Looking for more ideology, less politics

As the holidays drew to a close, I began preparing for the reporting we will do on the upcoming session…
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Not TDA’s job to hire downtown director
 

Not TDA’s job to hire downtown director

To the Editor: Given the recent suggestion in The Sylva Herald that the Jackson County Tourism Development Authority possibly fund…
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Rep. Meadows should have recused himself
 

Rep. Meadows should have recused himself

To the Editor: The Oxford Dictionary of the English Language defines ethics as: “moral principles or code.” The Office of…
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Trump just too ignorant for the job
 

Trump just too ignorant for the job

To the Editor: Is it just me? Or are any of your readers just a wee bit concerned about (this…
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Waiting in a winter wonderland

My wife was stranded in Mississippi. She was supposed to get home late on Friday night, but then the big…
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It’s 2017, let’s talk about something else

Now that it’s 2017, I can’t bear the thought of continuing to fixate on politics and its atmosphere of pomposity…
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Another side of the Cuban revolution
 

Another side of the Cuban revolution

To the Editor: I very much appreciated your comments about Castro and Cuba, particularly your childhood experience at Guantanamo. I…
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A heavy but hopeful heart for the new year

Throughout my entire life, I’ve awoken on New Year’s Day energized to be more, do more, see more. This year…
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The best opportunity for health insurance
 

The best opportunity for health insurance

To the Editor: How many people do you know who are old enough to be eligible for Medicare insurance but…
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So retirees should relinquish rights?
 

So retirees should relinquish rights?

To the Editor: I am completely mystified by a recent letter writer’s response to my letter questioning the legitimacy of…
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Cutting the apron strings

I’m entering a new phase of motherhood. Since becoming a mom in 2009, one or both of my boys have…
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Remember all the good taxes do
 

Remember all the good taxes do

To the Editor: Government and taxes are common complaints among conservatives, even though they benefit from both. Opinions in our…
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Meadows makes his mark in the swamp

Where’s Mark? As in Rep. Mark Meadows, our Republican congressman who reportedly represents the rural and economically challenged residents of…
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We don’t really ‘do’ camping

When my wife brought up the possibility of camping at this year’s Merlefest — a four-day and three-night music festival…
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Health care needs reasoned, open debate
 

Health care needs reasoned, open debate

To the Editor: My organization, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the AARP, the American Cancer Society, The American Heart Association…
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Cartoon, Jan. 17, 2018

By Will Studenc
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Let’s eliminate the power of the Electoral College

By Martin A. Dyckman • Guest Columnist Americans are asking why we now have a president whom they wouldn’t trust to…
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Lessons learned on the black diamond

While standing atop a black diamond run at Beech Mountain last weekend, several thoughts crossed my mind. It’s been a…
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GOP supports childrens’ health care
 

GOP supports childrens’ health care

To the Editor: It is easy to understand Dr. Stephen Wall’s compassion for young children. Knowing Dr. Wall well, I…
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I’ll have a beer and hash browns
 

I’ll have a beer and hash browns

To the Editor: It’s been interesting to read the controversy about the Sunday “brunch bill” enactment in Bryson City, Jackson…
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Smokies benefit from license plate sales
 

Smokies benefit from license plate sales

License plate sales raised nearly $815,000 to support the Great Smoky Mountains National Park this year, with the grand total…
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The fight over what it means to be an American

I turned 18 three weeks too late to vote for Ronald Wilson Reagan for president of the United States, but…
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State budget hurts Swain’s needy children

“The smartest countries tend to be those that have acted to make teaching more prestigious and selective; directed more resources…
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Traditions help us deal with change, loss

Since my mom’s passing in August, many people have given me books and resources to help with the grief. They’ve…
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Mainstream media has lost its credibility
 

Mainstream media has lost its credibility

To the Editor: Nothing in a recent letter (“Please, just check the facts,” Dec. 14, The Smoky Mountain News) rings…
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The media is just not doing its job
 

The media is just not doing its job

To the Editor: Have we ever seen such hypocrisy? The Russians have now hacked the 2016 election, really? Liberal news…
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WOW wraps up fifth year of giving back to community

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that…
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I love newspaper readers, but please read carefully

Some things never change, and the reality of collateral damage from news stories is one of them. Plus the fact…
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Story damages Jukebox Junction’s reputation in Bethel community
 

Story damages Jukebox Junction’s reputation in Bethel community

To the Editor: There was a story with the headline “Haywood County wipes the dust off the bottle” in the December…
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Comment

Please, just check the facts
 

Please, just check the facts

To the Editor: In the recent edition of The Smoky Mountain News, Carl Iobst’s letter seems to indicate that traditional…
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Comment

A public servant retires
 

A public servant retires

To the Editor: To my friends in Western North Carolina, I will be retiring on December 31.
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Comment

Novel idea is surely just too far-fetched
 

Novel idea is surely just too far-fetched

I am writing a fictional spy novel. Here is the draft outline of it.
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A thank you to local media

By Greg Christopher • Guest Columnist This time of year, as many people are counting their blessings, they also realize…
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All one can do is keep fighting the good fight

I don’t know about you, but I need a quiet place about now. I need to turn off the news…
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Life in Gitmo was idyllic, but the danger was real

Fidel Castro’s death should remind us that we are oftentimes more powerless and rudderless than our country’s leaders like to…
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We must remain vigilant on environment
 

We must remain vigilant on environment

To the Editor: As President Obama’s impressive term winds down and the focus shifts to speculation about an uncertain, perhaps…
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Comment

Media clueless to how it has killed itself
 

Media clueless to how it has killed itself

To the Editor: The traditional news media (newspapers) have killed themselves through poor writing, a lack of balanced reporting, advocacy…
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Comment

 

A small-town weekend packed with big meaning

After three months of internal darkness and coping with grief, this past weekend offered some soothing reprieve. Over the years,…
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In a season of feasting, finding food for the soul

I’ve always embraced change, perhaps to my detriment. I suspect it has something to do with a youth where we…
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Still can’t get my bearings in this alternative universe

It has been a few weeks now since the election, and I feel like someone who just came out of…
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Social media is new ‘opiate of the masses’
 

Social media is new ‘opiate of the masses’

To the Editor: I would like to thank you for your excellent opinion piece in the Nov. 22 issue of…
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Comment

The media have always lied, so what’s new?
 

The media have always lied, so what’s new?

To the Editor: While I agree with many of the concerns you have with fake news (www.smokymountainnews.com/opinion/item/18865), it didn’t start…
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Comment

 

Historians discover lifeless remains of the truth

So this, perhaps, is how we in the traditional — and dare I say legitimate — media will meet our…
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Glad to live in a republic and not a democracy
 

Glad to live in a republic and not a democracy

To the Editor: Thank you for publishing The Smoky Mountain News. We enjoy reading it every week. I would like…
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A community that is truly stronger together

Don’t worry. This column isn’t about the election. There’s plenty of that going on elsewhere. With that being said, I…
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Once again, Electoral College plays controversial role

We are a democratic republic, not a pure democracy. I was reminded of that in a most unusual way at…
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The GOP has the ball, so let’s see what they do

I needed nearly a full day after the election before I could formulate a response to the election of Donald…
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Haywood needs a voice at the table
 

Haywood needs a voice at the table

To the Editor: On a personal level, I am quite unhappy with last Tuesday’s election results. As a “community leader,”…
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Comment

 

Choose physical therapy over painkillers

By Shannon Icenhour • Guest Columnist Fall is almost over, but October was not just for trick-or-treating; it also represented…
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Sorry, but Bob Dylan did deserve the Nobel

I’d like to take a few minutes to say a few words about the column by Jeff Minick two weeks…
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