Voter ID opponents insult citizenry
To the Editor: Opponents of the Voter ID amendment use the reason that requiring a photo ID will suppress the…
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Melrose deserves vote for judge
To the Editor: I am writing in support of Mark Melrose for Superior Court Judge. I am for common sense…
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I’d vote for Mau if I was able
To the Editor: I can’t vote in Jackson County, but I’m committed to the future of my hometown. That’s why…
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Won’t someone think of the children?
To the Editor: Listen, if you will. A small child somewhere in the United States crying out in the night.…
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Vote ‘no’ on all six amendments
To the Editor: Amending the N.C. Constitution should not be taken lightly nor done with political intent. This document is…
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Rep. Meadows sells out to Trump
To the Editor: As we prepare to vote in the November elections, let’s recall Bill Covin’s letter (SMN, Oct. 2-9,…
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Schandevel supports students, teachers
To the Editor: I am writing this letter as a plea for parents to think about education as you cast…
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Elect leaders who will support children, families
To the Editor: As the director of the Jackson County Department of Social Services, every day I observe young families…
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Power-drunk GOP leaders try grabbing for more
By Martin Dyckman • Guest Columnist A nonpartisan nominating commission can be the best method of appointing judges. Or it…
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Check mate, and I’m off to Ingles
My wife and I do not play chess. A few years ago at a company Christmas party, we were participants…
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Board likes Angel’s acquisition
After thorough consideration of the options available, the community board members of Angel Medical Center voted unanimously to approve the…
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Young people need to vote
To the Editor: President Trump dominates the news with his tweets and public statements, awkward diplomacy, unpopular tax cuts, and…
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ID amendment is a pig in a poke
To the Editor: There’s an amendment that will be on your ballot in November that would require everyone to have…
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GOP abandons voters like me
To the Editor: The letter from Ms. Kathryn van Heyningen in the last issue contained some valid points, but she…
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Raising boys and respecting women
As a child, I wanted to grow up and plan a big fancy wedding with a ruffly white dress, then…
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All amendments should be voted down
To the Editor: This fall's election will include six proposed amendments to the NC Constitution. All were drafted exclusively by…
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GOP brand has been tarnished
To the Editor: I was raised as a Republican and in my youth voted Republican. And I still concede that…
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Think about this come Election Day
To the Editor: On a religious broadcast, the host commented that 80 percent of Evangelical Christians voted for the current…
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The rule of law has prevailed
To the Editor: The column last week by Chris Cox does not address the question which is raised: “Is this…
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Is this the demeanor of a Supreme Court justice?
I did not go to college with Brett Kavanaugh, but I went to college at about the same time he…
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I’ll vote for candidates who support education
When I vote, I take a broad perspective. I care about the present and its immediate requirements, but I also…
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Shame on Raleigh for making teachers buy classroom supplies
By Lori Wright • Guest Columnist To all of my fellow teachers and parents, I only have one question: how much…
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Tax collector is doing a good job
To the Editor: Despite the best efforts of reporters, a newspaper article will not contain the entire story. This letter…
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Big political money is root of evil
To the Editor: About the political cartoon of September 12: Please don’t make horrible political divisions worse by repeating brain-bypassing,…
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Thoughts on our elected leaders
To the Editor: We moved to Burnsville just over two years ago about two months before the 2016 election. When…
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Economic system is a potent mix
To the Editor: We have seen, read, and heard a lot of fuss lately about the precipitous dangers of socialism…
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Voter fraud is indeed a real problem
To the Editor: Can we talk about voter fraud? It’s real, folks. And it’s spreading throughout North Carolina. I’m not…
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Manafort worked against U.S. interests in Ukraine
To the Editor: In October of 2005, I arrived in Ukraine as a Peace Corps (PC) volunteer. At that time,…
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From our readers
Health insurance may disappear under GOP To the Editor: It makes no difference if you support the current administration or…
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Nevertheless, she persisted
Almost two years ago, I traveled to Iowa with a close friend of mine. We visited her hometown to see…
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The real problem in Haywood’s tax office
Haywood County GOP leaders last week took the podium at a public meeting and proceeded to act as shills for…
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Tax cut has not trickled down
To the Editor: Today the American economy is strong. The percentage of American unemployed is down, the Dow Jones industrial…
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It is too late for Kavanaugh
By Hannah McLeod • Guest Columnist The vote to approve Brett Kavanaugh for a seat on the Supreme Court of…
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Acknowledging differences and embracing brotherhood
For many years, I thought of myself as one of Flannery O’Connor’s “Christ-haunted” characters, living my life in a kind…
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We need to know more about HCA’s plans
By Bob Scott • Guest Columnist The proposed Mission/HCA sale could be the most significant event — negative or positive…
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Vote to save the country
To the Editor: There has been a coup unfolding in the White House. Our Republic is in imminent danger of…
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Why you should vote in all elections
To the Editor: Decisions made at all levels of government (president and Congress in Washington, D.C., General Assembly in Raleigh…
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Op-ed needs to be read by all Americans
To the Editor: This letter will by definition have to be somewhat brief to avoid backlash from those seeking bias…
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Why waste money repaving a good road?
To the Editor: Repaving a perfectly good Smoky Mountain Expressway appears to be another classic example of government wasteful spending.…
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As the buckeyes fall, I await my old friend
The sounds, the feel of the coming fall is always comforting, like reconnecting with an old and dear friend. It…
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My mission: outer order, inner calm
My name is Susanna and I am terribly unorganized. I’m not a messy person or a hoarder, just disorganized. My…
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The American worker is not getting their due
Every Labor Day we celebrate the American worker. We wax nostalgic about the bygone days of the great American middle…
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A good story is food for the soul
I’ve always been fascinated by storytellers and the stories they tell. As a small child, I loved hearing my parents,…
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Confederate statues are a problem
To the Editor: Just over a year ago, Charlottesville, Virginia, was flooded with hate, thinly-veiled fascism, and white supremacy, all…
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Politics at play in Jackson debate
To the Editor: I recently attended the Jackson County Board of Commissioners meeting specifically to apologize to Commissioner Charles Elders. …
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What happened to true conservatives?
By Martin Dyckman • Guest Columnist The two most abused and misused words in America are “conservative” and “populist.” Politicians and…
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