October 12th, 1966

Dear Ji-Li,

            I became a Red Guard in July and ever since I have had a great sense of pride in myself.  I finally feel like I’m doing something good for myself and for our country.  At first the police were interfering with our necessary work, but great Chairman Mao has seen that we mean good.  As you’ve probably heard, he just announced that he supports the Red Guards on August first.  Now we can destroy the Four Olds and create the Four News without interruption.  Are you a Red Successor yet?  You should become a Red Guard when you get a little older.  It’s too bad that your father and grandfather have tainted your family with their rightist views.  I hope it hasn’t rubbed off on you.  It would be sad to see such a nice family turn into ignorant counter-revolutionaries.
          
           Well I’ve been doing a lot of good work for our country by reading the Red Book and implementing Mao Tse-Tung Thought.  Do you read your Red Book?  You should.  It has a lot of really helpful lessons and quotes to live by.  One of my favorites is: “Where the broom does not reach, the dust will not vanish of itself.”  That quote inspired me to become a Red Guard in the first place.  It helped me to realize that if I didn’t do something for our country, the Four Olds wouldn’t go away by themselves.  If I just sat back and let these counter-revolutionaries obstruct our path to a better world and disturb Mao’s vision for us, China would be doomed.

           I hope you will stay strong and will continue to support Mao Tse-Tung, and one day become a Red Guard.
                                                                  
                                                                                                                        Hope all is well,

                                                                                                                                        Wu Tian-mu

(Tim Whitaker)