A little misinformation can stir a lynch mob (alleged banning of the DoI)

[w4rma]

By Sandy Sims

When I heard that a teacher was suing the principal at Stevens Creek Elementary School for not allowing him to use the Declaration of Independence in class because it contained references to God, I laughed. This is so silly, I thought. "It's ridiculous," I said. "It's taking political correctness way too far."
…
This story had gone international. We were receiving angry emails from all over the country, people furious that a principal would bar the Declaration of Independence from the fifth-grade curriculum because it mentioned God.
…
Can there be any question that those whose agenda is to break down the barriers between church and state had a hand in sensationalizing this story? The Alliance Defense Fund, the organization that is supplying Williams with legal resources, is an advocacy group that according to its website " ... provides resources that will keep the door open for the spread of the gospel through legal defense ..."

One only has to go to the home page of the Alliance Defense Fund to see its tactics. The headline there is "Declaration of Independence Banned from Classroom."

And therein lies the problem. We all jump up and scream before we even think. This headline must have been sent out when the lawsuit was being filed because, before the story hit Bay Area news, it was the subject of such national talk show hosts as Rush Limbaugh.

But what's most disheartening to me is the media has helped further this hate-filled reaction because it has failed to looked into the other side of the story. Certainly Williams has a right to challenge district policy, and more power to him. But the efforts of the Alliance Defense Fund to rile up people into what could be called a "virtual" lynch mob suggests that there's a bigger agenda. As it stands now, the principal, the school, the district, even California have been tried and convicted with no one hearing the other side of the story.

Believe me; I'm no longer laughing.
http://www.cupertinocourier.com/cu-op-sandy.shtml

Sample of letters received:
http://www.cupertinocourier.com/cu-letters2.shtml

I bet Rush Limbaugh, the Alliance Defense Fund and all these right-wing media outlets are still railing about how California schools are banning the Declaration of Independance. I bet at least half of their viewers/listeners believe it, too.

Note also, that the AP and Reuters have not followed up on correcting their initial alligations in new story so the school system there is STILL receiving hate mail from intentionally misinformed right-wingers. And many of these right-wingers have been conned into giving money to these groups spreading this false information to fight this trumped up enemy.

[Career Prole]

1. Hopefully you're not on as many "ignore" lists as I apparently am! :-)

I posted this in GD last night and in Editorials this morning and got one reply each.
These folks need some support from us.
They're being absolutely blasted by the "moral" xtians, which was the intention of the right when they dumped the story with the ridiculously innaccurate headline about the "banning" of the D of I right before the Thanksgiving holiday.

Let's give 'em some support, eh? They need it.
mailto:[e-mail]

[w4rma]

3. I guess I must be (nt)

[DebJ]

2. Their is an acute irony for me in this story, and in a few 'realities'

I was stunned with during the election season. Two Right Wing War Mongers told me that we don't need the Constitution or Bill of Rights anymore, they are old documents, and this is a new world.

I would make a strong guess that these idiots never even read the Constitution nor Bill of Rights (except No. 2, guns, of course) or the Declaration of Independence.

I'm glad to see SOMEONE is teaching it. I'm relieved, actually. Most adults I have met are absolutely clueless about the very basis of our country. They don't know what they want to toss away...

[salin]

4. It seems that many on the fringe right are much

better at manipulating the media than the left is in responding. :(

Sorta leaves the question dangling: Why does the media keep falling for it?