This will be my first diary, and I know this is something that probably has been said before, but I felt it important and moving enough for me to write something.  I am definitely not as articulate as many on this site, and this is a personal anecdote, but I felt it might be good enough to share.

I have never really considered myself influential.  As opinionated as I am, I do not try to shove my ideas down other peoples' throats.  When I received the "Barack Obama is a Muslim" smear e-mail last May from my boss at the time, however, it got my ire up to say the least.  I had been involved in the local grassroots movement for Obama since February 2007, and I was just not in the mood to let the e-mail slide that day.

The company that I was employed with was dominated by right-wing, good-ol'-boy, "Bush-is-doing-the-best-he-can-do" fearpushers.  So it didn't surprise me that the e-mail was sent, but who was on the list of recipients did.  Vice-presidents of companies.  Corporate contacts.  People that would know that this e-mail was a blatant falsehood - and then, of course, all of us subordinates and co-workers.  

As they say, I think, more below the fold.