Checking Out Those Chain Emails

Chain emails are a fact of life these days, and I get my share. Most of them contain information that I am urged to pass along. The request to keep it going usually comes with the assurance that the contents of the email are nothing short of "the gospel truth".

Most of the chain emails, however, have statements that are exaggerations, at best, or downright lies, at worst. A bad experience long ago taught me the importance of checking out facts, figures, and claims before giving any thought to sharing info with others.

A chain email that hit my inbox a few days ago is a good example of a request to pass along misinformation. Incidentally, it's the third time in two years I've received a chain email about Planned Parenthood.

This chain email stresses the need to make all Americans aware of the "fact" that Planned Parenthood is responsible for most of the abortions performed each year.

The truth is that only three percent of Planned Parenthood's services involve abortions, and only ten percent of Planned Parenthood's clients are assisted with abortions. No federal taxpayer money is used for abortions.

Actually, most of Planned Parenthood's work is in the areas of cancer screenings and the prevention of unwanted pregnancies.

There are a number of ways to check out chain emails. I usually go online to FactCheck.org, which is a non-partisan, nonprofit website. I type in my question, and in most cases, I get a prompt answer--which in all cases, is the correct answer.