Need help debunking this "spam" letter:

[Catchawave]

From a Viet Nam Veteran email list my husband's on, but I couldn't find anything on Snopes or Urban Legends :( Nor did it show up on Google. It just reeks of anti-war smear. Thanks for your help DUers :hi:

----- Original Message ----- Sent: Saturday, February 04, 2006 10:02 AM Subject: MARINES NO LONGER WELCOMED; NATIONAL CATHEDRAL WASHINGTON DC
Sirs,

Since 1960, the National Cathedral has honored the Marine Corps with a memorial service in recognition of our "fallen warriors. " However, due to the political uprising and dispute over the Iraqi war by people like Cindy Shehann, Cathedral leadership under the direction of Reverend Lloyd refuses to allow the annual event usually held the second Sunday in November in conjunction with Marine Corps Birthday and Veterans Day activities within their facility.

It will be a great disservice to all the grieving surviving family members with sons an daughters buried at Arlington National Cemetery and those still serving in harms way, members being treated at Bethesda, and the rest of the grieving community to not honor their sacrifice to the Nation and the World.

Their decision is as egregious as the Washington Post cartoon of the wounded soldier. Please voice concerns about disservice directly to the National Cathedral, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Navy, or Congressional Representative. Hopefully,you can make a difference in recognizing "uncommon valor was a common virtue!".

Semper Fidelis,

Group Grieving Parents SSgt Daniel Clay LCpl John Holmasom LCpl Robert Martinez

[FSogol]

1. The best way to response would be to return the email to the sender with

the following note:

Dear Dumbass,

If you actually believe this, then you are even stupider than I originally thought. Please remove me from your email list. Have a nice day.

Sincerely,
-----------

[Catchawave]

8. I would love to do that, but overall

I would just love to Reply All to prove this trash false, good little democrat that I am. I'm between a rock and a hard place, these are my husband's ..cough, cough..friends. I know, I know, but in the past, I could debunk this crap!!

[FSogol]

20. Husband's friends? In that case

follow Aristophanes' advice to women in the play Lysistrata. You can find it here: http://www.theatredatabase.com/ancient/aristophanes_005.html

but he's the main idea: "The women of Athens, led by Lysistrata and supported by female delegates from the other states of Hellas, determine to take matters into their own hands and force the men to stop the War. They meet in solemn conclave, and Lysistrata expounds her scheme, the rigorous application to husbands and lovers of a self-denying ordinance--"we must refrain from the male altogether." Every wife and mistress is to refuse all sexual favors whatsoever, till the men have come to terms of peace."

Good luck.

[Sammy Pepys]

2. Well...

I recognize SSgt Clay and LCpl Martinez...but I don't know who LCpl Holmasom is. But Clay and Martinmez are, at the very least, legit names.

And the National Cathedral does do something every year in November in conjunction with Marine Corps, but I can't find anything anywhere saying the services were canceled.

[Catchawave]

10. Looks like a rumor with legit names hijacked to smear

Cindy and the anti-war protestors.

[meegbear]

3. Can't find anything to prove it false...

toss it back and make the sender prove it true.

[Catchawave]

11. That's what I'll do if I can't find proof

I'm still scouring the news websites, nothing, not even freeper sites are showing up in the results.

[ET Awful]

4. Odd, their event archive back to 2001 shows no such event

http://www.cathedral.org/cathedral/news/event.shtml

http://www.cathedral.org/cathedral/worship/special.shtml

I mean, you'd think that if it listed Thanksgiving services, it would also show an annual event like the one mentioned in the spam.

A Google search for an annual event (i.e. annual national cathedral marine corp memorial service) turns up nothing either.

http://www.google.com/search?q=annual+national+cathedral+marine+corp+memorial+service&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official

[Sammy Pepys]

12. I got hits for that....

one of them:

November 6th
Marine Corps Worship Service
National Cathedral, Washington, DC
Guest of Honor: Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, Archbishop of Washington
Featured Performance: The President's Own Marine Band
Concert: 3:30-4 p.m.
Service: 4-5:45 p.m.

http://www.usmc.mil/comrel/120day.nsf/MCBall2005Events

[ET Awful]

28. One event does not make an annual occurrence n/t

[Catchawave]

26. Thanks ET, I checked again

and couldn't find anything in their news archives either. I'll just send it to them and ask for assistance, perhaps a response directly from them will clear it up with these "old gungho farts" one of which I'm still married too...oy! So I have to use diplomacy, as I'll represent myself as a Cindy supporter too. Just want them to know we are a peaceful bunch :)

[papau]

5. GET REAL - Who has a RIGHT to an Episcopal Church on any day?

Cathedral leadership under the direction of Reverend Lloyd can be over-ruled by the Bishop Rt. Rev. John Bryson Chane (the sixth Episcopal Bishop of Washington).

So the Bishop as always is allowing recognition of the Marine Corps Birthday and having Veterans Day activities within the Church's facility and grounds.

What in the world is the writer of the spam talking about?http://www.cathedral.org/cathedral/pdfs/WarMemorial.pdf

[ET Awful]

6. Hehehe, first I want to see proof that the event is an annual event and

that it was cancelled as alleged.

Hell, I haven't even seen anything describing it as an annual event anywhere other than the original spam.

[papau]

15. The PDF describes the War Chapel - a phone call or google

search should get you the Bishops Secretary to confirm the activities calendar.

I have attended many war/military related events at the Cathedral, but I get notice of them via a bulletin a week ahead of time. I doubt that there is an event that is cancelable in the War Chapel.

[The Witch]

7. OK, so the service is not being held but the other ones are?

The Marine Corps Birthday WAS held last year, fwiw link

Maybe it has something to do with the construction going on? They're not having their September open house because of it....

Weirdos.

[Wilber_Stool]

9. Nothing at Snopes

[zipplewrath]

13. Rev Lloyd doesn't even appear in any of their staff listings

Visiting their site doesn't show any suggestion of any of this
problem.
However, an easy path is to merely forward the item to their
contact address and see if a direct debunking is available.
http://www.cathedral.org/exec/cathedral/moreinfo

[papau]

16. He is the Dean - but this looks like a con n/t

n/t

[Catchawave]

18. Thank you for the link, yes I'll do that !

Haven't even thought about contacting them!  D'oh me :silly:

[Jai4WKC08]

14. Why not go to the source

You can write or call the National Cathedral and ask them if they know anything about this. If they don't, ask that they issue some sort press release, or contact WaPo with the correct information.

The Cathedral has a comment form on-line at http://www.cathedral.org/exec/cathedral/moreinfo or they can be reached at:
Washington National Cathedral
Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues, NW
Washington, D.C. 20016-5098

Phone Numbers
General Information: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

[Viva_La_Revolution]

17. Who need Snopes?

go right to the source of the truth. :thumbsup:

Wouldn't it be nice to send a reply to all from the Cathedral stating it's not true? :evilgrin:

[Jai4WKC08]

21. But if she does get an answer

(and I would suggest bugging them until she does), why not forward the e-mail to snopes and ask them to put it up at their website. The more we do to expose these lying bastards, to as many people as possible, the better.

[Catchawave]

29. You bet I will !

Having it on snopes would have saved me alot of time this morning :hi:

You DUers are the greatest !

[Catchawave]

19. Thank you so much !

I'll let snopes know too.

[Jai4WKC08]

22. De nada

Whatever our disagreements, we need to all work together against this kind of GOP crap.
:hi:

[Peanutcat]

23. This is an eay one

Just ask them for proof.

[JHB]

24. It's right about one thing...

(if true), It's "as egregious as the Washington Post cartoon of the wounded soldier." Unfortunately, either one of those is small beans next to the "egegious"-ness of what cuase them to come about: the towering arrogance and incompetence of the (mal)Administration.

[teenagebambam]

25. I sing at the Cathedral...

I have sung there for two years, and the "Marine Service" as we call it has indeed been held on or around Veteran's Day both those years.

Dean Lloyd was installed last Spring, so this year's Marine Service was held under his jurisdiction - I've heard nothing about it being cancelled or suspended in the near future, nor can I imagine how it would/could be.

For the record, most of the clergy, including Dean Lloyd, are VERY opposed to the war in Iraq, but of course that has nothing to do with honoring the service of the troops or individual branches of service.

[Catchawave]

27. It's beginning to sound more like an attack on the

National Cathedral now? And beginning to wonder if this could have started with those funeral protestors?

I'll send the email to the cathedral with hopes they'll clear it up. Maybe a copy to the WaPo too.

[Jai4WKC08]

31. Oooh, you mean Fred Phelps and his goons?

Now I almost wish there were some truth to this thing, so we could turn it back on the right wing.

As a resident of KS, Phelps is such an embarrassment. But more than that, the man is plain evil. Argh.

[teenagebambam]

30. Just got word from the music office secretary...

....who assures that the Marine service IS being scheduled for next year. So there.

[Catchawave]

32. Thank you so much !

I still haven't heard back from the Cathedral. But I will pass this information along. :yourock: