E-mails on illegal immigration are eye-opening

[n2doc]

A deeper look at the facts contained in chain letters reveals hyperbole, exaggerations and misstatements by opponents.

By Hector Tobar
September 7, 2009

The e-mail that popped into my inbox started with an insult and included an attachment full of "facts."

After calling me a "crybaby" for writing a sympathetic story about Mexican immigrants, the sender insisted I read a series of statistics on the effects of illegal immigration on Los Angeles and California. Hospitals, law enforcement and other public services, he said, are being overwhelmed.

At first, because of the sender's tone, I ignored the attachment. Then it arrived again, this time forwarded by a friendly reader. He didn't believe the e-mail, he said, but wanted me to know that three friends had sent it to him. And 10 of its facts were said to have originated in this newspaper.

more, with a line by line examination of the e mail:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-tobar7-2009sep07,0,2585698.column

[Sarah Ibarruri]

1. That's how right wingers do it. They became experts at this nt