This is disheartening - a very false e-mail is "forwarding" its way around

Here is the text of an e-mail that I received in my inbox, and it is completely bogus.

For too long we have been too complacent about the workings of Congress. Many citizens had NO idea that members of Congress could retire with the same pay after only one term, that they don't pay into Social Security, that they specifically exempt themselves from many of the laws they have passed (such as being exempt from any fear of prosecution for sexual harassment) while ordinary citizens must live under those laws. The latest is to exempt themselves from the Healthcare Reform...in all of its forms. Somehow, that doesn't seem logical. We do NOT want an elite that is above the law. I truly don't care if they are Democrat, Republican, Independent or whatever. The self-serving must stop. This is a good way to do that. It is an idea whose time has come. Have each person contact a minimum of twenty people on their address list, in turn ask each of those to do likewise."

So now, please visit this website to see how totally false the above points are:

http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/government/a/proposed_28th_amendment.htm

Ever since the passage of the Congressional Accountability Act in 1995 Congress has been answerable to the same equal employment and civil rights regulations that apply to private businesses. The other alleged disparities, those having to do with Congressional retirement provisions and health care coverage, are also misrepresented above.

**Always, always, always consider the source when you see stuff like this in your e-mail!