Want to know what emotional hooks predators use to snag well-intentioned people into behaving against their interests? You can see hooks in bogus emails like the “Cherokee Legend.” That unknown author tempted me with pride, fatherly love, faith, intimidation and Biblical authority.
    The email begins, “Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth’s rite of passage?” Two hooks snagged me: identifying with Cherokees and passing on a good story. I read on.
    “His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove his blindfold. He cannot cry out for help. Once he survives the night, he is a man.”
    That paragraph raised questions. When I checked Wiki.answers, I found comments from an offended Cherokee. “I have spoken to two tribal leaders and three other old ones and not one of them has ever heard of such an outlandish load of dung. This boy had to a pretty wimpy little boy. If I was him, I would’ve enjoyed the chance to be out there.”
    White folk shouldn’t bite on that rite. Would we award high school diplomas only after blindfolded boys quivered all night on a bar stool outside the Clearwater saloon? That rite does have one advantage: it’d be easier to grade than the WASL.
    Having dropped my guard in favor of pride and a good story, I read on.     
    At daybreak the son discovers his father sat next to him, protecting him from harm. Maybe I could rewrite the story so my grandchildren would know I am protecting them when I’m out of sight.
    Then comes an emotional appeal to faith: “We are never alone because God is watching over us.” That’s a nice thought, but not when I’m putting my son through that helplessness.
    A fourth hook intimidates readers: pass it on or be a sissy. “If you liked this story, pass it on. If not, you took off your blindfold before dawn.” (The second sentence is in red font for emphasis.)
    The author claims the moral is: “Just because you can’t see God, doesn’t mean He is not there.”  True, but a lot of things exist that I can’t see, like the author’s real purpose – is this a faith inspiring message, or a ruse to collect email addresses for spam or fraud?
    The last appeal misuses Biblical scripture: “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
    The verse is from 2 Corinthians 2 5:7 in the King James Version of Paul’s letter to missionaries at Corinth. He said they should feel comforted at night in their nomadic tents for they ministered by day.
    Internet predators use appeals to admirable emotions and beliefs. They’d like the image of us sitting on a stump blindfolded, and believing they are watching over us. Watch for their emails, stand up against them, and search the Internet for authenticity. It’s good practice for the real world.