My Email Address is Not Your Place to Decompress

I’m sick of the email forwards. I don’t know how else to say it. I do like the inspirational ones with a positive message, just as long as they aren’t accompanied by threats of doom if not passed on to 80 or more people.

The ones I’m over are the ones editorializing political beliefs, state-of-the world atrocities and endlessly scrolling bitter reprisals about things that aren’t going to be solved by sending or receiving emails. Take it to Washington, folks. I don’t know what else to tell you.

First of all, I think it’s very presumptuous for anyone to assume I share their opinion on subjects like religion, politics, immigration or other human issues unless they’ve had at least one conversation with me about it. Furthermore, when an email gets fired off to 25 people in your address book, because it’s convenient for you, is it really safe to assume that all 25 recipients are going to share your passionately expressed opinion? Most of the ones I get are downright militant so that’s a pretty liberal assumption. And I don’t mean liberal in the political sense.

The reason for this particular editorial is a forward I got tonight, the night before a court proceeding where my son faces charges that will send him to prison. This person is well aware of the situation. The email went on and on about the “tent city” prisons recently created by Arizona sheriff, Joe Arpaio. It’s a very smug account of how he charges the inmates for food, took away cable TV until a court ordered him to hook it back up (which he did–with only the Disney and weather channels). This synopsis has someone asking him why the weather channel, to which he supposedly replies, “So they will know how hot it’s gonna be while they are working on my chain gangs.” Then it goes on to describe how he lets the guys strip down to their boxer shorts because of the 138 degree temperatures inside the tents–pink boxer shorts.

This is all, by the way, hilarious unless you have a loved one in jail and you are part of a select group who understands these are human beings and not all of them have committed barbaric crimes. And I don’t know anything about Maricopa County, Arizona but I do know that there is NO cable TV in jail in Volusia County, Florida. And I know that it’s going to be close to 20 degrees here tonight and there hasn’t been hot water for showers on my son’s unit for at least two weeks. It’s not a picnic by any stretch of the imagination and I’m offended.

I’m offended by the person who so insensitively fired off this ridiculous story with her comment, “Way to go, Joe.” I’m offended that this guy is being allowed to make a mockery of these people.

People who break the law, my son included, need to suffer consequenses and must learn to be productive members of society. Surely there’s a way to accomplish that without turning it into an inhumane sideshow where some ignorant Clint Eastwood wanna be gets to act cute at the counterproductive expense of others.

I’ll get back to my original topic now just long enough to say that too many people spend too much time inside their own heads these days. And, once again, everyone has an opinion or persona that they feel must be shoved down everyone else’s throat. Personally, if I want your opinion, I’ll ask for it. If you must share it, get a bumper sticker or your own blog gig and keep my corner of the internet clear for those who want to send me positive, enlightening messages.