from here:http://urbanlegends.about.com/libra...-pop-terror.htm
These are variants of "The Grateful Terrorist," an urban legend that began making the rounds by both word of mouth and email almost immediately after the attacks of September 11, 2001.
As the story goes, an "Arab," "Middle Eastern" or "Muslim-looking" man repays the kindness of a stranger with a solemn warning not to visit a particular place (e.g., Baltimore), engage in a particular activity (e.g., board an airliner) or, in this case, consume a particular product on or after a certain date. The obvious implication is that the man is a terrorist who possesses secret information about an impending attack and spontaneously offers it up to save the life of his benefactor (very unterroristlike behavior, needless to say).
None of the plethora of rumors circulated in this form have, as yet, proven valid. No official alerts have been issued warning the public to beware of contaminated soft drinks. "The Grateful Terrorist" is pure folklore — an expression of the post-9/11 fears and suspicions of a populus that perceives itself under constant threat of attack from an insidious and all-but-invisible enemy. The sentiments are real; the story is not.
The Coca-Cola Company's response:
Several variations of the "grateful stranger rewarding a helpful citizen with a warning about impending attack" rumor have existed over the years. The people involved and details of the rumor vary, depending upon the political climate of the day.
A recent version involves a grocery stock person warning a customer not to buy Coca-Cola after June 1, 2002, while another version claims a waiter was given similar "helpful advice" by a Middle Eastern customer as a tip for prompt service. Another version involves a tip given after someone assists a person who is short of cash. Naturally, after 9/11 everyone is extremely cautious about any "terrorist threat."
Our Response: These rumors are absolutely false and are causing needless worry. The Coca-Cola Company has an uncompromising commitment to product safety, and our products are produced and distributed through secure facilities. We use a number of processes to assure the safety and quality of the water and ingredients used to make products of The Coca-Cola Company. To ensure the effectiveness of our safeguards, we do not discuss the details of these processes.
We always take reports of this nature seriously. You should know that investigations to date, conducted by Federal and local officials, as well as The Coca-Cola Company, have concluded that these rumors have no merit.
in conclusion....
don't drink coke, or pepsi. All brown people are terrorists. Racial profiling is okay, and justified.
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word is bond
Last edited by tm11 on 10-25-2002 at 09:26 PM
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