it is, with the facts in bold.  This was forwarded to me by a friend who got it from a family member.

Sorry about the capitalized YELLING, but I’ve pasted it intact, (and these kinds of emails seem to always include YELLING):

THIS IS ONE FOR CHRISTIANS TO READ AND FORWARD! 
 
SOME STATES ARE ALLOWING MUSLIM STUDENTS TO PRAY DURING SCHOOL HOURS. IF THEY ALLOW THAT, THEN WE SHOULD BRING BACK OUR FLAGS IN THE CLASSROOMS AND ALLOW OTHERS TO PRAY TOO! TIME FOR THE CHRISTIANS TO SPEAK UP. DEMAND THEIR RIGHTS.

Let's start with the flag.  Obviously flags have not been "banned" in schools. Kids still can say the pledge of allegiance.  Flags fly over every school.  (And the post office, and over stores and gas stations and car lots.  Its as if we have to be reminded every two seconds which country we're in.  But I digress.)

Also, ANY kid can pray at school.  "Dear god, let me pass this test" is probably the most commonly prayed sentence in school for any teenager. The only prayer that isn't supposed to happen is an official-led prayer to any specific deity - which would be unfair, exclusive, and has no place in our secular constitutional democracy.
 
Now about the "praying during school hours". All organized religions have lame requirements that are, frankly, stupid.  And they all have holidays that can help kids get out of class, which is nice for the kids.  But if you're not Christian or Jewish, you don't get an automatic holiday in the U.S.
 
Christmas, although based upon ancient pre-christian celebrations, is generally today thought of as a "Christian holiday". Schools close down completely. Jewish kids are granted automatic absence on their holidays, although the school stays open. (I guess this makes them second class citizens?  And what about Hindus? No vacation for you!)
At Ramadan, an Islamic holiday, the kids are required by their religion to pray at a certain time of day, which falls during school hours. Silly, right? Some schools have allowed these kids to use an empty room for the 5-10 minutes in which they are required to pray.  (Let's just let the adults pretend the kids really do pray and aren't just using that time to play games on their phone.) There is no "special room" and it's only happening during the holiday of Ramadan.  

I mean, I think it's dumb to force your kids to pray at all, much less during school hours - doesn't any adult remember being a self-conscious teenager?  But parents are legally allowed to force religion on their kids, right?

Here's part of a school's explanation, from snopes:
Our schools celebrate our diversity, and we do NOT have any designated program or space for students of ANY specific religion. We are proud to celebrate each student and their unique background. This is why we have Fellowship of Christian Athletes groups, pray at the flag pole before school starts, and cultural diversity clubs. 
At the high school level we allow students to use a designated space during their non-academic times, such as a study hall or lunch, if they simply need some quiet time. Sometimes students simply need a moment to walk away and meditate, chill-out or observe their cultural or religious practices to be able to focus better on their lessons. All of this allows us to better personalize the experience for our students and helps us to focus on the whole child in a more meaningful way.
-Snopes.com
 
Back to the madness:
When we get 100,000,000, that's one hundred million, willing Christians to BOND together, voice their concerns and vote, we can take back America with God's help.

Take back America? From whom?  Enough already. First, America is a continent, not a country.  I believe you meant to say The United States.  And next, Take the country back from whom? The "scary" black president?  Your friendly pagan neighbor? Immigrants from Mexico and South America?  Buddhists?  Athiests? Gay people?  Exactly who do you guys think the U.S. "belongs" to? Hello coded xenophobia! 
 
Become one of the One hundred million.. Then let's get 200 million.  It can be done just by sending this email to your friends.  Do the math.  It only takes a single willing heart and a fed up SOUL.

Or complete and total ignorance, fear and bigotry, which now makes up about 25% of the U.S. citizenry. Thanks, Fox "news"!
 
God Bless America and Shine your light on Her!

Really?  You want us to pass around an email that's almost 100% Bulls*it?  And look like idiots to people who DO bother to fact-check? Perhaps the person who sent this didn't know it was lies, because they believe their sources, who manipulate them with no conscience.  Or maybe they're just willing to spread lies in order to get the "not smart" people to vote republican by scaring them.  Not cool.
 
In  1952 President Truman Established one day a year as a "National Day of Prayer." 
In 1988 President Reagan Designated the first Thursday in May of each year as The National Day of Prayer.

Fun Fact:
There have been 67 Presidential Proclamations for a National Day of Prayer (1952 – 2015). Gerald R. Ford (1976), George H. Bush (1989 – 91) and Barack H. Obama (2012) are the only U.S. Presidents to sign multiple National Day of Prayer Proclamations in the same year.  Yes, you read that right.  Obama signed MULTIPLE National Day of Prayer Proclamations in the same year.

crazy email: Obama’s Ring (cue the ominous music…)

Oh my, it must be election season.  It’s the third day in a row I’ve received a bats*it crazy email from my reich-wing relative about…. (insert scary Halloween voice here)…Obama.

In this case, a two-second check of snopes was enough to get the job done.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/weddingring.asp

Here is the text of the email:

*What is inscribed on Barack Obama’s ring? **
Barack Obama has been wearing the same ring for over 30 years. *
*When Barack and Michelle were married in October 1992, Barack used the ring as his wedding ring.
So, what is so important about this ring that Obama will never take it off?*
*The answer is shocking.*

This is followed by blurry images of The Ring.  They didn’t use the clear one I’ve posted here, which was used by the folks at Snopes.

So what’s the big scary-shocking deal?

Is it the ONE RING of POWER — with the script of Mordor inscribed inside???

Sorry,  it’s nothing as fun as that.

crazy email: “White House Visitors”

Another crazy reich-wing email was sent to me recently by a relative.  It’s entitled “White House Visitors” and ominously claims that “scores of known radical Islamists have made hundreds of visits to the Obama White House, meeting with top administration officials.”

So, what’s he talking about?  Perhaps he meant this President:

Reagan invites the Taliban to the White House for Tea

crazy email: “Whose (sp) Controlling Obama?” plus George Soros backstory

Once again, it’s crazy email time!  And once again, in the interest of honesty, I’m dissecting the BS, so YOU don’t have to.

Today’s email writer evidently confused the word “Who’s” with “Whose”, thus making the title seem a little more crazy than usual.  It’s a long one, so I won’t reprint it all here.

A good indicator of a BS email is when it is anonymous or is falsely attributed to a reputable source.  In this case, this email was attributed to reporter named Steve Kroft from “60 Minutes” – but a quick check with snopes showed that Kroft did not write any of this drivel.  Instead, a fanatic reich-wing blogger named Jim O’Neill wrote it back in 2009.

The email rants and raves about “socialism” and “marxism”, and then  demonizes wealthy philanthropist and democracy advocate George Soros… and claims that he is “controlling” Obama.

Because, come on, a black guy couldn’t become president without a white puppet master!

crazy email: The Mythical Liberal Media & The Washington Post

This post features another forwarded crazy email easily debunked with a quick search inquiry.  How happy I’ll be when this “election” is behind us… as a liberal, I get so tired of Obama being called “liberal”, since he is most definitely NOT.   However,  the barrage of reich-wing emails aren’t aimed at Green Party Presidential candidate Jill Stein or other GENUINE liberals, so here we are, debunking another Obama freak-out.

I have to ask myself, what will the reich do when we get mainstream coverage of actual liberals?  They’ve already spent 4 years hysterically screaming that Obama, an Eisenhower-style republican/democrat is a commie-socialist-marxist-muslim-radical.  How will they be able to  induce even more knee-jerk fear into their base?

Because believe me, Occupy and Greens and Socialist Democracy proponents are NOT going away, and eventually people will start to realize that we are ALL in this TOGETHER.  We will choose Life.  And we will embrace shared sacrifice and shared blessings, innovative new ways to clean up our environment, preservation and restoration of our wilderness, respect and reverence of all the commons, and the obvious fact that life is more precious than money.  I don’t know how the holdout reich-wingers will cope with the change. 

Some will see the light and become part of the solution.

“They said it didn’t matter” (a mess of propaganda and lies, with replies)

Sigh, another day, another crazy right wing email.  This one was credited to  John W. Wallace, a self proclaimed “oathkeeper” teabagger, birther, and far-right activist, but I did not see it on his website, so it may have falsely been attributed to him.   It is so full of misinformation, typical FOX “news” innuendo, and outright lies — AND it is so very LONG, that I didn’t really want to take the time to address each and every item.

Being an actual liberal progressive person, I didn’t originally feel that I wanted or needed to defend Obama, since he’s so middle of the road, so compliant to the reich wing, so ready to compromise, and, well, so generally conservative.  He’s surely not radical, and if I would compare him to any previous President, it might be republican President Eisenhower.

I’ve never been happy with an American President during my lifetime, so why start now?  But the vitrol of the email and its pure stupidity made me decide to start a response.  Although written in the spirit of the sports-team mentality of “my guys are always right, the other guys are always wrong”… it’s worse than that.  It deceives and misdirects people’s energy.  WE the PEOPLE should be helping each other, coming together to force change.  Instead we are too easily divided.  Obama is a politician, like other politicians.  In America, politicians work for the wealthy.  Until we change that system, we will continue to have to choose between politicians that the wealthy find acceptable.  So I found this email to be damaging, divisive, and false…and felt like I had to address it.

I searched in vain for any other posts or sites that already addressed this particular email, and found none.  UPDATE: I’ve since learned that a very smart liberal blogger posted a copy of this email back in 2009, So evidently my reich-wing email sender is way, way behind in his propaganda promotion.  So, I’m currently posting this as a work in progress.  I may fill in more answers over time, but probably will just move on.  Feel free to look up some of the items I’ve not yet addressed, and email them to me via this site if you’d like to update it.  I’d love any help I can get in addressing this mountain of misinformation…and will happily credit YOU for your contribution.

Here it is, with replies in bold.

****

AMERICA IS SLOWLY BEING TURNED INTO A SOCIALIST COUNTRY BECAUSE MANY AMERICANS SAID OBAMA’S PAST AND HIS POST-ELECTION ACTIONS DIDN’T MATTER

Your initial statement is ridiculous.  Firstly, exactly HOW is America even close to being a “socialist” country?  Right Wingers constantly use this word as a knee-jerk slur, yet few seem to even know what they’re talking about. Can you even define “socialism”?   How does it work?  What do you find bad about it?  And how on earth could the U.S. be considered even remotely socialist?  Because we collectively build roads that anyone can use and hire firefighters who will save both the rich and the poor?  Oooh, the horror!  Come on, this is a meaningless and ridiculous statement.

Response to Right-Wing Email Entitled “The Fence”

I received a right-wing email recently, tellingly entitled, “The Fence”. Fences are of course, meant to divide people. And the email was sad in that the author had worked hard to divide us – yet while doing so, unwittingly revealed the basic difference in viewpoint between Liberal Progressives and Conservative Regressives.

In “the fence” email, the conservative author is focused on “ME-ME-ME” – and erroneously believes liberals have the same selfish world view. I believe this lack of understanding of basic motivation is the key difference between progressives and conservatives – one that has evolutionary implications.