Comment by Psychictaxi

Entered on: 2/23/2009 1:25:03 PM

I got this this morning from a reputable source in Texas:
I have just gotten off the phone with Sen. Dan Patricks District Office regarding the emails that are being passed around that are headlined.

****!!!!! State Senator Dan Patrick... "TEXAS NATIONAL GUARD ON ALERT"!!!!!****

Since I was unable to find any other mention of this headline and the fact that it is the governor who issues releases about the National Guard there was an *odor* about this email in my mind.

My call to his Austin office was an experience of a office staffer that needed more sleep than he got. That is what prompted me to call the District office where my call was handled promptly and efficiently. When the staffer at the District office got the information she called me back and provided the information I was seeking.

What Sen. Patrick said on the FOX program was that the Governor has PLANS of what to do when violence increases at the border. There is a difference between *PLANS* and the above headline that is on so many emails circulating nationwide.... making it appear that Sen. Patrick stated that the Texas National Guard was placed on HIGH ALERT. That is NOT what he said in spite of someone typing it out to appear that Sen. Patrick said that.

I am not sure if the person who created that headline was intending to create fear or inciting some lesser than intelligent folks to ACT.

This is the kind of thing we must all be vigilant about when we forward material out with a source and the link to that source. It is one thing for something to be an *OPINION* by someone who signs their Op/Ed and another to post items that APPEAR to be fact in how they are written.

Let's all take a good look at material that comes to us and check it for:
1. who sent it?
2. is there a verifiable source URL to go check it?
3. Is it presented as Opinion or as Fact?
4. If you read something on some web site and want others to read it include the URL AND the
entire article. Not everyone has the time to guess or wait to load another page.

Creditability is all we have on the net so let's not lose it. If something doesn't seem right then don't send it out - even with a disclaimer of not having checked it out as some will take the fact that you sent it to mean it is ok because you have a reputation of being a good source.

I hope this clears up the concerns many have had about the Texas National Guard being on *High Alert*. They aren't. - Jackie J.