I think of myself as a pretty calm and easy-going person. I like to think that I am a pretty nice guy who likes people and is generally friendly to pretty much every single person I meet.

But there are times when I get upset and even mad and angry. Although I do try and keep those times to a minimum.

But this week I could not do it. This week someone totally ticked me off. I was so mad that it was tough to concentrate on my work, or even get a good night’s sleep.

I was that mad.

Someone sent a letter to the editor of the Albert Lea Tribune and it said some totally awful, outrageous – and false – things about Blue Earth Area Schools Superintendent Mandy Fletcher.

That alone is something that could make me pretty mad, but there is more, and it gets pretty personal. You see, the letter was not anonymous, it was signed. It was signed by Chuck Hunt, managing editor, Faribault County Register, and had my phone number listed.

It is a bit reminiscent of a letter that was sent to some people just before this past election, that said outrageous things about County Board candidates John Roper and Gertrude Paschke and was supposedly “signed” by John Roper’s son. It was not.

That letter also was a very terrible thing and upset a lot of folks. And it made me and others plenty mad.

I would bet dollars to donuts that that letter in November and this one now were the creation of the same sick, wacko person.

You see, just to make it crystal clear, I did not write nor send this new letter to the editor of the Albert Lea Tribune.

In fact, it surprises me that the true letter writer wouldn’t realize that the editor of the Albert Lea Tribune, Sarah Stoltz, would immediately contact me to double check to see if I had suddenly gone bonkers and sent her this letter.

I told her no, I didn’t write it. I did not send it to her. And that none of it was true. And that it was awful and made me pretty mad.

Then, just as my blood was coming down off a boil, I got ticked off again when I learned that the letter, supposedly signed by me, was also sent to the Albert Lea School Board members.

As a story on page three this week details, superintendent Fletcher is a finalist for the position of superintendent in Albert Lea, making this false letter with my name on it even more frustrating and maddening.

I mean, I can’t even imagine what those School Board members thought when they got a letter that seemed to have come from me. Again, I was pretty mad.

Then, to make things even worse, and get me all ticked off once more, I learn that there is a reason that Mandy Fletcher is thinking of leaving BEA. She has been personally attacked and threatened many times over the last two years.

That really torques me off. To think that we live in a community where this kind of thing goes on. Now, I realize that this is not the whole community, but there is a faction that thinks it is OK to harass and threaten someone. Yes, you can express your opinions, but there is a point of going too far.

I know this, too. Being an editor means you get some people riled up and mad at you. I have had threats, been punched a couple of times, gotten late night threatening phone calls and, of course, lots of anonymous letters. Not so much in Blue Earth, but mainly in other places where I have lived. However, I do have two files of letters in my desk drawer labeled “Fan Mail”. One is “Fan Mail – Good” and the other is “Fan Mail – Bad.”

Sure, part of this is just what comes with the position. But there are times when it goes too far, sometimes way too far.

And this harassment with Mandy Fletcher is one of those that has gone too far. Former city administrator Mary Athey also reported being harassed beyond just being criticized for something.

This is something that just should not be tolerated on any level.

What can we as citizens of the Blue Earth area do about it? I wish I had an answer to that, but I am not sure I do. I think we just need a whole lot more civility in this world, locally, in the state and especially in the whole country.

What happened to being civil and getting along even if we disagree on something? Can’t we try and be nice to everyone? Can’t we be a little tolerant?

I really wish I did have an answer, but sadly, I don’t. I’m just going to try and do my part and get back to being a nice guy.