On Nov. 12, 2013, a blog called Mr. Conservative posted an alarming headline -- especially so given that it was just one day after the Veterans’ Day holiday.
The story, which was forwarded to us by a reader, was headlined: "Obama Admin. Hands Out Pamphlet: 'What To Do When The Veteran In Your Classroom Attempts A Mass Shooting.'"
The story went on to say that "veterans all across the country are upset" with the Education Department-issued pamphlet. Veterans, the site said, "are taking the stance that this makes it look like ‘all veterans are PTSD-crazed cauldrons of rage.’ "
The Education Department’s defense, according to the post, was that there were already other pamphlets "like ‘What To Do When The Hispanic In Your Classroom Attempts A Mass Shooting,’ ‘What To Do When The Gay Student In Your Classroom Attempts A Mass Shooting,’ and ‘What To Do When The Special-Needs Child In Your Classroom Attempts A Mass Shooting.’"
The article quoted an unnamed representative of the Veterans of Foreign Wars calling the pamphlets "incredibly frustrating" and saying they offered "several asinine recommendations."
Was the story true? A lot of people seemed to think so. A number of blogs and other social media sites referenced or reposted it, and commenters on Mr. Conservative appeared to take it seriously.
"I am ashamed that we are demeaning my fellow veterans in this manner. It seems to be part of Obama's grand scheme to diminish the military," said one. Said another, "What is it going to take to get this guy impeached??? If he doesn't get impeached, nobody will." Other commenters called Obama a "disgusting pig" or worse.
But a few Mr. Conservative commenters wondered whether it was a spoof, and it turns out that they were on to something. It was actually a piece of satire -- one that Mr. Conservative posted without labeling it as such.
Though Mr. Conservative didn’t cite the original source or link to it, some quick Googling enabled us to find the source easily -- a website called the Duffel Blog, which is a satire site aimed at members of the military. Here’s the disclaimer posted on the Duffel Blog’s "About" page:
"We are in no way, shape, or form, a real news outlet. Everything on this website is satirical and the content of this site is a parody of a news organization. No composition should be regarded as truthful, and no reference of an individual, company, or military unit seeks to inflict malice or emotional harm. All characters, groups, and military units appearing in these works are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or actual military units and companies is purely coincidental."
Indeed, a cursory glance at the Duffel Blog front page on Nov. 12 suggests that a visitor probably would have been able to figure that out on their own. The headlines included, "Pentagon Proposes New Antarctica Command," "Applebee’s Declares Bankruptcy After Offering Free Alcohol For Veterans Day," and "Paperwork Error Sends Marines To Guard Streets Of Hell" (the last one was datelined, "The Pearly Gates of Heaven").
