Now I was just going to ignore this issue as just another chain letter sent to me by a well meaner. But after seeing Fahrenheit 911, being apathetic is becoming a little more repellant to me. I was amazed at what this e-mail contained. That can't be right? I thought, Also being a man of common sense I went and immediately discussed it with my roommate, Dugh, Not really being all that politically knowledgeable I wasn't sure of the truth. I knew Dugh being more web savvy than I, he would surly know where to find the true information. (By the way Mookie our resident government expert wasn't around.)

Now we both to a certain degree are smart men and using common sense we went looking on the web for the actual act and the amendment mentioned. After reading the 15th amendment and The Voters Rights Act; we figured the whole e-mail was a crock of sh** composed of just enough half truths to stir people up to dissent and mistrust of our government for no real reason. Personally I think it was designed to make the senders look ignorant and uninformed, so I deleted it and went on with my life.

But in truth that isn't what I should have done. What I should have done was further use my common sense and send a reply e-mail of our findings or opinion to the people that sent the original e-mail plea to me.

It wasn't until I received the same e-mail again from my Mother and several other people, that I realized it was not just important that I discovered the inconsistency of what had been stated in the email, while others had not. I hadn't passed my informed knowledge on in an attempt to halt the misdirection of honest people; by my own in actions I allowed this misinformation to continue. Why because I just didn't think about it and that's bad enough on its own merit.

Now this is a cautionary tale on two folds: 1) when confronted with a supposed fact, check it out for yourself before passing it on. 2) If it is wrong- Speak up, then and there, because eventually it will come back around like a bad penny, or a silly dollar with written instruction on it, it might not be something you might not be able to address later.

Then after you verified the validity of the information for yourself, you should... (Again this is just my opinion) ...rewrite what you have discovered in your own words and send it to the people on your list that you think may appreciate or benefit from it.

Why am I writing this, simply to show why you should protect your integrity and the integrity of all the people on your e-mail list by checking out the things that are sent to you before blindly forwarding them to others people on your email list who trust you.

Because, believe me or not, you will lose or gain credibility based on the facts that you present. By blindly representing the facts that someone you don't personally know sends to you remains dangerous. Dangerous because someone could be preying on your good nature, manipulating your inherent integrity to get you to cover for them. Getting you to present their misinformed beliefs as your own; which I think is heinous and disrespectful to you and the people on your e-mail list .

Remember to just use your own common sense; that you have an obligation to check out the things that you pass on or sign your name too. Especially if you receive that information in a blind e-mail or even from someone you love and trust. Your e-mail list is your new lifeline to your personal world, a gateway to your community and the whole world wants it. Sometimes at any cost; even if it cost you your own integrity and your credibility with your friends and family.

Okay to give some of you a chance to break away from this article to go back to work or do something important. I have included the email as it was sent to me and provided a link after that to what Doug discovered on the web. And a few more added points of my own on the issue.

This is what was sent to me: (Edited removing the names of the people who sent it to me.)

Most of you probably already know this, however passing along Just to keep our people informed- xxxx

Below you will find a speech that Bill Cosby's wife gave at a function. Everyone please read this and pass it on to as many African Americans as you come in contact with.

Camille Cosby just made a reference about the Voting Rights Act in her most recent open letter on racism. This is extremely important.

We are quickly approaching the 21st Century and we were wondering, and when I say 'we', I mean others of us out there who wonder if everyone else out there knows what the significance of the year 2007 is to Black America?

Did you know that our right to VOTE will expire in the year 2007? Seriously! The Voters Rights Act signed in 1965 by Lyndon B. Johnson was just an ACT. It was not made a law.

In 1982, Ronald Reagan amended the Voters Rights Act for another 25 years. Which means that in the year 2007 we could lose the Right to vote! Does anyone realize that African Americans are the only group of people who require PERMISSION under the United States Constitution to vote! In the year 2007, Congress will once again convene to decide whether or not Blacks should retain the rights to vote (crazy but true). In order for this to be passed, 38 states will have to approve an extension. This is ludicrous! Not only should the extension be approved, but also the ACT must be made a law. Our right to vote should no longer be up for discussion, review and/or evaluation. We must contact our Congress-persons, Senators, Alderpersons, etc., to put a stop to this! As bona fide Citizens of the United States, we cannot "drop the ball" on this one! We have come too far to let government make us take such a huge step backward. So please, let us push forward to continue to build the momentum towards gaining equality.

Please pass this onto others, as we are sure that many more individuals are not aware of this. I urge all of you that are able, to contact those in government that have your vote and make them aware of our combined concern for this issue. One voice!...... One Vote! You cannot complain, if you do not participate.....local, State, & national.....

When I received this one I had no choice but to pass it on. Please do the same.

xxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xx xxxxxxx, xxx xxxxx "IF GOD ONLY USED PERFECT PEOPLE NOTHING WOULD EVER GET DONE"

No we are not perfect people- or I would have sent a reply off to my family and friends who sent the post to me. Self education is the key to common sense, so spend some time asking and answering questions about things presented to you as facts. Have no fear because anything that is a fact can sustain the weight of heavy questioning, thus allowing the truth to come out eventually.

After rereading the letter I was struck with a few more common sense questions like:

1 Why can't we find any reference to this speech or luncheon? Why was Bill Cosby's wife name given? Was she misinformed?. Or were the people who created the letter looking for a African American with some political integrity they could use to wedge their way into our consciousnesses.

2 When and where was this speech given? At what luncheon? To what group of people? Why was it not reported on, if in fact it was given to so many at the luncheon, was the media there? Was there not a plea to the luncheon attendees to get involved?

3 Where is the original poster's name that constructed this letter? Everyone who had sent it on to me attached their name because they believed it, but who was the originator? Shouldn't you know who the originator is when they request you to send something on?

4 What really do they want us to do? Contact our representative and ask what? Is this designed to disrupt the people that are actually working for us? Who benefits from this act of misinformation?

And the questions go on but I will let the last words be the e-mail that Dugh sent me the next day, based on our previous nights discussion. Which he expanded into an article on his own site sp.ookee.com

And if you don't have time to read it the long and short of it all is: the right to vote for African Americans is in no jeopardy, save our own apathy and our general malaise when it comes to politics in general. The 15th amendment guarantees that, The Voters Rights Act just ensures that no one has to be forced to jump through special hoops to do so... [vote]

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