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Anti-French Email
One of the curious, yet hardly unexpected,
consequences of the Internet is its facility for the promulgation of
false stories via email: they run the gamut from urban legends to
outright hoaxes. Who has not received a false Amber Alert, a letter
from a Nigerian prince asking for help spiriting his father's assets
out of the war-torn country, or a plea urging you to sign a petition
supporting National Public Radio in light of cutbacks from The National
Endowment for the Arts? Some of the hoaxes have a smidgen of
credibility, just enough that you believe them.
For the curious there are fairly comprehensive and updated web-sites for your perusal; just type "Internet hoaxes" into your favorite search engine.
Many of these hoaxes seem to be the creation of those trying validate their belief in a reality that might just be true but that might not. Just the other day I received the following email through the courtesy of a third party, someone I have never met but who has my email address because I belong to a local small business coalition.
Subject: FW: Veterans Memorial Wall
Recently we asked the local TARGET store to be a proud sponsor of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall during our spring recognition event. We received the following reply from the local TARGET management:
For the curious there are fairly comprehensive and updated web-sites for your perusal; just type "Internet hoaxes" into your favorite search engine.
Many of these hoaxes seem to be the creation of those trying validate their belief in a reality that might just be true but that might not. Just the other day I received the following email through the courtesy of a third party, someone I have never met but who has my email address because I belong to a local small business coalition.
Subject: FW: Veterans Memorial Wall
Recently we asked the local TARGET store to be a proud sponsor of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall during our spring recognition event. We received the following reply from the local TARGET management:
"Veterans
do not meet our area of giving. We only donate to the arts, social
action groups, gay & lesbian causes, and education." So I'm
thinking, if the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall and veterans in general
do not meet their donation criteria, then something is really wrong at
this TARGET store. We were not asking for thousands of dollars, not
even hundreds, just a small sponsorship for a memorial remembrance.
As
a follow-up, I e-mailed the TARGET U.S. corporation headquarters
and their response was the same. That's their national policy.
Then I looked into the company further. They will not allow the Marines
to collect for 'Toys for Tots' at any of their stores. And during the
recent Iraq deployment, they would not allow families of employees who
were called up for active duty to continue their insurance coverage
while they were on military service.
Then
as I dig further, TARGET is a French-owned corporation. Now, I'm
thinking again. If TARGET can not support American Veterans, then why
should I and my family support their stores by spending our hard-earned
American dollars and to have their profits sent to France. Without the
American Vets, where would France be today? Feel free to pass this
along to whomever you want.
Sincerely,
D.F.
Veterans helping Veterans
After I finished reading the email I thought to myself, "Could this be true? Or is this the work of a Francophobe, trying to validate his political perspective? How can I find out the truth?" In the back of my head was the recollection that my wife and one of her shopping buddies call Target with a French alliteration (TAR-ZHAY). Maybe there was something to the tale.
As I pondered the quandary, I realized that the most expeditious way of resolving my dilemma was to ask that fount of all things Franco-American (save spaghetti): I sent the email to Karen Fawcett with a simply query, "Can this be true?" Her reply was succinct and to the point: "LOL...owned by Dayton Hudson of Minneapolis, MN, not the French."
Subsequently I discovered a website, Boycott Watch, which includes a link to all things French and attempts to resolve the question of "Who's Boycotting what, and what's not really French, or is it?" It is worth a peek, both for amusement and clarity. Obviously, some people have too much time on their hands and too easy an access to the Internet. They can create a reality that for a moment can be believed by millions. Best to keep a degree of soupçon, especially if it involves anything French.
D.F.
Veterans helping Veterans
After I finished reading the email I thought to myself, "Could this be true? Or is this the work of a Francophobe, trying to validate his political perspective? How can I find out the truth?" In the back of my head was the recollection that my wife and one of her shopping buddies call Target with a French alliteration (TAR-ZHAY). Maybe there was something to the tale.
As I pondered the quandary, I realized that the most expeditious way of resolving my dilemma was to ask that fount of all things Franco-American (save spaghetti): I sent the email to Karen Fawcett with a simply query, "Can this be true?" Her reply was succinct and to the point: "LOL...owned by Dayton Hudson of Minneapolis, MN, not the French."
Subsequently I discovered a website, Boycott Watch, which includes a link to all things French and attempts to resolve the question of "Who's Boycotting what, and what's not really French, or is it?" It is worth a peek, both for amusement and clarity. Obviously, some people have too much time on their hands and too easy an access to the Internet. They can create a reality that for a moment can be believed by millions. Best to keep a degree of soupçon, especially if it involves anything French.
--
Louis Borgenicht is a pediatrician/writer living in SLC, Utah. He's the co-author, with his son Joe, of The Baby Owner's Manual: Operating Instructions, Trouble-Shooting Tips, and Advice on First-Year Maintenance.
Louis Borgenicht is a pediatrician/writer living in SLC, Utah. He's the co-author, with his son Joe, of The Baby Owner's Manual: Operating Instructions, Trouble-Shooting Tips, and Advice on First-Year Maintenance.
