Residents in Atlanta have received racist and threatening letters in their mailboxes this week; two separate versions – undoubtedly by the same author – were distributed. One version is being handled by local police, but the second makes threats against Barack Obama and so is being handled by the FBI.
These letters are of national importance because of their vile nature; their threats to Barack Obama; Sarah Palin’s recent rhetoric and violent crowd responses; and the great offense taken by John McCain against Atlanta’s Congressman John Lewis’ remarks (which now seem almost prescient).
Partial text of the second letter appears below.
As reported by CBS 46 on October 15, the day the first letters appeared:
Residents in a Clayton County neighborhood found racist letters in their mailboxes last week. The letters targeted black and gay people living in the area, residents said.
Cheryl Wilcox read CBS 46 the letter she received. "Attention, white brothers and sisters of Bear Creek," the letter began...
...Residents said the letters reference the presidential race. They said it's clear the writer doesn't Barack Obama in the White House.
[Visible at this point in the report is a glimpse at the words WHITE HOUSE and WHITE PERSON.]
The letter also claims the Ku Klux Klan will soon have a meeting at a home in Bear Creek. ...
Clayton County police told CBS 46 they have extra patrols in the neighborhood and have sent some letters to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab in DeKalb County for fingerprints.
See a video of the report and the whole article
http://www.cbs46.com/...
As reported by CBS 46 on October 17, the day the second letters were brought forward:
A racist letter is circulating in the Kirkwood neighborhood in southeast Atlanta.
Residents are hurt and angry about the hate being spread through their community.
CBS 46 News first told you about a hate letter received by minorities in Clayton County.
Now residents here in southeast Atlanta are coming forward about another hate letter that was distributed last week. People said they thought we were in different times now.
A part of the letter reads: "Not that anyone would miss you. I do have a few shallow graves that need filling." "You’re trash and you don't deserve to be alive."
...That's just the part we can tell you. The rest is worse...
The typed, unsigned letter is full of racist name-calling and profanity. It starts off, "To the [expletive] that keeps breaking into all the honest people’s homes. Warning, the next time you come in my yard or walk down my street, I'll be taking aim shooting and asking questions later."
Said one woman, "[The police] stated that they know about the letter and there's pretty much nothing they can do about it, but if you see any leads let them know"
CBS 46 News asked police where the investigation stands. They tell us it's being handled by the homeland security unit. ...
...City council woman Natalyn Archibong tells CBS 46 News residents have sent a letter to the district attorney asking for her support with the investigation.
See a video of the report and the whole article
http://www.cbs46.com/...
Some of the second letter is viewable at that address. I’ve transcribed it here (I made no changes to grammar, spelling or punctuation – pay attention to that – and used XXXX to indicate blanked out words).
TO THE XXXXXXX THAT KEEP BREAKING INTO ALL THE HONEST PEOPLES’ HOMES THAT ACTUALLY WORK FOR A LIVING HERE IN KIRKWOOD XXXXXXXXXX OFF!
YOU’RE TRASH AND DON’T DESERVE TO BE ALIVE! YOU OUGHT TO BE IN JAIL, WITH THE REST OF YOUR "BROTHAS" SILLY XXXXXX IT’LL HAPPEN SOON, AS YOU’RE SO STUPID THAT YOU’LL GET CAUGHT EVENTUALLY.
IT’S AMAZING YOU’VE MADE IT THIS FAR AND HAVEN’T EITHER DIED OF A GUNSHOT, CRACK OVERDOSE, SOME KIND OF SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE FROM ALL THE CRACK XXXXX BABY MOMMAS OUT THERE (WELL TRUTHFULLY, ALL THE SINGLE BLACK BABY MOMMAS OUT THERE HAVE SOME KIND OF BAD DISEASE I’M SURE, JUST LOOK AT THEM WORTHLESS INDIVIDUALS REALLY, NO GOOD SENSE – THEM.)
JUST AS WORTHLESS AS ALL THE BLACK MALES TH--- THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WALKING AROUND AT ALL HOURS OF THE NIGHT ---