Fiber411 apologizes, Doug accepts

On Thursday, Bill of Fiber411 wrote a testy letter to Doug Menefee, a letter Doug published to his blog under the tongue-in-cheek title, “Kind words to me from Bill L.“. Today the three Fiber411 fellows write Doug an apology and Doug accepts.

LPF had been CC’ed on the email; Fiber411 asked that we publish the apology. I thought it appropriate to let Doug, the injured party, respond before posting anything here but now that Doug has responded I’m happy to honor their request:

From: “Tim Supple”
To:
Cc: ,
Subject: LETTER OF APPOLOGY
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2005 14:04:57 -0600

LETTER OF APPOLOGY

To: Doug Menefee

From: Fiber 411

Dear Mr. Menefee: Yesterday you received a letter from a member of Fiber 411 for which we would all like to apologize. There was no excuse for the heavy-handed manner in which the letter was written. The letter was laced with innuendo, threats and accusations. It was wrong. For all of it, we apologize.

We hope all that read or took offense to the letter will grant some compassion and understanding. The day before the letter was written, the following took place:
1. During the court proceeding, a member of the city council told members of Fiber 411 that he “knew” that they were being paid by Bell South.
2. In the power point presentation made by the city’s attorney, included in the slides shown to the Judge and to the public, was the statement that Fiber 411 is an agent of Bell South.
3. That night the city implied that somehow this was about big corporations from Atlanta dictating to the future of Lafayette. The statement seemed to ignore the rule of law, the Judges ruling, the citizens that put their lives on hold, the citizens that signed the petition and all the other citizens who are asking for the right to vote.

None of that gives anyone the right to send that letter.

Unfortunately, one of the weaknesses of our human nature is to try to defend ourselves when we have been attacked. Since beginning the campaign to get the city to follow the law, we feel we have been personally attacked by LUS, Mr. Durel, City Councilmen, pro LUS bloggers, the press and members of the community that do not know us. Our motivations, integrity and reputations have been called into question. Our family members have had to endure insults and have been ostracized from much of the community. But, that is our problem, not yours. The letter was wrong.

Again, we ask everyone, especially ourselves and those who support us, to keep the discussion to the issues and not lower ourselves or our cause, to personal attacks. If we do, then we have all lost. Someone very important once said, “For what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world, and lose his own soul”.

I hope you will post this apology on your website.

Fiber 411
Tim Supple
Neal Breakfield
Bill Leblanc