Character Matters, Kentucky
- Melody Kay Young
- Apr 12
- 4 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
My letter sent today to the editors of Cincinnati Enquirer and Link NKY:
I hear Chet Hand touts availability to community members. I remember calling him about smearing Democrats. It was one minute before he interrupted, hung up and texted as if it was my fault. Despite communicating he did harm and I want no further contact, Chet insisted as justification, “The Democrat platform represents pure evil in this world.”
Is it valuing veterans or protecting the vulnerable that offends Chet Hand the most? Regardless, I write because he hurt community members.
To everyone voting in the Republican primary: please remember character matters.
If Chet Hand can't love neighbors, he won't serve justly.
Do Kentuckians think it appropriate to smear a citizen for confronting abusive behavior?
I guess we are going to find out this year.
There is a pattern here with maga: It is transparent they go after people who confront abuse:
It isn't a joke.
But what should we expect other than abuse from my former party who has gone to bat for
Elected officials should not treat their constituents as the enemy.
(But that is the example they have permitted themselves by elevating an abuser.)
Have I now become your enemy because I am telling you the truth? (Galatians 4:16)
Reason for call: Facebook post attacking Democrats:
"Prayers for Charlie Kirk and his family. Based on my experience, it is unlikely he survived that shot, although we hope and pray for the best, for the sake of his wife and children, and our country. It is hard to imagine such evil. Democrats are the party of political violence, intolerance, hate, anger, and evil. They are the party of insanity, demonic possession and radical extremism. They represent Satan's spawn on earth, and their rhetoric over the years has stoked a proliferation of incidents like this." - Chet Hand
Context: I am a Christian, raised as a missionary kid, who was a Republican until 2016. I speak 3 languages and have some experience managing narcissistic behavior. For my Masters I touched on the impact of trolling, in influencing narratives and our behavior. My understanding from the text of Biblical Scripture is that Satan is an Accuser. So I was well aware going into this phone-call that this person, who made unjust accusations not based in basic research of the political party they choose to hate, was unlikely to act in good faith. Nevertheless, I felt I had a civic duty to register my complaint and stand up for neighbors.
Length of call: 1 minute before he hung up on me rather than listen to me.
Transcript of texts:
Chet- You can call me back when you’re ready to be calm.
Me- You need to listen and let people grieve. What you are doing is abusive and you need to repent. I want no further discussion with you nor anyone like you. What you have done and are doing is dangerous, evil, and sinful. I have studied such rhetoric in German and you have to stop it. I don’t believe Jesus would be any less grieved than I am nor any less emotional. A man died. You have a right to grieve but you have no right to abuse others like this. What you are doing is evil. I will be praying.
(Blocked- but my computer picked up these comments:)
Chet- You were entitled to your opinion, even if it is incorrect. If you would like to have a rational discussion, you are more than welcome to call me back. However, I will not partake in an irrational rant.
Chet - Thank you for your call. Also understand my position on most policy matters is that I do not let any area of disagreement, deter cooperation on other policy matters. There are many Democrats in Boone county that I currently work with on other issues. If there are other things that come up that you would like to address regarding the county feel free to reach back out.
Sent Sunday at 7:47 am:
Me - Good morning. My computer picked up your further texts.
I do not usually text with elected officials, but given your behavior, I think it prudent to have a record, and I will not text again beyond what I think is vital to say now in response to what you said on working on policy.
It is grace that any Democrat works with someone who hates Democrats as you do.
It was wildly inappropriate how you treated me for calling you about your own irrational rants.
Even in grief, you have a responsibility to be a leader. Massie was an example of this.
You are mistaken to say this is a disagreement of policy or politics; this is about your character: how you treat people.
Seeing you attacking your own neighbors, on top of a shooting, is deeply hurtful, not just offensive, and absolutely unacceptable for a leader.
At minimum, you should remove your abusive posts. It would also be appropriate to put an apology in place of those awful smears.
You did harm. I see no reason to trust you now, and I will not have any further contact with you.
You still have an opportunity and responsibility to do what is right. God bless.
His response, once again picked up by my computer, even though I asked for no contact:
Chet - Never going to happen. The Democrat platform represents pure evil in this world. And it’s up to us to fight back against it. I’m not interested in compromising with evil. In the words of Edmond Burke: “evil prevails when good men do nothing”.
Here is a link to the Democratic Platform.
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