CHAINMAIL: The Bane of my Existence!

[Amethyste]

Who doesn't have them...
I GET THEM Aaaaaaaall the time. And you know, they usually come from a client/friend of mine that I have known for 5+ years.
This one takes it all...

Setting:

I get this chainmail that says to boycott the "EID muslim" holiday stamp that will be issued by the USPS. And then of course, the multiple lines of "hate" filled sentences putting all of the Muslim in the same boat... You know what i mean...

I got really upset with this email and I replied to all... I voiced my un-popular opinion saying that it is quite unfair to generalize people, especially when these acts were committed by extremists... I am an immigrant too, and became a US citizen and remind everyone that America is a wonderful melting pot of cultures and that I embrace such diversity. My email was kind and not aggressive.

( The EID stamp was not new "news" to me, I knew it was released before at least a couple of times... but seems that this ovious one sided email was purposely created to stir patriotic bonding etc, and didn't fly with me... )

BUT!!!! I received email from HER husband and Daughter ( who replied to everyone in the mailing list ) saying that if I don't like it, I should GET OUT of this country, and that "Anyone who comes here should first put America first - something YOU and others ( like other immigrants ) have no idea how to". Then My client/friend replies to everyone that I am insensitive natured to reply to all of her "email friends" - "I am actually shocked you responded in that manner..." "My daughter and husband gave an opinion since you felt the need to share yours with my email friends my family just reciprocated and I do not blame them one dam bit."

Why...? Cause my opinion was so different than theirs, she probably felt ashamed and had to appologize to her "friends" for my insensitive nature... But it was ok for her daughter and husband to reply to everyone cause their message was in the same sentiment of the original email...

What bothers me the most is that none of them took the time to actually research and get some facts straight. That email is a complete hoax filled with false truths. The saddest thing is that most of them actually take this as True facts, and jump on the "lets boycott this muslim stamp" band-wagon without actually looking into it and realize that it is pure crap. I called her on it and probably didn't like that.

So..........I guess friendship is over huh? Come on, it's a chainmail, and a pretty bad one at it. One should expect ( at least I do ) some sort of replies... I am just sadden and really surprised that she reacted that way - pretty much told everyone that I am a weirdo...

Oye... Time for a Gin and Tonic!

 

[ChloeTheGreat]

That sounds extremely frustrating.

A coworker, who I consider a friend, asked me for my email address a few days ago. I gave it to her.
The first message I got was one of those CHAIN messages... some simplified jokey stereotypical solutions to problems in the economy and the president and immigration, blah blah blah.

We clearly do not agree on these subjects, and I am slightly confused as to why she thought I was an appropriate person to forward it to.

Hopefully she won't send more of these kinds of things to me.

 

[Amethyste]

I totally understand you!!!!

I don't know why she sent me this email... If she really knew me, she'd know this would upset me... Maybe I should have been the "bigger person" by not replying - but after 4+ years of all these chainmails, I had enough!

 

[zhuzhu]

Just put her email in your spam list and don't deal with her again. Some people can't be reasoned with, unfortunately. I get these stupid chainmail all the time and I just delete them without even reading....

 

[Cehrabehra]

I haven't gotten one of these for years. Literally. People who send them - it speaks volumes to me and I guess I've filtered all of those people from my life. lol

 

[redfaerythinker]

I haven't gotten chainmail since high school I guess. No one that I know would dream of sending such stupid crap on. It's not worth the space in my inbox, especially those filled with hate.

 

[MissMina]

I used to get quite a few but haven't seen any since I started referring
the senders to:

http://www.google.com/search?client=ope ... 8&oe=utf-8

 

[Amethyste]

I guess i am just really surprised that my "friend" is calling me an insensitive jerk and to get over myself...
I got more emails from her this morning and with name calling... I am really sideswiped and actually do not know how to handle this situation. We talk weekly and hang out quite often... I am totally baffled... and sad

 

[sbde]

Amethyste,

I'm totally with you re: my disdain of chainmail, but I wanted to respond just to thank you for writing that note back to your client and her email list.

As a Muslim living in the US, I'm always a little taken aback by this wave of anti-Muslim sentiment that has been growing. I've felt undercurrents of it on a regular basis, and always try to educate people about the millions of Muslims living peacefully around the world who are just as shocked and appalled by the actions of the small % of terrorists.

So THANK YOU Amethyste, for your support - and for having the courage to voice an unpopular opinion to an obviously unreceptive group. I'm sorry about all of the negative feedback you're receiving from your client and her family, but I just want to say that I really believe people like you make America the great country that it is!

 

[Indylady]

Ame, I'm really sorry you're going through this. Kudos to you for voicing your thoughts and standing up for an entire group of people.

I think you were the bigger person by replying. If you're anything like me, it would have bugged you if you hadn't.

 

[Haven]

Amey, I'm sorry this is going on. I caused a really big rift between my husband and one of his (former) close friends over an anti-Muslin chain email that he sent to me during the last presidential election.

I wasn't inflammatory at all in my response, I just wrote a very careful response expressing my shock that a friend of ours was buying into and spreading hate. This friend is Greek, and we are Jewish, so I used examples from our own respective histories of persecution to illustrate why I was so surprised that he, as a Greek man, would send me, a Jew, such an email. He clearly wasn't interested in rescinding the hate email, and his friendship with my husband hasn't been the same ever since. I feel horrible about that, but I also feel uncomfortable being social friends with someone who is clearly bigoted.

I don't get any chain mail at all anymore, though--every time someone sends me a chain I respond and politely request that they take me off of their forwarding list.

 

[Nashville]

I don't have anything to add about chainmail, but can I just say when I was scrolling through the Hangout topics I thought your post said:

"CANNIBALS: The Bane of my Existence!"

Ha!

 

[Amethyste]

Amethyste,

I'm totally with you re: my disdain of chainmail, but I wanted to respond just to thank you for writing that note back to your client and her email list.

As a Muslim living in the US, I'm always a little taken aback by this wave of anti-Muslim sentiment that has been growing. I've felt undercurrents of it on a regular basis, and always try to educate people about the millions of Muslims living peacefully around the world who are just as shocked and appalled by the actions of the small % of terrorists.

So THANK YOU Amethyste, for your support - and for having the courage to voice an unpopular opinion to an obviously unreceptive group. I'm sorry about all of the negative feedback you're receiving from your client and her family, but I just want to say that I really believe people like you make America the great country that it is!

AWWW Sweetie - i feel for you ... It is hard to be an immigrant sometimes. my spoken english is still broken. while most think it is cute and charming - some are put off by it. What can I do...? I am happy to be able to speak more than 1 language. I consider myself lucky!

I just don't understand these emails - they are so .... WRONG! In all humanly possible ways! I don't agree and refuse to buy into this type of limit pushing patriotism. Next thing I know, I'll be putting the canadian flag on my house ( along with the USA one - flying higher ) and I'll come home with graffitis and or vandalism. Sometimes, being here are an immigrant is very hard, and trying to live a normal life can be at times trying.

I am most certain that she will no longer speak to me - which is ok. I don't really need to surround myself with simple and twisted minded people. One minute I am a friend and the other, I am an insensitive jerk. That is hard to swallow.

 

[jas]

Wait, I may be very confused here...

Many people were sent a hate-filled piece of email, so when many people were sent your "your email was full of incorrect and offensive comments" email, *that* shouldn't have been shared with so many?

They were embarrassed everyone got *your* email?

I rarely do this, but to this other person:

 

[Amethyste]

Wait, I may be very confused here...

Many people were sent a hate-filled piece of email, so when many people were sent your "your email was full of incorrect and offensive comments" email, *that* shouldn't have been shared with so many?

They were embarrassed everyone got *your* email?

I rarely do this, but to this other person:

... Jas, yep.... you got this right... so double

 

[TooPatient]

Send them this:


The Best of All Chain Letters

I want to thank all of you who have taken the time and trouble to send me your damn chain letters over the past two years. Thank you for making me feel safe, secure, blessed, and wealthy. Because of your concern... I no longer can drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains. I no longer drink Pepsi or Dr Pepper since the people who make these products are atheists who refuse to put "Under God" on their cans. I no longer drink anything out of a can because I will get sick from the rat feces and urine.

I no longer use Saran wrap in the microwave because it causes cancer. I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because I could get pricked with a needle infected with AIDS. I no longer use cancer causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day. I no longer go to shopping malls because someone will drug me with a perfume sample and they are actually Al Qaida in disguise. I no longer shop at Target since they are French and don't support our American troops. I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a stupid number for which I will get the phone bill from hell with calls to Jamaica, Uganda, Singapore, and Uzbekistan. I no longer eat pre- packaged foods because the estrogens they contain will turn me gay.

I no longer eat KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers. I no longer date the opposite sex because they will take my kidneys and leave me taking a nap in a bathtub full of ice. I no longer have any sneakers -- but that will change once I receive my free replacement pair from Nike.

I no longer buy expensive cookies from Neiman Marcus since I now have their recipe. I no longer worry about my soul because I have 363,214 angels looking out for me. I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl who is about to die in the hospital (for the 1,387,258th time). I no longer have any money at all, but that will change once I receive the $15,000 that Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their special e-mail program.

Yes, I want to thank all of you soooooooo much for looking out for me! I will now return the favor.

If you don't send this e-mail to at least 1200 people in the next 60 seconds, a large bird with diarrhea will crap on your head at 5:00 pm this afternoon and the fleas of a thousand camels will infest your armpits. I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of a friend of a friend .

 

[TooPatient]

My above post is not meant to offend anyone or make a serious situation into a joke. The e-mail you got was in poor taste and their responses to your response were uncalled for and just outrageous.

All but one person have stopped sending me this sort of thing. I usually delete without reading, but get ambitious every once in awhile and send links to the CORRECT information that shows them how WRONG what they sent out really is.

Anyway, the above post is what I started sending to the people who insisted on sending me chain letters.


edited to correct spelling

 

[oobiecoo]

Send them this:


The Best of All Chain Letters

I want to thank all of you who have taken the time and trouble to send me your damn chain letters over the past two years. Thank you for making me feel safe, secure, blessed, and wealthy. Because of your concern... I no longer can drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains. I no longer drink Pepsi or Dr Pepper since the people who make these products are atheists who refuse to put "Under God" on their cans. I no longer drink anything out of a can because I will get sick from the rat feces and urine.

I no longer use Saran wrap in the microwave because it causes cancer. I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because I could get pricked with a needle infected with AIDS. I no longer use cancer causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day. I no longer go to shopping malls because someone will drug me with a perfume sample and they are actually Al Qaida in disguise. I no longer shop at Target since they are French and don't support our American troops. I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a stupid number for which I will get the phone bill from hell with calls to Jamaica, Uganda, Singapore, and Uzbekistan. I no longer eat pre- packaged foods because the estrogens they contain will turn me gay.

I no longer eat KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers. I no longer date the opposite sex because they will take my kidneys and leave me taking a nap in a bathtub full of ice. I no longer have any sneakers -- but that will change once I receive my free replacement pair from Nike.

I no longer buy expensive cookies from Neiman Marcus since I now have their recipe. I no longer worry about my soul because I have 363,214 angels looking out for me. I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl who is about to die in the hospital (for the 1,387,258th time). I no longer have any money at all, but that will change once I receive the $15,000 that Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their special e-mail program.

Yes, I want to thank all of you soooooooo much for looking out for me! I will now return the favor.

If you don't send this e-mail to at least 1200 people in the next 60 seconds, a large bird with diarrhea will crap on your head at 5:00 pm this afternoon and the fleas of a thousand camels will infest your armpits. I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of a friend of a friend .

I LOVE this! lol

 

[AGBF]

Amethyste wrote:

"So..........I guess friendship is over huh? Come on, it's a chainmail, and a pretty bad one at it. One should expect ( at least I do ) some sort of replies...."


Amethyste, I am coming to this thread because another thread you posted (about what you wrote to the person who sent you this original piece of mail) directed me here. I had not seen this thread before.

I just wanted to tell you two brief anecdotes of my own that are germane to your experience with your friend. First, I have sometimes lost my patience and responded, albeit with thoughtful, well-reasoned answers, to fatuous pieces of mail that I receive from friends. Not too long ago I got one from a male friend who lives in Vermont. The piece of e-mail he forwarded claimed that immigrants were getting huge financial welfare grants that US citizens could not and ranted against these so-called grants and about welfare. As a social worker, I had just about had it. I wrote to my friend (and everyone besides me to whom he had sent this piece of nonsense) and explained that this grant did not exist and that welfare did not exist anymore either. I was lucky (and I have come to realize I was lucky) in this case. My friend accepted what I wrote (I guess), because I continue to get all kinds of mail (very little-if any-actually written by him) all the time. So I guess we're still friends. That is my first anecdote.

My second anecdote does not have a happy ending and I am just putting 2 and 2 together. I have finally figured out why a former friend has not been in touch with me for a long time. It is because she send me a political e-mail during the last presidential campaign season and I responded to it. I am not claiming that this piece of e-mail (a piece of chain mail) was even stupid. It was just chain mail. Mail meant for an audience that would agree with it. Since I did not and saw flaws in its logic, I courteously replied to it. I never figured out that her disappearance from my life must have been due to that, because it was her husband who replied to me. Some people find political differences unforgivable.

Deb/AGBF

 

[Amethyste]

ABGF -

Thank you for your replies and sharing with me your experiences... I adore you...

for me, what really damaged the whole thing was the name calling. I just cannot get passed that. It's a huge lack of respect. I cannot associate myself with people that fly off the handle so easily... I guess that is what hurts me the most in all of this...