By [email protected]

Editor…

As a service to Mr. Eddie Foraker, I’d like to let him in on a few things that should put his mind at ease. Diet Coke will not cause cancer. Tampons do not contain asbestos. And no, Bill Gates will not pay him a million dollars for for forwarding some stupid email.

You see, from his October 27, 2004 letter to the editor, it’s obvious that Mr. Foraker (unfortunately, like too many of us) believes everything he receives via email. He basically submitted verbatim an urban legend circulating via email that John Edwards is responsible for the current flu vaccine shortage.

A good rule of thumb, Mr. Foraker: If you get something in an email that sounds really “juicy,” but the mainstream press hasn’t reported on it yet, most likely, it’s BS. The following are great sites you can use to check out to check the veracity of any of these emails. Read the truth about the John Edwards email, and others:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/flushot.asp

or

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_flu_shots.htm

I’m sure Mr. Foraker will be shocked to learn that the Liverpool, England flu vaccine plant that was contaminated actually belongs to Chiron, an AMERICAN corporation. I’m sure he will also be flabbergasted to discover that no record has surfaced to date of any flu-vaccine related lawsuit involving Sen. Edwards.

It’s a good lesson, Mr. Foraker: before you portray something as a fact, make sure it’s actually true.

Rick Vazquez ’98Former Chrony Asst. Sports Editor