All we have left is our vote
To the Editor: The only constant left in this country is our laws. We are only a great people if…
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We have a societal problem
To the Editor: The most recent despicable, senseless and tragic “mass shootings” (California, Texas and Ohio) and “mass stabbings” (California)…
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Don’t fall for Trump’s talk
To the Editor: Trump’s been talking about reducing payroll taxes. Beware everyone! Don’t fall for his shell game. Payroll taxes…
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Our daughter’s gone, unleashed on the world
I can hear her up there in her room moving those enormous, orange storage bins around. They make a scraping…
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Gun control legislation now
To the Editor: All of us are heartbroken with the recent reports of mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton.…
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Opioid coverage great, but beware suboxone
To the Editor: As a nurse practitioner who treats opioid addiction, I am appreciative of The Smoky Mountain News’ coverage…
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Newspapers have beat up Shining Rock
To the Editor: Regularly, for four years, both the Mountaineer and The Smoky Mountain News have published articles lambasting the…
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Trump’s bigotry can’t be denied
To the Editor: Lindsay Graham had it right. In 2015, he described Donald Trump as “a race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot.”…
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Teachers just don’t get enough credit
Summer is ending and schools are opening. It’s the time year when I remember the teachers. These days, teachers are…
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She comes with the hummingbirds
Wed., Aug.14, marks the third anniversary of my mom’s passing. During those early weeks and months after she slipped into…
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Correction: Mistaken identity
The column that appeared in this space last week, “Death, violence and too many guns,” was not written by John…
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Pleasantly surprised by quality newspaper
To the Editor: On a visit to Bryson City this past weekend, I picked up the most recent copy of…
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Please, just respect choice
To the Editor: I am an registered nurse, and have been for more years than I’ll admit. Understanding my HIPAA…
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Background checks are a must
To the Editor: Actually, this letter is especially to Republican and Republican-leaning unaffiliated voters.
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Death, violence and too many guns
By John Beckman • Guest Columnist It is time that we honestly faced up to the basic issues concerning gun…
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A great teacher is like a poem: inspirational, direct
My fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Pattyrae Busic, used to say, “Why, Chris, you’ve got your teeth in your mouth and your…
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Fight for Medicaid expansion
To the Editor: Mr. Patrick Gleason, we agree with part of your guest column that appeared in The Smoky Mountain…
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Let’s focus on real problems
To the Editor: I recently heard someone refer to Western North Carolina as a political backwater, populated with paranoid conspiracy…
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Immunization rates are huge concern
To the Editor: I just received the July 24 issue of The Smoky Mountain News, which gave the immunization records…
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The years pass, but Edisto remains
This year, it was the deer and the pelicans. We see deer every summer on Edisto Island, but never as…
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Like canaries in a coal mine
By Sandi Sox • Guest Columnist I have been haunted this week by words Kathryn Stripling Byer wrote in a piece…
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Drinking in the memories at the beach
We had plans to take the kids to a remote island outside of Charleston for a summer beach trip. I…
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Defining America’s religious philosophy
To the Editor: Here we are in 2019 arguing about worthiness to be an American citizen. Down through time some…
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N.C. needs Medicaid expansion
To the Editor: I read with interest the recent article by Patrick Gleason titled “What Queen didn’t tell readers about…
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Coyotes can be loving
To the Editor: I was sad to read the article “Wolf Tales” in last week’s edition of The Smoky Mountain…
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Kudos for addressing brush clear cutting
To the Editor: I just finished reading the story in the July 17 issue of The Smoky Mountain News by…
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What Queen didn’t tell readers about budget standoff
By Patrick M. Gleason • Guest Columnist What Rep. Joe Sam Queen, D-Waynesville, failed to mention in his recent column in these pages…
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The four R’s help the earth
To the Editor: What are you doing to implement the four R’s to help our environment, which are Recycle, Re-use,…
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Story of acceptance saddened me greatly
To the Editor: The article regarding Waynesville’s First United Methodist Church’s from July 10 (www.smokymountainnews.com/news/item/27236) saddened me greatly. I am…
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No theocracy for this country
To the Editor: Have you really, really thought about these five words: “In the beginning God created…? Maybe it’s time…
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Aquarium project slowed, but end is in sight
By Michael Glover • Guest Columnist This is in response to the letter “Disappointed in New Aquarium” from Chuck Harrell…
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I’m grateful for the fleas
It’s important for us to name that which brings us gratitude. This week, I’m grateful for the fleas that invaded…
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A festival that all of WNC should embrace
It’s fascinating to watch a cultural arts organization grow up, mature, get a little long-in-the-tooth, and then re-define itself to…
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The mountains are calling
To the Editor: As mid-summer escorts me past three personal milestones — the one-year anniversary of the death of my…
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Time to jettison elected leaders
To the Editor: The dead silence of the Republican members in Congress responding to Trump’s blatantly racist comments against sitting…
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The time is now for the Earth
To the Editor: The latest issue of Sierra had to be one of the most depressing in a long time.…
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Independent redistricting is the only answer
As we celebrate Independence Day, it seems an appropriate time to call for an independent commission to address North Carolina’s…
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Budget is about $95 million for Haywood, Jackson and Swain
By Rep. Joe Sam Queen • Guest Columnist I will stand with our governor and uphold his budget veto because…
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Our people are acting crazy again
Our people are leaving. Again. We’ve seen this all before. We see it every year around this time. It’s hot…
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We need God, not Trump
To the Editor: We have this evil problem in the U.S.A. because a stupid woman took God out of our…
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So embarrassed by this President
To the Editor: Two and a half million dollars! $2,500,000!! That was money diverted from the Park Service for an…
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Climate change is in our children’s hands
Last Friday, as I watched the U.S. women’s soccer team defeat France at the Parc des Princes stadium, I kept…
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Disappointed in new aquarium
To the Editor: I visited the new aquarium in Bryson City on Saturday. I was very disappointed. Volunteers put thousands of…
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Educators are indeed professionals
To the Editor: I’m writing to express my outrage regarding the claim in a letter recently printed in local paper…
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The dog’s eating our daughter’s college fund
I think our chihuahua has an eating disorder. He’s a rescue, and since we rescued him, he’s twice the dog…
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Leveraging the best requires better broadband
By Bob Scott • Guest Columnist Those of us fortunate enough to live in communities where natural amenities abound know…
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