Tuesday, October 26, 2010

OCTOBER TAGS

I am so enjoying Swap-Bot! Have I said that before? The thing is, it sets me up with a creative outlet whenever I need one. And there's a new challenge, a new art medium to try, whenever I feel the urge, too.

My latest love is making decorated tags, so when a swap appeared to send three "October" themed tags out, I signed right up. I mailed them today, and I'd like to show them off.

Three October-themed tags:



I knew there was a reason to save all my page-a-day calendars from Mary Engelbreit. I do love her art, and have a very difficult time parting with it.

And now I'm going to skew into an entirely different area. I sometimes get emails from well-meaning people that they've read, gasped with alarm at, and then forwarded to me. Warning! Antiperspirants cause breast cancer! Alarm! Rats pee on soda pop can lids! Take care! People are being bashed on the head and deprived of vital organs!

Those are bad enough. You have to wonder if people don't have anything better to do than to make up stuff to scare people.

But for the past several years, I've received emails claiming that one person or another has done heinous things, anti-American things, anti-Christian things. They're hate emails, with no purpose that I can see other than to stir up outrage, anger, fear, and hate.

And almost none of them, None!, have any grain of truth to them. It's So easy to check this stuff. Go to Snopes.com, and do a search on keywords from the email. These viral things are almost always there. If that doesn't work, go to Politifact.com.

I'm going to put in a scripture here that keeps coming to mind: "Thou shalt not bear false witness." To put it simply, that's a command not to lie about people.

If you read an email, allow yourself the gasp! and the outrage, if you absolutely must. Heck, it feels good to be "righteously angry", I know that. But then check to see if it's actually true, because if it isn't, and you "forward this to everyone on your email list!" you are "bearing false witness". You are lying, whether you started the email or not. If the commandments mean anything to you, you owe it to yourself to be sure you're spreading truth.

You can't unspread a rumor, but you can make sure you aren't helping to smear a falsehood around.

7 comments:

Chari at Happy To Design said...

Hi Anitra...

Oooh...such pretty October tags, my friend! They really are adorable and I'm sure whoever the lucky recipient is...they'll just adore them! I love Mary Engelbreit's art...you really chose some cute pics to do your tags! Love, love, LOVE all the pretty leaf and button embellishments! You're such a creative and talented lady, my dear! Thanks so much for sharing your pretties with us!

I also appreciate your admonishment to consider and weigh the things that we hear...and certainly before we pass them on! It really is an atrocity when you think about it...that you could hurt, slander, or ruin someone's life because of talking about or passing on information that is not true! Thank you...it's always good to be reminded! I remember teaching a song to my Sunday school children years ago that said, "Be careful little mouth what you say...Be careful little ears what you hear..." It' sooo true! Well dear friend, have a fabulous week!

Warmest wishes,
Chari @Happy To Design

Lily said...

Hi Anitra

These tags are so beautiful. Only a few days until tiny trick or treaters knock on our door. By the way I'll post your ornament today. Should be with you in a couple of weeks.

Lily

majeral said...

Oh Anitra the e-mail I get from people who should know better makes me just crazy. I too tell them to check it out per snopes.com.. As I like to tell people IF IT SOUNDS TO GOOD TO BE TRUE then use your brain it is a lie! I have spent more time correcting people than I would want to count. I have noticed a slow down lately. I think a lot fo the junk was from new people who just got a pc to play with. I did have one person (that I thought was smart) say oh who cares just fooling around. I had to tell her there are a lot of misinformed people out there who believe everything the read with out thinking to check up on it.
Thanks...

Vintage Love & Photographs said...

Snopes is great and so interesting to see what is false lol

I am almost signed up for that very swap! Those tags are so creative, good job.

storybeader said...

those tags are downright beautiful! Lucky person, who receives those! Swap-Bot sounds like fun!

My email spam box usually captures those stupid emails about people. I actually just get sick of the silly things that some co-workers send me... that they're passing along. Goodness gracious, what a waste of time! But what can I do - I usually glimpse at the images and recycle it away!

Cherry Chick said...

I agree...Snopes is great. I often checkout the "crap" people send to me and then direct them back to Snopes for the real Scoop.
You should link up your ME tags with us on ME Monday over at my place and share with all the Mary Engelbreit groupies. The link is open until Sunday evening.

Splendid Little Stars said...

lovely tags!
I'm with you on the crazy emails. I always check snopes. Why don't others do this as well before sending?