BB-22-o-1
Dear _____,
My name is Maria Katsaris and I am twenty-four years old. Some weeks ago, my father, Steven Katsaris, said he contacted your offices regarding his demand to see me. I am currently living and working in Guyana, South America, at the Peoples Temple Agricultural project. Before my father contacted you, we spoke via radio phone patch. During that conversation he demanded that I forsake my plans to travel with my fiancé, a medical doctor, to Venezuela, and see him. Although I care for my father, [handwritten insertion: “in spite of the painful childhood he put me through,”] it is my belief that he has had problems in accepting the fact that at my age I am an adult who can chart my own course through life. It is my understanding that after I would not immediately accede to his wishes, he contacted your offices with tales that I was being “held against my will”. Nothing could be further from the truth, nor more laughable.
I am quite happy here in Guyana, and I assure you, I am here of my own volition. The project is considered a model community by both the government here and the many visitors who come almost daily. So, there is no “secrecy” as my father wishes to insinuate. In fact, just this week, Mr. Charles Garry, the well-known lawyer, visited for four days. [handwritten insertion: “All through Guyana & in the States, he said that he was in ’paradise.’”] I am sure that if you contact his office [handwritten insertion: “[(415) 864-3131]”], he will be glad to give you his impression of the project, and of myself – as I met with him on more than one occasion during his visit.
I am sorry for any inconvenience that this family disagreement has caused. I did contact my father again, and offer to see him whenever we could arrange a convenient time for both of us. I have heard nothing from him since, so I can only assume that
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BB-22-o-2
he no longer wishes to see me, which is regrettable. I wish there was some way that fathers, or at least my own father, could learn to accept the inevitable truth the daughters to grow up and choose to leave their own lives, without so much pain and heartache.
Please feel free to write me if you have any questions.
[Handwritten notation of suggested recipients of letter]
Sen. H. Humphrey
Cong. [Don] Clausen
Assemblyman Phil Burton
Sen. Cranston