A false rumor sent around the emails and posted on an unmoderated Internet forum was elevated when Nguoi Viet, the highest-circulation Vietnamese-language newspaper in the U.S., republished it as “news” on its front page in today’s issue.
The phony rumor purports to claim that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts passed a law banning the display of the flag of North Vietnam, which is now the official flag of Vietnam.
The three-out-of-six-column headline in Nguoi Viet proclaims, “Massachusetts passes law banning communist Vietnam’s red flag.”
Wow! Awesome!
Problem is, Massachusetts did no such thing.
Funny enough, the “news” item purports to quote from the law; and the quoted language is written in the present conditional tense (you know, with “would”) – a tell-tale that should have raised a big red flag.
The quote goes: “This bill would provide that the old South Vietnamese flag be the only flag depicting the country of Vietnam that may be displayed at any state-sponsored public function or in any public institution of learning….”
The “news” item carries a dateline from “Vietland,” but apparently it is referring to the source not the location. Vietland.net is a free-for-all forum where anyone can post anything as long as it meets the site owner’s definition of anti-communism.
This particular item comes from an email that had been circulating for more than a week. The original email was accurate — that such a bill had been introduced. Somewhere, somehow, the email was modified (maybe on April 1?) and became – that the bill was passed.
And that’s how it was published on Nguoi Viet, purporting to claim that the bill is numbered H 3415, that it passed the House unanimously 145-0 and the Senate also unanimously 37-0.
Actually, the bill numbered H 3415 (here) did pass but has nothing to do with any flag. It’s a resolution that allows the governor to use the state’s Rainy Day Fund to cover the deficit.
The actual flag bill is numbered S 1419, here. It has been referred to committee, just like its predecessor last year.
The source of the confusion seems to be the Beacon Hill Roll Call, the newspaper covering the Massachusetts legislature.
In a story here, the paper recites, on top, the passage of the budget act. Then, in the bottom, it includes a summary of other miscellanii. That’s the language Nguoi Viet quoted from and (dare the Bolsavik say it?) foolishly thought that it meant the flag ban had passed.
Mr Bolsavik:
You are a coward for not supporting the local Viet newspaper. Regardless, we stand by our own kind, whether by ethinicity, country of birth or whatever arbitrary criterium.
At times, I think it is the American newspapers stealing information from our fine newsprint and not paying royalty. Viet newspapers are staffed by very qualified interpreters and medicine men who can speak to spirits.
When is the next seance to gather more news?
@Duke of Earl:
news alert…..the Vietnamese community is far from perfect.
how is the entry an example of not supporting the Viet community?
this newspaper made a pretty bad (and amusing) mistake and this blog entry just points it out. don’t be so damn sensitive.
well, not only that, nguoi viet was so enthusiastic about sanchez co-sponsoring the human rights bill that it published the news twice, today and a couple of days ago on the same page. oops…
whoever sitting in Bolsavik’s used-to-be chair should be fired!
Nguoi Viet did a fool thing by posted something that is not true and you call that supporting democracy? A fight for democracy must be done in the right way, not in a foolish way. Oop, am I being too truthful? I must be a commie now!!!!!!!
I think Nguoi Viet has shamed the media in North Korea in terms of being full of it LOL
This is why you couldn’t pay me to write for NV again.
“North Vietnamese flag… South Vietnamese flag… the flag, a symbol of resilience, freedom and democracy … from 1954…”
This is the same flag that was flying side by side with the French flag in 1954 at Dien Bien Phu. Seriously, how proud can you be when your flag is associated with a bunch of cheese-eating surrender monkeys. Not only that, it’s subservient to the flag of these surrender monkeys and we all know how we Americans feel about them monkeys.
ha ha ha dang doi bon cong san,ca vang ba soc do thien lien muon nam,VNCH muon nam,da dao bon giac Ho cuop nuoc