I just want you to pat yourself on the back for doing it. People like us, who don't always feel like we have a right to speak up and defend ourselves, need more examples like this to be inspired by. You did everything right: you approached it politely, with the aim to solve the problem diplomatically, and when the attacks kept coming, only then did your claws came out.

You probably have been replaying those emails in your head over and over again, maybe shuddering when you think about it all? That just shows that you care about people's feelings, and didn't want to be provoked into saying those things. I think that shows the high integrity of your character, more than anything!