Letter 2

This letter adds evidence to what is discussed in Letter 1 regarding pride and patriotism. Author Laurie Fuller writes, "Several month ago I had to hang my head in shame for Atlanta when the 'Peyton barricades' went up. But today - you took a giant step that called for a mountain of courage....Thank you again for showing the world what Atlanta really stands for." This author, and those of many other letters, felt indebted to Mayor Allen for having the courage to speak up for what many of them were too afraid to do. He gave them hope. This was monumental for people who had lost their patriotism, leading to an outpouring of support as they were overcome with a wave of optimism.

 

In addition, this quote shows the internal struggle people in Atlanta had between their morals and their city. Allen was quite upset with the state of his city, but made clear that you could still have pride in your city or country, while still wanting it to improve. He challenged the status quo view of white supremacy patriotism and put forth a new ideal of evolving and improving patriotism.