This letter was written by my grandmother, Helen Howell, in 1965. She wrote during an era when free speech was hotly contested by ideology, yet not yet overshadowed by the kind of lethal threats we have witnessed in our own time. Her words remind us that ordinary Americans have long felt compelled to speak out when they perceived dangerous philosophies taking root in the culture.
To understand her reflections, it helps to know who Joe Pyne was. Joe Pyne (1924–1970) was a pioneering talk show host and radio commentator, remembered as the “father of confrontation talk shows.” His program, The Joe Pyne Show, thrived on heated exchanges. He invited controversial guests, confronted them with biting, patriotic bluntness, and became a lightning rod in 1960s public discourse. Many admired him as a voice of clarity in a confusing era, while others criticized his methods as harsh or combative.
In many ways, Charlie Kirk played a similar role in our time. Like Pyne, he was bold, unafraid to challenge prevailing ideologies, and sought to rally ordinary Americans to defend faith, family, and freedom. Both men became polarizing figures: admired by those who believed they stood for truth, and rejected by those who found their words too sharp. The tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025, underscores how the ideological battles of today have escalated to deadly consequences—something my grandmother’s generation had not yet faced when she put pen to paper.
Her letter, then, stands as both a product of its time and a prophetic witness across generations: a reminder that while the voices may change, the struggle between truth and deception, freedom and tyranny, continues.
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TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
Last June 12, on Channel 11-KTTV-Los Angeles, I watched with astonishment the appearance of Robert Vaughn as guest moderator for the “Joe Pyne Show”. I was so upset by what I heard and saw that I decided I had to put down my impressions in words. I feel it my duty as an American to speak out, in my own small way, against the decadent philosophy I saw beamed out to thousands of people.
The segment of the program in question opened with a half-clad female slithering to-and-fro flapping her di-store eyelashes. Then, while all the bloodshot eyeballs in the audience were still bulging from their sockets, Mr. Vaughn cleverly presented some films of his recent visit to Moscow. “How nice,” we all thought, “they’re just ordinary people like us, and they seem so happy, what an interesting travelogue.”
Now Mr. Vaughn had our attention. He then presented a professor of political science from one of our prominent universities. This man is teaching our young citizens and incidentally is being paid by our taxes. He went into a long lecture on the history of communism. It was filled with impressive pseudo-intellectual jargon and terminology that confused everyone; but “my” he sounded so much like an authority on government, and such a charming personality. Then he categorized the “types” of democracy, putting the socialistic state somewhere in the list. The out-come of the description was utter confusion, which I feel was the intention in the first place. Both men were charming, which made the audience receptive. But whenever an embarrassing question was asked, a convenient “capitalistic commercial” was flashed on the screen. When accused of being a “leftist”, they didn’t know what this meant, but if it meant being for civil rights then they were for it; again using the Negro as a scapegoat. Please understand I am not implying or calling anybody a communist, I am only reporting what I saw and heard and my impressions.
I know that little can be done about stopping these people from expressing their views; unfortunately, our system of government allows anyone to speak out even if they preach our eventual destruction and abolition of that freedom they used to destroy us. However, much can be done about exposing this philosophy for what it is and what it teaches. A great deal can be done by exposing those that present this evil disguised as Utopia and gilded in gold. Many will reach out for it before they realize what lies beneath the surface. It’s our duty to seek out and destroy this malignancy that has run rampant and engulfed the world.
My words are few, my voice is small, and I don’t know how much good I’ve done by writing this letter, but it was something I had to say, and now that it’s said, I feel better for it.
Helen Howell
Editorial Note:
This letter was written in 1965 and reflects the language of its time. The word “Negro” appears in the text. In that era, it was a common and accepted term used even by leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., though it is now considered outdated. It is preserved here exactly as written, to maintain the historical integrity of the document.
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