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You are reminded that this subject has a national reputation through her writings in which she has opposed nazism and fascism. Under no circumstances should it be known that this bureau is conducting an investigation of her. It should be handled in a most discreet manner and under no circumstances should it be assigned to the local police or some other agency.

Lillian Hellman#36

PoliticsInvestigationReputationSecrecy

About this quote

What does it mean?
This text describes a secret government instruction to protect the reputation of someone known for opposing fascism.
In plain terms
Handle this investigation carefully to protect her reputation.
What can you take from it?
Reputations for fighting fascism were guarded by state secrecy.

Where it applies

  • Government investigations
  • Political espionage
  • Cold War era

Putting it to work

  • Handling sensitive files
  • Protecting names

Questions to consider

  • Is secrecy always justified?
  • Who controls reputations?

Another view

Secrecy can sometimes harm more than it helps by hiding wrongdoing.

More from Lillian Hellman

  1. You lose your manners when you are poor.

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  2. Today, when every form of perversion except masturbation and bestiality have been shown on the screen, Hellman, Wyler and the Mirisch Co. apparently thought a …

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  3. What a word is truth. Slippery, tricky, unreliable. I tried in these books to tell the truth.

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