I Received An Ugly Letter
Through the years I have received a number of letters in response to my writings, many of which were adversely critical of my views. Recently in reply to an article in our bulletin, on the subject, "Two Schools Of Thought," a three page, single spaced, typewritten, unsually bitter letter came to me. It was devoted largely to a very inaccurate description of me personally.
Here are some of the epithets and terms the writer used to describe me: "Guilty of black sin"; "Tant-type-Antic, or Tantie"; "anathema"; "might as well be a murderer"; "buzzard"; without "any intestinal fortitude whatever"; "will burn in hell" with Tant and Cogdill; and many other ugly things. The name, Allen J. McDaniel, Jr., was written in long hand at the end of the letter.
How could any man become so insanely bitter toward one with whom he does not agree? Has something happened to his mind, or was he just born cantankerous? I wondered what to do.
From past experiences I have learned that people who do not like me would say nothing against the writer of that nasty letter, but would severely criticize me, if I used one unkind word in my reply to the letter. Therefore, I decided to leave the matter in the hands of McDaniel, Jr., whose name the writer had signed to the insulting letter, and that I would just send him a copy of it with the following note from me:
February 11, 1964 Allen J. McDaniel, Junior,
642 E. N. 16th St., Abilene, Texas.
My Dear Junior:
I am enclosing herewith a copy of a letter dated February 4, 1964, so that you may know that some imbecile is writing letters and signing your name to them.
If you will check on the various places in and around Abilene where morons congregate, you may be able to catch the crack-pot who is writing shameful letter and signing your name to them.
Hopefully, Cecil B. Douthitt