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For those I haven’t met, let me take a brief moment to introduce myself. My name is Chris Thompson and I was born and raised in New Hampshire and am a proud, lifelong resident. I’m a dad, brother, soon to be husband, baseball fanatic, philanthropist, political advocate, avid outdoorsman, pilot, drone enthusiast and probably a few other things I can’t remember. I have spent the majority of my career working in leadership positions in companies of various sizes and industries. From early stage companies to Fortune 50 companies, I’ve seen it all. And from 2007 to 2024, my column, titled “Closing the Deal” was published weekly in the New Hampshire Union Leader.
Aside from a few short months when I inadvertently chose to do work for a company the Union Leader despised, my column was published in the Union Leader every week for the last 17 years. During that time, I penned over 800 columns, consisting of approximately 486,000 words. I covered topics related to New Hampshire, business, local issues, politics, my life experiences and of course, a lot of my own personal opinions.
One of my favorite aspects of my work was hearing from readers. I purposely published my personal email address at the end of my column every week, so people had the opportunity to share their feedback with me. I responded to nearly every single email and truly enjoyed the dialogue. I also met some amazing people and developed countless, lifelong relationships that I will cherish forever.
In July, 2024, the Union Leader refused to publish my column. They cited “political overtones” as the reason and said the “tone of my column was inappropriate for the business section”. My column was titled “Trump Assassination Attempt Showcased the Impact of DEI”. The column highlighted DEI initiatives in the Secret Service and the importance of organizations prioritizing job requirements, skills and experience when hiring, versus putting DEI initiatives first.
Over the last 17 years, there were only two times the Union Leader refused to publish my column. One was a column I wrote, endorsing Jay Ruais, the current Mayor of Manchester, NH. They did, however, publish that column as an op-ed instead of the usual spot where my column appeared. I thought that was a fair compromise. The second time was a column I wrote that was eerily similar to a column I published a year or so before. I blame brain fog and a passion for the topic for that gaffe.
It’s also important to note that I wrote a column about DEI that was published in the Union Leader on January 20th, 2024. I wrote about attending my daughter’s track meet at UNH, using the bathroom and coming across a feminine hygiene product dispenser in the men’s room. That column was my best performing column in the last 17 years and I was flooded with feedback from readers. The feedback was 99% positive. I learned that when it came to DEI, people were tired of it. DEI initiatives had become so pervasive that middle aged, straight, white males, with blonde hair and blue eyes, like me, were being discriminated against.
Prior to the rise of DEI, hiring decisions were made based on your skills, experience and accomplishments. Since the widespread acceptance of DEI, your race, gender and sexuality became more important. And that’s a very sad and concerning reality. The truth is, the vast majority of people despise DEI. Unfortunately, they were scared to admit it, due to their fear of being canceled or fired. And fortunately, those days are over.
When the Union Leader refused to publish my column, I spent a few days thinking about the situation. Ultimately, I made the decision that after 17 years, I would no longer submit my weekly column to the Union Leader for publication. Since then, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. My loyal readers and followers understood and respected my decision and I sincerely appreciated that.
The Union Leader made a mistake. Instead of allowing me to share my thoughts and opinions without prejudice, like they have for the last 17 years, they sided with a biased editor who didn’t like what I had to say. Instead of allowing a topic that people cared deeply about to be discussed, I was censored. The Union Leader did a disservice to me and most importantly, they did a disservice to its readers.
As a father of three daughters and someone who is friends with countless minorities and members of the LGBTQ community, critics have no defense against my position on DEI. I don’t see race, gender or sexual preferences. When it comes to hiring, it’s about experience, skills and results. Is there really any possible argument against that?
Since my disagreement with the Union Leader about DEI, the world has changed significantly and common sense is back. Today, people can proudly denounce DEI without fear and the vast majority of companies have abolished DEI. Thankfully, the United States government has also dissolved all of its DEI efforts and our military can now focus on its mission, instead of being distracted by the DEI nonsense. To say it’s refreshing, would be an understatement. I often wonder if the editors at the Union Leader ever reflect on their decision not to publish my column? Oh, how times have changed. I’m not one to say, “I told ya so”, but it sure is an appropriate time to say just that.
Effective today, I’m honored to announce that my column, titled “The Right Angle” will be published weekly in the Eagle Times, the Granite Eagle digital publication, as well as in their partner publications.
When I was asked by the Eagle Times and Granite Eagle teams to bring my weekly column back, I happily accepted their offer and had only one stipulation. What I write will not be censored and aside from obvious grammatical corrections their editors may find, the columns I submit can not be edited and will be published, as is. They graciously accepted my request.
As you come across my content moving forward, you can rest assured that it has not been altered or influenced by anyone. And for that, I am grateful and honored to have a platform where I can speak freely about topics that matter most.
Now that we’re past the introduction and pleasantries phase, it’s time to get back to work.
Chris Thompson (christhompsnh@gmail.com) writes The Right Angle weekly.
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