More Email Hoaxes, June 22, 2006

Once again, the general emailing public is at it again. This time the target (no pun intended) is Target. This particular email references Target's alledged refusal to support veterans groups and causes. This email also claims that Target discontinues health benefits for military reservists called to duty. Both of these claims along with several others made in the email are completely false. The false nature of the claims have been confirmed by a number of independent sources including Forbes Magazine, The National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), and theVFW. You can read the complete story on this particular email hoax at snopes.com. It comes complete with text of the original email, explanations of how the hoax started, Target's response, and links to third party websites verifying information posted on Snopes.

That said, I find myself shaking my head once again. In this day of instant information at our fingertips, I find it astonishing that some well meaning individuals can't take the time to do a little research before they click the forward button on every email that shows up in their inbox. For the record, I really am indifferent toward Target. I don't shop there very often and quite frankly could take them or leave them. In the big picture, they really don't play into my shopping habits. However, it just bugs me to no end when people do stuff like this to besmerch the reputations of others whether they are individuals or corporations. Even worse are the ones who unwittingly perpetuate the lies by fowarding these emails to everyone in their address books. It only takes a few minutes to find out if something like this "Target" email is true or not. Maybe someday they'll figure it out!

(originally posted 6-22-06 on Yahoo 360)