My name IS Jeff Barkes and I approve this message.
First, I would like to personally thank the administrator of this blog. The administrator possesses the clarity of thought and perception about this election which, after months of name calling and mud-slinging against my parents, I no longer possess. Also, as to my alleged authorship of this blog, anyone who knows me can attest, I am neither as smart nor witty as this administrator. Mr. Freeman's accusations that I am the author only show his paranoia and delusions about the world around him. It also shows his penchant for baseless allegations.
I can not answer every allegation, exaggeration, and lie he has posted about my parents. There are simply too many. Allow me to answer the latest. Mom did attend the calling of a person for whom assistance was given. However, Mr. Freeman does not give the full story, only the part that suits his purposes. There are two sisters who lost a father. One sister contacted the office for assistance. Mom personally worked with her to make the arrangements for the funeral. During that process Mom came to know the sister and developed a genuine fondness for her. Mom then attended the calling to pay her respects. The second sister is the one complaining to Mr. Freeman's campaign.
Upon hearing this complaint, Mom wrote a letter to the sisters expressing her concern and regret that she may have offended them. There is a hole in Mr. Freeman's insinuation that the Trustee's office will do this to you if you dare ask for assistance. How did Mom know to write a letter to those sisters? She knew because that is the only calling of the kind she has attended. It also shows Mom's motive. If it was to lord the assistance over them, she would have attended others. She attended simply to express sympathy for their loss.
After receiving Mom's letter, the sister who complained to Mr. Freeman's campaign called Mom at her office and cursed her repeatedly. The accusation that Mom told the lady she would get hers when she meets her maker simply doesn't compute with someone who wrote a letter apologizing if she caused any anguish. I file this under the lie category of the Freeman campaign's spin efforts.
Here is something you won't read on Columbuzz. The sister Mom went to see at the calling visited Mom after hearing the Freeman campaign's allegations. She explained that the complaint did not come from her and thanked Mom for all she did. So Mr. Freeman, tell the entire story, not just one side.
Mr. Freeman is an internet "Tough Guy". He sits behind his computer and throws out lies, allegations and exaggerations hoping something will stick. He would not come to my face and say the things he says from the safety of the internet. That is not a challenge (as he might spin it) it is just a statement I believe to be true.
I offer Mr. Freeman the following challenges:
1) Post a link to this blog on your site. That way readers who want to see both sides may. Civics 101 could tell you a democracy is supposed to be an exchange of ideas. So far your actions have shown you do not believe in these principles.
2) Print this letter on your site in its entirety along with a link. If you are capable of being the civil servant you claim to be you will not run from dissenting voices. Along those lines, stop censoring dissention on your site.
3) If you choose to do neither, stop masqueraiding your site as media. Because it is not. Pull your sponsorships during the duration of the campaign. Place a "Paid for by Bob Freeman for Trustee" disclaimer on your site like the law requires.
4) Try to refrain from calling the Trustee or his employees names. Do not work around that by saying "so and so acted like a (insert derogatory name here)". You can simply say you do not agree with their actions. Proper public discourse demands it. I think most people in Columbus Township demand that of their Trustee too.
To any reading this, supporter of Fred Barkes or not, tell your friends of this site. Help people make informed decisions.
Sincerely,
Jeff Barkes
9 comments:
I would have called Bob an internet blowhard, but "tough guy" works too. :-)
Name ONE exaggeration or lie.
The funeral story turned out to be an understatement. We thought she simply went around announcing that the Trustee paid for the funeral. Now we learn she went around asking people why they didn't pitch in to pay for the funeral.
We have other people who were there yet to tell their story. When available, those stories will be posted as well.
The more we dig, the more we learn about where the cold heartedness in that office originates.
So keep denying and trying to justify their actions. We willpresenteverything we learn about that day.
I can name one. Nepotism? But I guess you "apologized" for that one.
And your story about the funeral keeps changing. What will it be tomorrow? Sorry, but in my opinion, your credibility is damaged beyond repair.
I see you haven't answered the call for a more civil campaign.
Funeral story changing? Asmore info comes in we llearn more about what she did.
And she qualifies him for the nepotism charge.
Herman posted your article.
Sorry Bob, the nepotism train has already left the station. Remember, you said so yourself. You really need to keep up. We're at cronyism now.
Seems Jeff got a response from the family, might want to check that out...
Already did. So when are you going to answer my question? Why was my (admittedly fake) identity disclosed after my first article?
Yes, I encourage everybody. Check it out. Read everything. Then decide for yourself.
By the way, anyone who reads this blog knows my "and I approve this message" was a tongue in cheek response to Mr. Freeman's accusations that I wrote things I did not. If Mr. Freeman had given the address to this blog as I challenged, his readers could see that for themselves. But he did not.
That's your way, isn't it Mr. Freeman? Give half the story. Half the truth. Then howl at the moon.
If Bob Freeman wins this election Columbus Township is going to become "Lord of the Flies".
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