Mass e-mailings, which have long annoyed people by flooding inboxes with bad jokes, get-rich-quick schemes and ``Top 10'' lists, are now being used to try to rally Americans after the devastating terror attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon . From lighting candles to wearing the red, white and blue colors of the American flag, several e-mails swirled around the country on Thursday, urging readers to, in the words of one, ''show those terrorists that we Americans stick together''. That e-mail said Friday, September 14 should be ``Flags Across America'' day, and asked citizens to display a U.S. flag at their homes or in their cars. ``Let's keep the meaning of UNITED in 'United States','' the e-mail read. Another declared Friday to be ``U.S. Color Day''. ``Red, white and blue should be worn in honor of our fellow Americans that died. The goal is to get the whole nation to participate,'' it said, adding, ``Send this to 10 other people.'' A third mass e-mail asked people to stop whatever they are doing at 7 p.m. Friday evening and light a candle. ``We will show the world that Americans are strong and united together against terrorism. Please pass this to everyone on your e-mail list. We need to reach everyone across the United States quickly.'' (Agencies) | 電子信箱里莫名收到大量蹩腳笑話，迅速致富捷徑等垃圾郵件讓人們大為惱火，不過就在美國世貿大樓和五角大樓遭受毀滅性襲擊之后，電子郵件有了新的用途--將美國人民團結起來。 9月13日，美國網上充斥著各種激勵人們團結起來的電子郵件，有的郵件中人們點燃蠟燭(為遇難者祈禱)，有的郵件中人們披上象征美國國旗的紅白藍三色的衣服，這些郵件中都用這樣的話語來激勵人們："讓恐怖分子看看我們美國人是緊緊團結在一起的。" 有一封郵件建議讓9月14日成為美國"國旗飄揚日"，號召人們在家里或是車上懸掛國旗。郵件中說："讓我們堅持'美利堅合眾國'這個名字里'合眾'二字的含義。" 另一封郵件宣稱9月14日將成為"美國國色日"。郵件中說"為了我們死去的美國同胞，我們應該穿上紅白藍三種顏色的服裝。我們的目的是號召全國人們參與進來，所以請將此郵件轉發給其他10個人。" 還有一封郵件號召人們在9月14日晚上7點鐘停下手里的所有工作，點燃蠟燭。郵件中說"我們要讓世界知道在對抗恐怖主義的斗爭中，美國人是堅強的，是團結在一起的。請將此郵件轉發給你信箱欄中的人。我們要盡快聯系國家中的每一個人。" (中國日報網站譯) |
Updated: 2001-09-17 01:00
