It takes more than that to silence Cecil

The letters are always hand-delivered, pecked out on an old typewriter, double-spaced, all caps. Sometimes there’s a coffee stain or other evidence of the writer’s breakfast on the letter.

At a glance, the editor knows he’s received another missive from Cecil Kelly III of Coeur d’Alene.

Kelly is no stranger to this page. A quick search through newspaper archives shows The Press has published more than 70 letters to the editor from Kelly over two decades. Few could be described as mild-mannered.

Kelly lets ’er rip, slamming what he sees as social injustices perpetrated by hate-filled foes and many in political power. One short sample, from June 17, 2015:

Always enjoy people whining of their absolute right to have their hate letters in the Coeur d’Alene Press being denied if not published. Of course, they condemn The Press for printing our human rights letters or having articles on equality. A tea party-only bill of rights with Nazi enabling law restrictions for the rest of us.

P.S. The gentlemen writing veiled death threats/threats of intimidation against me in last month’s Press, be sure to take copies of letters to the next tea party meeting to show your bravery and manhood.

P.P.S. If you verbal warriors decide to break into our home to carry out your threats: Have a 9mm friend named “widow maker” who is willing to shoot-the-fat with you gentlemen.

CECIL KELLY III

Kelly has stirred the abortion pot and led the sexual orientation/gender equity debate. He tilts at religious zealots and seethes over racism. On March 16, 2016, Kelly zeroed in on a new target: Donald Trump. That letter ripped the then-presidential candidate for saying in a debate that he would go further than waterboarding torture under certain circumstances. The next 10 letters from Cecil Kelly III have all focused on Trump, including last Friday’s. And that’s when the you-know-what hit the fan.

Kelly found excrement smeared all over his car on Monday. A random act of crudeness? Hard to buy that, happening so close to publication of his latest anti-Trump sentiments, headlined TRUMP: Poisoning the people.

While Kelly did file a police report so officials were aware of the petty, poopy prank, you have to wonder if maybe he isn’t glowing inside.

Cecil Kelly III got under somebody’s skin, which to certain writers is rewarding in itself.