You gotta keep 'em seperated...

This is not sent for discussion. If you agree, forward it. If you don't, delete it. I don't need to know one way or the other. Since I forwarded it, you know how I feel.

That was the preface to a forwarded email that I received earlier this week. Nice, no? Got me off to a great start...

The email, itself, referenced a (supposed) poll conducted by a U.S. t.v. network that reported 86% of responders said that the words "In God We Trust" and "God" should be kept in the Pledge of Allegiance, and 14% "against". Now this I found interesting, first and foremost because the words "In God We Trust" are not in the Pledge; and also because the phrase "under God" was actually added to the Pledge 60 years after its creation, and it's been around for 115 years or so (i.e. so less than half of its history)...

From this, the email then re-iterated that you should send it on if I agreed, or if I disagreed I should just delete it; and then jumped to the 86% of Americans believing in God. How the "responders" changed to "Americans" and from being ok with those words in the Pledge into believing in God, I don't quite follow. But that's where it went.

The email's discussion concludes with "Why is the world catering to 14%?" (followed by an "Amen").

Now, after expanding from "responders" to "Americans", it's now gone out to the whole world: really interesting--as if the poll percentages would remain the same independent of who actually responded to the survey--never mind questioning the accuracy of the original survey.

Topping it all off, is the repeated comments to delete the email if you disagree, and do nothing else. Don't protest the fact that 14% does matter, or that the US isn't the world, or tolerance/acceptance of others, or even, hey, I think you left a word out here... course that would would take the suppressiveness out of the email (which would be bad).

So, I deleted the email... but not until after I responded to the sender, but it was just before I finished crafting this post.

Hey man, you disrespecting me? (take him out)
You gotta keep 'em separated
Hey man, you talkin' back to me? (take him out)
You gotta keep 'em separated
Hey they don't pay no mind