Don't Spread Lies Like the "Obama's 50 Lies"

If you visit lots of chat groups and blogs like I do, you have probably come across the widely circulated list of "Obama's 50 lies." With this being the season of extreme partisanship, it is easy to believe the worst about your opponent. I researched the list to see if it was something I wanted to repost. I discovered the list is simply not true. In some cases, the person who compiled the list claims Obama said things that there is no record of him ever saying. In other cases, what is claimed to be a lie is in fact true. In some cases the items on the list may be open to alternative interpretations of events, or be opinions, or simply harmless slight exaggerations.

As an example of one of the lies, the list says the following:
"Father was a goat herder- Liar, he was a privileged, well educated youth, who went on to work with the Kenyan Government."

Snopes points out that these attributes are not mutually exclusive and Obama's father was all three of these things at one time. Obama's biography states the his father was the son of a prominent farmer and an elder in his tribe and as a youth he herded goats. But it also says that he won a scholarship to study in Nairobi and then he was selected to attend a university in America. There is nothing to this supposed lie.

The internet is a great thing. It has put more information in the hands of more people than anytime in history. It has changed the political landscape and lessened the influence of the liberal mainstream press. Unfortunately, however, lies and rumors spread like wildfire in the blogosphere. Please, before you pass along something you read in a chat group or something someone emails you, check it out. It is not that hard to do. Here are four sources for verifying almost any thing:
Urban Legends http://urbanlegends.about.com/
Snopes http://www.snopes.com/
Hoax Busters http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org/HBUrbanMyths.shtml
Fact check http://www.factcheck.org/

Please save these as a "favorites" and use them to verify before you pass along a rumor.

I certainly do not want to see Barack Obama elected President, but the truth matters. I think Obama's relationship with 60's radical William Ayers and his radical pastor Jeremiah Wright should be exposed. There is enough to expose about Obama without making stuff up. Just as the left has spread vicious lies about Sarah Palin and her banning of books and other non-sense, some on our side of the political divide have been guilty of spreading lies about Obama. Unfortunately, it seems there have been more liars on our side than on the other side. Both group of liars are to be condemned. Please before you pass on something you get in an email or read in a chat group, check it out. All is not fair in love and war and politics; the truth is important.

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Sliming Palin

The following is reproduced from Fact Check.

Summary
We’ve been flooded for the past few days with queries about dubious Internet postings and mass e-mail messages making claims about McCain’s running mate, Gov. Palin. We find that many are completely false, or misleading.

• Palin did not cut funding for special needs education in Alaska by 62 percent. She didn’t cut it at all. In fact, she tripled per-pupil funding over just three years.

• She did not demand that books be banned from the
  Wasilla library. Some of the books on a widely circulated list were not even in print at the time. The librarian has said Palin asked a "What if?" question, but the librarian continued in her job through most of Palin's first term.

• She was never a member of the Alaskan Independence Party, a group that wants Alaskans to vote on whether they wish to secede from the United States. She’s been registered as a Republican since May 1982.

• Palin never endorsed or supported Pat Buchanan
  for president. She once wore a Buchanan button as a "courtesy" when he visited Wasilla, but shortly afterward she was appointed to co-chair of the campaign of Steve Forbes in the state.

• Palin has not pushed for teaching creationism in
  Alaska's schools. She has said that students should be allowed to "debate both sides" of the evolution question, but she also said creationism "doesn't have to be part of the curriculum."

Comment: The truth should matter. This smear campaign is spreading
like wildfire through the blogosphere. If you have anyone send you one of
these lies challenge it and shame them for spreading lies. While I don't doubt that these lies are being deliberately spread in an organized campaign
to discredit Palin, I am also sure than many well-intentioned people are repeating these lies simply because they are naive and gullible.

Fact Check is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. They appear unbiased and objective. Fact check gives detailed analysis of each of the Palin smears. To see the Fact Check article, click here: Slimming Palin.

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RE: Who is Barack Obama? (fwd)

by Rachel Williams

“Somethin' to consider Rach”.

Ok. Now, here is something for you to consider. Not everything one reads is true. I'm quite tired of receiving emails which are passed on with blind enthusiasm. I receive them on a regular basis, and I receive them on a variety of topics. From the origins of the word "shit" (see http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl-s-word.htm) to 9-11 conspiracy theories to political messages intended to promote right-winged agendas--feels like I've read it all. It's not that I mind getting them (usually I find them as a source of humor), it's the whole blind enthusiasm that I'm hung up on.

This email about Barack Obama is atrocious. A complete attack on his character, his reputation, his up-bringing, and most obviously, his personal relationship with God. Not to mention the offensive nature towards Muslims. I take offense to this email not because I am a staunch supporter of Obama (Funny thing is, I'm not), but because it isn't right.

It's one thing to tell lies, but it's another thing to pass them on with a judgmental, unquestioning nod of the head, with those myopic lenses donned. It abrades me to no end when people do not question. Don't get me wrong, it isn't that I don't get duped by accusations of a false nature; sure I do! This is in line with human error, human nature.... But if something sounds fishy, then do a little research! Or if you're not going to research it, then for heaven's sake, don't pass rumors on as truth!!!!!!

Upon receiving this email, It took two seconds to open another tab in my internet browser, go to google, and type in the words "obama muslim email". In 0.19 seconds, I had thousands (about 174,000) of results. The first one was this website:http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/muslim.asp

Please, go there yourself. Read the article. And then, pass it on to everyone you know. If you aren't familiar with Snopes.com, which I am assuming you are not, here is a link to wikipedia about the website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snopes

Here is an appropriate quote from that wikipedia article: "Snopes directs people to more information about various hoaxes, especially in regard to chain e-mails. Although they research their topics heavily and provide references when possible, not all of their sources (especially those which are personal interviews, phone calls, or e-mails) are fully verifiable. Where appropriate, pages are generally marked "undetermined" or "unverifiable" if the Mikkelsons feel there is not enough evidence to either support or disprove a given claim."

The snopes article about this Obama email sites a dozen sources, two of which are from Obama's own autobiographies. Again and with all seriousness, please follow the link (and pass it on). Just in case you don't pass it on, I have taken the liberty to copy every email in the forwarded email that you initially sent me. For once, you did me a favor by failing to delete all that junk preceding the email's body (I hate scrolling through that mess!). And so, if you are reading this email, wondering who in the world is "williamsra82" and why is she writing me---I got your email from my sister's forwarding of the Barack email.

Love ya Sis

Have a great week!

Rachel

(Following is the orginal email to which Rachle is responding.)

Subj: Fwd: Who is Barack Obama?

Who is Barack Obama?

Very interesting and something that should be considered in your choice. If you do not ever forward anything else, please forward this to all your contacts...this is very scary to think of what lies ahead of us here in our own United States...better heed this and pray about itand share it.
We checked this out on "HYPERLINK "http://snopes.com/" \nsnopes.com". It is factual. Check for yourself.

Who is Barack Obama? Probable U. S. presidential candidate, Barack Hussein Obama was bornin Honolulu, Hawaii, to Barack Hussein Obama, Sr., a black MUSLIM from Nyangoma-Kogel, Kenya and Ann Dunham, a white ATHIEST from Wichita, Kansas. Obama's parents met at the University of Hawaii. When Obama was two years old, his parents divorced. His father returned to Kenya. His mother then married Lolo Soetoro, a RADICAL Muslim from Indonesia.

When Obama was 6 years old, the family relocate to Indonesia. Obamaattended a MUSLIM school in Jakarta. He also spent two years in a Catholic school. Obama takes great care to conceal the fact that he is a Muslim. He is quick to point out that, "He was once a Muslim, but that he also attended Catholic School." Obama's political handlers are attempting to make it appear that he is not a radical. Obama's introduction to Islam came via his father, and that this influence was temporary at best. In reality, the senior Obama returned to Kenya soon after the divorce, and never again had any direct influence over his son's education.

Lolo Soetoro, the second husband of Obama' s mother, Ann Dunham,introduced his stepson to Islam. Obama was enrolled in a Wahabi school in Jakarta. Wahabism is the RADICAL teaching that is followed by the Muslim terrorists who are now waging Jihad against the western world. Since it is politically expedient to be a CHRISTIAN when seeking major public office in the United States, Barack Hussein Obama has joined the United Church of Christ in an attempt to downplay his Muslim background. ALSO, keep in mind that when he was sworn into office he DID NOT use the Holy Bible, but instead the Koran. Barack Hussein Obama will NOT recite the Pledge of Allegience nor will he show any reverence for our flag. While others place their hands over their hearts, Obama turns his back to the flag and slouches.

Let us all remain alert concerning Obama's expected presidential candidacy. The Muslims have said they plan on destroying the US from the inside out, what better way to start than at the highest level - through the President of the United States, one of their own!!!! Please forward to everyone you know. Would you want this man leading our country?...... NOT ME!!!

My Comment: The above entry is written by my daughter Rachel Williams in response to an email she received from a close family member. The original email, follows her response. Both are printing unedited except for deleting the names and email addresses of the sender. I have encounterd variations of this allegation on numerous web sites and chat groups. Many are trying to create the impression that Obama is some kind of Manchurian Candidate-like radical Muslim. The truth is that for four or five years, starting at age 6, Obama attended Indonesian public schools and Catholic Schools in Indonesia. The public school was not a Madrassas. He was not sworn into office on the Koran. The email is lie upon lie.

Please People: Stop spreading lies.

Good job, Rachel.

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Please, Stop Spreading Lies!

On the Internet, I routinely come across outlandish alarming stories. A few of them I research. Having found many untruths, when something sounds outlandish, I take it with a grain of salt and assume it is untrue. Some of these “urban myths” have been around since before the Internet, such as the story that Proctor and Gamble’s is a satanic corporation and the symbols of Satanism are included in their corporate loco.
IT IS NOT TRUE. Just today I read this in a Yahoo chat group:

For all you Coffee lovers,

Recently Marines in Iraq wrote to Starbucks because they wanted to let them
know how much they liked their coffees and to request that they send some of it
to the troops there. Starbucks replied, telling the marines thank you for their
support of their business, but that Starbucks does not support the war, nor
anyone in it, and that they would not send the troops their brand of coffee. So
as not to offend Starbucks, maybe we should not support them by buying any of
their products! I feel we should get this out in the open. I know this war might
not be very popular
with some folks, but that doesn't mean we don't support
the boys on the
ground fighting street-to-street and house-to-house. If you
feel the same as
I do then pass this along, or you an discard it and no one
will never know.

Thanks very much for your support. I know you'll all be there again when I
deploy once more.

Semper Fidelis. Sgt. Howard C. Wright

1st Force Recon Co

1st Plt PLT

THIS IS NOT TRUE. It is made up. (To read the truth behind this myth see the following link: Starbucks )

I have a relative who is a sweet person, a good Christian and is active in her church. I was recently included in group email she sent out. It read:

Subject: Removal of Joel Osteen and other pastors
Christians, stand up
and be counted. We cannot let this happen.

Dr. Dobson is going on
CNBC
to urge every Christian to get involved. I hope you will sign and
forward to all
your family and friends:

An organization has been granted a Federal Hearing on the same subject by the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in Washington , D.C. Their petition,
Number 2493, would ultimately pave the way to stop the reading of the gospel
of
our Lord and Savior, on the airwaves of America . They got 287,000
signatures to
back their stand! If this attempt is successful, all Sunday
worship services
being broadcast on the radio or by television will be
stopped.
This group is
also campaigning to remove all Christmas programs
and Christmas carols from
public schools!

Fortunately for our First Amendment freedom and unfortunately for all the good people spreading this rumor, this is not true. Variations of this story have been floating around for years, and the FCC routinely get petitions on this topic. Here are the facts about this hoax in a nutshell, as reported in Urban Legend: In 1974, Jeremy Lansman and Lorenzo Milam petitioned the FCC to regulate the assignment of broadcasting licenses to religious groups for educational use. Their petition, number RM 2493, was heard and dismissed by the FCC in 1975. Nevertheless, rumors about it continue to circulate. Lansman and Milam's intentions have been misinterpreted as being against religious programming in general. Instead, they were concerned that radio and television licenses reserved for educational use would be hoarded and used by religious groups for non-educational purposes.

To their credit the NRB, a trade group which represents religious broadcasters, has also tried to kill the rumor and calls it a hoax on their web site. The rumor continues to circulate. (See: NRB)

Please do not believe everything you read. Be skeptical. Newspapers print untruths also, but at least they have fact checkers. Rumors fly like wildfire around the Internet. Please do not repeat rumors. I have listed several sites for fact-checking in the side bar to the left of this article (See: Just the facts, Ma’am). Before you sign a petition or send a frantic alert to your mailing list, make sure it is the truth.

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