My friend is a good hearted soul, but he's not the sharpest tack in the box. If he had looked underneath the list of email addresses he would have found: False Email-- http://www.snopes.com/photos/gruesome/crushboy.asp.
If my friend had clicked on the link, he would have learned that the pictures were accurate, but the descriptions were not. Instead of being punished under Sharia Law, the boy is part of a common street act where the performers are hustling for money. The child was unhurt.
When I am King, every high school and middle school will have a curriculum in place to teach kids how to evaluate sources. It won't be a one week exercise, but an on going learning experience right up to graduation day. Hopefully, education can slow down the spread of ignorance. There's a novel idea.
I think people that send out emails like this don't WANT to see if they are valid......and probably don't really even CARE if they are....Their goal is to spread a hateful message...and the ignorant perpetuate it.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, though more generally "check the truth of the claim". The "source" might easily state the same untruth (and in this, unfortunately, I'm not sure Snopes is always right).
ReplyDeleteMost people will check the facts on something they disagree with. A bigger problem is getting people to check something which they agree with.
There are also bigger problems. We see constant claims of the "biggest tax increase" or "biggest tax cut". In current dollars, every new cut or increase will tend to be the "biggest" because of inflation and a growing economy. So in absolute dollars it's the biggest. Yet no recent increase matches the 15% to 67% increase in the highest marginal tax bracket in 1916 (source http://www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/151.html).
When do we actually get to vote for you as king?
ReplyDeleteMy boss showed me this, and my first instinct was to snopes it.
ReplyDeleteGood instincts - how did that other guy get to be your boss?
ReplyDeleteThe insane claim chain mail is one of my biggest mailbox pet peeves, and the main reason I refuse to assist several of my family members who want to be 'on the web' but don't understand you need an ISP. *g*
ReplyDeleteI would suggest also teaching critical thinking and recognition of logical fallacies, especially argument from authority.
ReplyDeletedonK - we think a like.
ReplyDelete