Lots of corrections on this point:

Jonah,
I’m sure by now you have received gadzillions of e-mails with this niggling correction. You wrote:
“Every morning I get these emailed images of white feathers sent to me by folks who think I should sign up. The reference is to WWI when women would give young men not in uniform feathers to shame them into enlisting.”
Actually, this comes from The Four Feathers, a 1902 adventure novel http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/002-7134070-3764064 which has been made into a movie at least three times http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/002-7134070-3764064 . As far as I’m aware, Mason made up the entire idea of accusing someone of cowardice by giving him a white feather. On the other hand, the phrase “showing the white feather” as a description of cowardice seems to have a long history. I find it listed as a phrase used in the Civil War and I think it shows up in one of Patrick O’Brien’s Aubrey-Maturin novels.
In any event, don’t let those bastards get you down!