Henry Frederick is a great big jerk!
No doubt about it: Henry Frederick is a great big jerk! I don’t think I’ll get much disagreement in this forum, or most anywhere else for that matter. After all, he’s clearly biased and has an agenda and an axe to grind. And he’s often rude, nasty, hateful, spiteful and vindictive in his writing. But guess what: despite being a great big jerk, whether Chitwood likes it or not, Henry has rights just like the rest of us. Among those rights: freedom of speech and freedom of the press. In fact, these rights were enacted in our country precisely for people like Henry. Friendly, popular, mainstream speech doesn’t need protection. No one’s going to object or try to silence it. It’s unpopular speech – the type of speech that makes you uncomfortable and angry – that needs to be protected. As an example, I think most all of us detest hatred and bigotry. But bigots and racists have a right to express their views, regardless of how unpopular and repugnant, as long as they don’t commit crimes while doing it. That’s what our freedoms are all about in this country. So you don’t have to like or agree with what Henry does and how he does it. But we should all care about his right to do it. And we should all deeply care when Chitwood infringes on anyone’s rights, including Henry’s. Not just care, but be afraid! So when Chitwood does things like barrs Henry from press conferences, removes him from the SO’s press release distribution list and refuses to issue him a press card, Chitwood isn't just being vindictive, malicious and retaliatory. Chitwood is illegally violating Henry’s rights. It’s a lesson that President Trump learned from his recent dust-up with CNN reporter Jim Acosta after the White House revoked Acosta's press credentials and a judge ordered the White House to return them. So yes, Henry is a great big jerk. But Chitwoood retaliating by infringing on Henry’s rights is far more troubling and dangerous. After all, if Chitwood is allowed to violate Henry’s rights, whose rights will he violate next? As the saying goes, the only thing needed for evil to succeed is for good people to do nothing. Protection of rights – just one more reason why we need a good candidate to step up in 2020 and make Chitwood a one-termer!