A few years ago I thought that it would be a good idea to set up a special email account to give out to my parents and relatives, so I could easily separate out emails that were written to say something like "Hello, we love you and your alluring gayness...we want to buy you a car" from the dull religious forwards that I seem to have recieved 20 times already

But it's really dawned on me that neither my father nor my grandmother (who are the primary email-senders in my extended family) really don't seem to have any clue how to write an actualy letter-type email. Oh sure I'll get one from Grandma every once in awhile saying things like "it would be nice for you to send your poor old grandma an email because she is going to die soon and likes to talk about herself in the third person". I need to remember to tell her that her guilt trips only work on my father. Honestly, if she was like "Hey, give me a call this evening around 8pm" I probably would.

My grandmother is very fond of those religious forwards that have little moving graphics of angels and doves and little midi's that tell me that god loves me. They're totally harmless, if not on the tacky side.

My father, on the other hand, likes to send out religious and political forwards that are a bit more 'in your face' and I can't say that reading them doesn't irritate me greatly. But am I the only one? Am I reading these and taking offense to them just because my father sent them to me and I have issue with him...or are they just plain offensive? I feel the need to share three of these with you all.

1. This is a statement that was read over the PA system at the football game at Roane County High School, Kingston, Tennessee, by school Principal, Jody McLoud. I thought it was worth sharing with the world and hope you will forward it to all your friends. It shows clearly just how far this country has gone in the wrong direction.

"It has always been the custom at Roane County High School football games, to say a prayer and play the National Anthem, to honor God and Country. Due to a recent ruling by the Supreme Court, I am told that saying a Prayer is a violation of Federal Case Law. As I understand the law at this time, I can use this public facility to approve of sexual perversion and call it "an alternate lifestyle," and if someone is offended, that's OK.

I can use it to condone sexual promiscuity, by dispensing condoms and calling it, "safe sex." If someone is offended, that's OK. I can even use this public facility to present the merits of killing an unborn baby as a "viable means of birth control." If someone is offended, no problem. I can designate a school day as "Earth Day" and involve students in activities to worship religiously and praise the goddess "Mother Earth" and call it "ecology." I can use literature, videos and presentations in the classroom that depict people with strong, traditional Christian convictions as "simple minded" and "ignorant" and call it "enlightenment."

However, if anyone uses this facility to honor God and to ask Him to bless this event with safety and good sportsmanship, then Federal Case Law is violated. This appears to be inconsistent at best, and at worst, diabolical. Apparently, we are to be tolerant of everything and anyone, except God and His Commandments.

Nevertheless, as a school principal, I frequently ask staff and students to abide by rules with which they do not necessarily agree. For me to do otherwise would be inconsistent at best, and at worst, hypocritical. I suffer from that affliction enough unintentionally. I certainly do not need to add an intentional transgression. For this reason, I shall "Render unto Caesar that which is

Caesar's," and refrain from praying at this time. "However, if you feel inspired to honor, praise and thank God and ask Him, in the name of Jesus, to bless this event, please feel free to do so. As far as I know, that's not against the law----yet."

One by one, the people in the stands bowed their heads, held hands with one another and began to pray. They prayed in the stands. They prayed in the team huddles. They prayed at the concession stand and they prayed in the Announcer's Box!

The only place they didn't pray was in the Supreme Court of the United States of America - the Seat of "Justice" in the "one nation, under God."

2. (the next forward is concerning this US stamp).

subject: "DON'T BUY IT!
How ironic is this??!! They don't even believe in Christ and they're getting their own Christmas stamp, but don't dream of posting the ten commandments on federal property?

USPS New Stamp
This is impossible to believe. If there is only one thing you forward today.....let it be this!

REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of PanAm Flight 103!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the Marine barracks in Lebanon!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the military barracks in Saudi Arabia!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the American Embassies in Africa!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the USS COLE!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM attack on the Twin Towers on 9/11/2001!

REMEMBER all the AMERICAN lives that were lost in those vicious MUSLIM attacks!

Now the United States Postal Service REMEMBERS and HONORS the EID MUSLIM holiday season with a commemorative first class holiday postage stamp. REMEMBER to adamantly and vocally BOYCOTT this stamp when purchasing your stamps at the post office. To use this stamp would be a slap in the face to all those AMERICANS who died at the hands of those whom this stamp honors.

REMEMBER to pass this along to every patriotic AMERICAN you know.

3. 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. corporate 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?

Sincerely,
Dick Forrey
Veterans helping Veterans

I think it's funnny that my father can send me religious forwards atesting to his religious convictions about god's love, and then turn right around and show me bull shit like this. If anyone Has ever read anything I've said about my dislike of Christians...it's not that I think they're bad...it's just that I think the majority of them are two-faced, hypocritical, small-minded, bigoted fools who like to hide behind a centuries old religious institution who's heart and soul died out a long time ago.

So, number one seems rather contrived to me and while it very may as well have happened, I seriously doubt it. Does no one catch on that they're praying to god to help them PLAY FOOTBALL?!?!?! The priest in my highschool always used to bless the Volleyball before the games so that god would smile down on our school and allow us to beat...all of the OTHER catholic schools we were playing against.

Number two...I'm going to go out and buy those Eid greetings stamps and put them on my christmas card to my father. It amuses me that so many people confuse the psycho few who perform terrorist attacks with an entire religion. And also, I could see the US keeping a grudge against other peoples and countries...if the US was totally faultless, which we all know isn't true. We've done plenty of down and dirty shit to the point where I'm surprised MORE things haven't happened to us. But I have a feeling that it will somewhere down the like. Karma can be a bitch.

Last, but not least...number three. I personally like TARGET stores and I will continue to shop there and spend my "hard earned AMERICAN dollars" there. Who the fuck cares if they're owned by a French company? I bet you my father was one of those people who was all behind the 'Freedom Fries' thing.

One of the things I love about this country is that not only are most of it's people totally stupid...but they're stupid and LOUD about it.

I fear for the future of the republic.