I was personally offended by a locally published letter from a person who signed herself Mary Grady. I was particularly offended that my presence at Christi Hogin’s goodbye party cast me as part of some “pro-development goon squad . . . coven . . . den of iniquity. . . pinata whacking. . . perpetually angry” mob. These are principles that are anathema to my culture and to my most deeply felt beliefs and practices.
Most people are told as they are growing up, “If you can’t say anything nice about someone, don’t say anything at all.” Then there are people like “Mary Grady” and other authors of past attack letters who grew up with the lesson, “If someone doesn’t agree with you, send nasty letters to the editor so you can insult, lie and distort the character of those with whom you do not agree. Of course, if you do this, you must hide behind some made-up name so your neighbors won’t know how really rude you can be.
I wish the universal Miss Manners would impose a “time out” on these individuals temporarily banning them from their computers and/or pen privileges whenever they launch their letter-to-the-editor missiles. We have enough tragedy and negativity happening in the world without our own Malibuite neighbors writing hate letters under pseudonyms and having those hate letters published in any of our local papers.
Mona Loo