DIRT.........

For a long time I lived in fear. There are many things in this world to be fearful of, after all. We live in a world where terrorism is more commonplace than it’s ever been, only suppressed thanks to the tireless work of our intelligence services. We live in a world where kids carry knives and guns, using them with little understanding of the consequences. There are self driving cars that crash in testing. Hate crimes are still obvious in society – you can be killed for looking or being different, just for walking down the street.

And whilst all of these things are very valid reasons for fear, the thing I feared wasn’t one of them. Although I don’t greet death with open arms, I am not fearful that my last day will eventually come, and so my fear runs deeper. I didn’t fear the end, I feared the meantime. I feared things that would make my time on this earth more difficult than it had to be.

From the day I decided to fight against the powers that be and for the people I was proud and I was resolute, but I was fearful. I worried what people might say about me because of the career choices I made. I worried that I would not be able to live my life outside of rosettes and rallies. I worried I’d never settle down and start a family.

Why?

For a while I wanted ultimate control. I needed to control every word in every publication. No photos went to press without my say-so. Alongside spearheading a political movement I spearheaded an in depth marketing campaign almost single-handedly. I wanted them to show me at my best. I wanted that image of me to be exact and unblemished.

Again – why?

I was afraid that they’d find or fabricate some dirt on me, and print it in their rags, and that would be game over for me. One wrong word and my career would be done for. I lived life so afraid. But something happened to me. This scar made me feel like I’d lost control, and in many ways that disarmed me, but in one way it also freed me. I no longer had that control and I stopped micromanaging the press. Guess what – nothing bad happened.

People have tried it on since I came here to the OSW. Blackveil tried to discredit me as a husband. Anonymous tried to discredit me as a human being. Despite all of that, here I am, still standing. People see me for who I really am, rather than the headlines. So please, Candy, dig all you like, but you aren’t ever going to find any dirt on me.

And if you get an itch to throw some dirt at me instead and see what sticks, just know that the brave new world I’m building only has room for journalists and investigators with honour and morals, and if you want to be welcome in that new world, there can be no mudslinging.

Keep your report clean to the truth.

Vote Whitlock.