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Venice,Calif. Sept. 9,1966 Honorable Ivan Allen Mayor,City of A:blanta City Hall Atlanta,Ga. Dear Mayor Allen: There are many words in the English Language,but none will describe your courage facing a mob as you did. Being a former Atlantian by birth,we used to call it "Sheer Guts". It has been a long time since I have felt so proud of being a former "Cracker" as I was watching you on television,I only wish I could have been t here to help you. Without regards to political feelings , I would like to compare you with some of our fbrmer leaders like Tom Watson and Gene Talmadge,you like they,was not afraid to do your duty as you saw fit. Ge orgia people are the greatest people in the world,no matter fr om what walk of life the y come from,they are not afraid to fight,no matter what t he odds are. They wi ll fi ght with out gi ving qurter to preserve our heritage and way of life . I cannot say the same thing about my present residence. Our Mayor could not be found around Watts. I felt like I lived in a town without leadership. The citizens were scared out of their wits. The reminded me of a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off . As matter of fact our whole leadership is found wanting. Of course we do not have leaders such a~ yourself,Dick Russell, Herman Talmad~e, and Carl Sanders. Our citizens have political opportunists,not leaders. These people out here are trying to push Watts under t h e rug ,th ey are appeasing them with more welfare,and taxing the h e ll out of the pe ople who will work for a living . 'l'he s e people on welfare have even formed a union to get more benefits. They will tell you the white man owes them a living ,and they want to live a s well as the people who go out and struggle every day for their daily bread . We can keep going the way Los An geles is going ,and we will be working to support t h eir whims , and t h ey wi l l l au gh in your face . I am not proposing we go out a n d k ill anyone, but I am proposing t h ey get out a nd work l i k e ot her pe opl e for what they ge t. There are j us t as many depr ived wh i te peopl e in t h e country as there are colored,but I don 't see them out breaking windows and burning to get more ou t of re l ief . They may fight to get more for their labors , or try t o creat e better ways to support their needs and wants , but these people want us to give it to them. �I will cite you an incidence,out here the Post Office is begging for carriers,they even send notices throu gh the carriers ask ing if anyone wishes a position as a l et ter carrier, al l I see in my area is white girls working with t he mails,yet there are plenty of colored in the ar ea. This is part proof they do not want to work,they want state relief,they get nearly as much money as they do working . I blame the people out here,when I first came here, I heard people ridicule the south for t heir so called holding the ne gor down,but they had more se gregated areas than Atlanta. Even today Culver City does not have a ne gr o famil y living within it. I am not condoning they lift this restriction,but I do feel they should not criticize our people. I belong to Culver City El ks , and one da y during one of t h e Civil Ri gh ts movement in Congress one of my brothers made a bad remark about filerbusting,plus other remar ks about our people. I ask him i f h e really beli eved t h e southern pe ople should a ccept t h em as e qua l s ,and did he belie ve it f or hims e l f,and sh ould we equ a lize h ere,he s t a t e d h e did,I said alri ght l e ts ge t st a rt ed ,i f you b e lieve it,I will back you up 100%,firs t I will go on the lodge floor and prmpo s e a circul a tory motion tha t all El k Lodges a cce pt t hem,if y ou will se cond my motion. Of c our se he ba ck ed i nto a corner . Pe ople out here are t wo f a c e d,th ey be l ieve in it for you ,but not f or t hem s elv e s ,they are be gi nn ing to s ee t h e l i gh t. I cannot see a s o l ut ion t o t h e problem, as my gr andmother used to say , 11 You cannot make a si l k purse ou t of a s ows ear " . We can pump money t o them, we may as wel l pour wat er down a rat ho l e, we could give t h em al l a nice home , and within a few years mos t of t hem wou l d be rundown , a nd they would be ba ck where they started . I do not believe as a whole t h ey will ever pull t h emselves u p to t h e whit e mans standar ds . Aft e r all t he y never done anything with Afric a ,or a n~ o ther country t hey control , or could have controled . I am c ertain ou r forbe ars did not s et up this country and work and b l ee d for i t t o t ur n over to a bunch of peop le who does not des e rve i t. Again I want y ou to k now you ac ted l ike a champion, and I am certain my admiration i s s hare d by all pe ople who appreciate a fighter l i ke you , r egard l e s s of poli ti cal f ee lings. I can still see that big golden l etter s i gn on t he f ront of your s t ore on Peach tree when I was a kid . I f I rememb er right you u s e d to come t o my grandfathers Bar-B- Q place in Buckhe a d, Tidwell s, back in the 20 1 s with Dick & Inman Grey ,or maybe it was with Bi ll Munday , it has been so long and I was just a kid. Thanking you very kindly,and may God Bless you. Y~urs~ ~ ctfully IJ.f! //}~~ W. R .. Morr i s �