Hate mail
(as electronic, posted, or otherwise) is a form of harassment, usually consisting of invective and potentially intimidating or threatening comments towards the recipient. Hate mail often contains exceptionally abusive, foul or otherwise hurtful language.
The recipient may receive disparaging remarks concerning the subject's ethnicity, sexuality, religion, intelligence, political ideology, or sense of ethics. The text of hate mail often contains profanity, or it may simply contain a negative, disappropriating message.
Forensic linguists have increasingly been called upon to identify authorship of hate mail. See for example 'Wordcrime' a case file series by John Olsson, UK forensic linguist, which details several cases. Here is an example of a genuine hate mail letter (personal details have been altered to protect confidentiality):
DEAR BILL,
I SUPPOSE YOU THOUGHT I WOULD FORGET BUT YOU ARE WRONG HOW COULD I FORGET A RAT LIKE YOU. I HAVE SENT A LETTER WITH ALL YOUR PAST DETAILS TO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE. ALL YOUR DEBTS AND PAST MISSDEMEANOURS (sic). IF YOU DONT RESIGN FROM THE SENATE IMMEDIATELY THE PRESS WILL PRINT A LIST OF ALL YOUR DEBTS BOTH LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY. I ALSO KNOW OF THE BRIBES PAID TO THE UNDESIRABLES TO VOTE FOR YOU. YOUR BEHAVIOUR IN MEXICO ALSO LEAVES ME WONDERING WHY YOU BOTHERED TO GO. IT CERTAINLY WAS,NT TO PAY HOMAGE TO THE DEAD AS YOU WERE NEVER SOBER. WHAT WOULD THE LOCALS THINK OF THAT. I ALSO KNOW OF THE MONEY YOU HAVE POCKETED FROM THE MONEY RAISED FOR THE CELEBRATIONS YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO FOOL SOME PEOPLE BUT NOT ME. YOU FORGET I HAVE KNOWN YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR LIFE. GO BACK INTO YOUR RAT HOLE WHERE YOU BELONG AND STAY THERE.
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HATE MAIL TICKETS
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