Since these stories have gotten more interest than 99 percent of the work I do here @frednewspost, I am going to describe my Monday this week. To be fair to Patty, I have gotten some criticism from people in the pro-Jenkins rally. (thread) https://twitter.com/clementsp92/status/1284112986416668673

I have thick skin, and understand you need that to do this job (perhaps not evidenced by this thread). In any case, we as journalists do an awful job of explaining what we do, so here we go.

On Monday, I came in and realized via Facebook and emails, etc. there were going to be two rallies in Frederick on Monday evening: one in support of 287(g) and Sheriff Chuck Jenkins, and one aiming to abolish the program.

Right off the bat, it is important to note I am a REPORTER, not a COLUMNIST. Columnists, by nature, are writing to persuade you to a specific point of view. Reporters are there to report facts. Those lines are indeed becoming blurred in today's journalism world.

Anyway, back to Monday. I came in and realized there would be two rallies. We are normally down one reporter on Mondays, but that day, we were down two. So I volunteered to cover both rallies, in two separate stories, since we were so short-staffed.

My editors signed off on me doing both stories. I don't ask for pity, I have a great job. Both that means I would be writing 1000-1500 words on deadline. And that didn't include another story I picked up, so I really actually had three stories, but that's a moot point, perhaps.

Because you're writing on deadline, you don't have all the time in the world to review notes. You interview people, note some color, and write the stories. Columnists typically have a bit more time to formulate their thoughts. That's just one difference in procedure.

In any case, I went down to the pro-Jenkins rally and talked to some people first, as that rally was first. Here is a key point I want to make: the @washingtonpost column had an inaccuracy, albeit it a very minor one. It was not an all-white crowd.

I know that, because I talked to Marty Weedon, a retired Maryland state trooper who is black. I believe he was the only POC of color there, but I am still a stickler for details, and columns, while ones of opinion, still need to be truthful.

Now, I'm not sure if Weedon was still there when the latter rally, the one against 287(g) met up with the pro-Jenkins and 287(g) rally at Winchester Hall. Perhaps not, but at that point I was mostly staying there to make sure nothing crazy happened from either side.

To be frank, I wasn't listening to much of the dialogue, unless there was a racist remark thrown or something that would be considered hate speech. Most of the insults back and forth amounted to taunts and jeers thrown on a middle school playground.

Looking back at the coverage Monday night, I think I did OK. I have gotten flak from people on both sides of the debate. But some of that flak has included criticism that is worth noting, and learning from.

Again, I have thick skin, but I'm not sure why social media makes it easier for people to hurl insults from behind a keyboard. I'm not immune from criticism, but there is a way to do it that might illicit a more friendly/receptive response. But maybe I'm in the minority there.

I guess, in closing, I want to note how extremely lucky I am to be in this position. I was paid to document what was going on Monday--albeit, in a stressful environment. And people may think local journalists are paid a lot, but trust me, we don't. Especially not young ones.

Anyway, I hope this has provided some perspective. I know the haters out there still hate my guts, and that's OK, they're entitled to. I also find it puzzling how people can boil down all of your work in hundreds of articles into just hot-button topics.

Like, my preference is you would judge me on my entire catalogue of work, but I get that's not the day and age we live in now, in many respects. In any case, I think that's far too long of a thread, and I have two stories to write today. Thank you much for reading.