That wasn't an attack on you specifically. Most people don't need to know nor care if they can unlock the bootloader. We need some kind of federal mandate/law/whatever that says that they have to be unlocked and people can do what they want with the $1k+ devices they buy. It's not even a question with a pc, you can even buy prebuilt systems with no OS or with linux installed if you choose.

This is why I have been a so called Google fanboy/super fan for what feels like a couple of decades. First nexus and now pixel because I'm guaranteed to be able to install whatever flavor of android exists for whatever phone I am using (if I so choose), I haven't played with roms in years but it's an option if I feel like it and I'm considering doing it for my work phone, get that shit running as lean as possible, no need for 99% of the Google apps that come with it.