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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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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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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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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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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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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Wildfire Response in Western NC
 

Wildfire Response in Western NC

To the Editor: I live by Standing Indian Campground on West Old Murphy Road. Last Wednesday I watched the helicopters…
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Together we can create something
 

Together we can create something

To the Editor: As someone who is regarded as white, why am I a member of the Jackson County NAACP?…
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When the dust settles, we’ll keep moving forward

I feel strongly about politics. I hope — with all the hope I can muster — that Donald Trump loses…
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Comey’s threat to democracy is unprecedented

Editor’s note: This is a letter former FBI agent Mark Swanger Jr. sent to current FBI Director James Comey. Swanger…
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My Halloween failings follow me into adulthood

I am old enough and comfortable enough with my shortcomings to just admit it: I am not very good at…
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Calling a place home is not to be taken for granted

My 18-year-old son, Liam, departed the mountains for Charlotte two weeks ago when his fall break had ended.  He’s our…
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Loving and kicking my way through October

I recently wrote a blog post about September being the worst month of my life. One day seemed to awkwardly…
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Trump enablers themselves unfit for office
 

Trump enablers themselves unfit for office

To the Editor: It would be dreadful enough if Donald Trump were merely the most unfit, unprepared, unworthy and uncouth…
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A clarification on last week’s column
 

A clarification on last week’s column

To the Editor: In last week’s guest column about Colin Kaepernick I wrote, “His protest is by kneeling (in prayer)…
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Relishing common ground amid the political divide

I am at the salad bar, evaluating the freshness of the broccoli and spinach, deciding whether I want croutons or…
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‘Get the hell out’ is not an answer

By Dave Waldroup • Guest Columnist Legendary former Chicago Bears head football coach Mike Ditka has now joined the chorus of…
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Negativity is infesting our politics
 

Negativity is infesting our politics

To the Editor: The greatest problem facing our country today and in the future is not from abroad but from…
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Raleigh ‘magicians’ must be held accountable
 

Raleigh ‘magicians’ must be held accountable

To the Editor: A key skill for magicians is misdirection. Look this way so you won’t see what I’m actually…
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Twenty questions for America’s citizens
 

Twenty questions for America’s citizens

To the Editor: The future of the American system of representative government is under attack, and who is heeding the…
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We are all going to be losers this election
 

We are all going to be losers this election

To the Editor: Thank you for your honest opinion regarding Trump running for our highest office (www.smokymountainnews.com/opin-ion/item/18589). I respect your…
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This certainly is not politics as usual
 

This certainly is not politics as usual

To the Editor: I have been a political junkie since the Kennedy-Nixon race, but this letter is not about partisan…
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We need real change in this country
 

We need real change in this country

To the Editor: Are you an emotional voter letting the media and others tell you how to vote? Or an…
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Let’s ask Rep. Presnell to step down
 

Let’s ask Rep. Presnell to step down

To the Editor: As we face a drought, Rep. Michele Presnell, R-Burnsville, not only vigorously supports fracking (hydraulic fracturing) in…
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Sorting out my aversion to Donald Trump

Cruel. That was it, that’s the word that defines why I think Donald Trump is unfit to be president. Obviously,…
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Sen. Jim Davis, corporate lapdog
 

Sen. Jim Davis, corporate lapdog

To the Editor: From my mailbox recently I pulled a large political mailer from State Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, attacking…
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Negative flyers are a waste of money
 

Negative flyers are a waste of money

To the Editor: With the advent of the election season, my mailbox and my sensitivities are being assailed by political…
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Tax facts instead of Sen. Jim Davis’ spin
 

Tax facts instead of Sen. Jim Davis’ spin

To the Editor: Your income went down, but your N.C. income tax went up. Is this possible? You bet. If…
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Volunteer for school science laboratory
 

Volunteer for school science laboratory

To the Editor: Have you ever seen the light in a student’s eyes when they learn a new  concept? I…
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Local dogs need our help, not Korean dogs
 

Local dogs need our help, not Korean dogs

To the Editor I was astonished by your recent article about the HSUS bringing dogs from Korea to Western North…
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‘And you may ask yourself, how did I get here?’

There were left hooks and right uppercuts. The crowd couldn’t look away as they cringed with each blast and low…
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It’s called The Open Door, so come on in

Lately I’ve been hanging out at The Open Door in Frog Level and I have to admit, it’s my new…
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WCU’s handling of Koch gift a model for others

Western Carolina University’s faculty has wrestled through months of both tedium and spirited debate in devising how best to manage…
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Remember talking ‘to’ people, not ‘at’ them

We are still near the dawn of the Internet age. We can get just about any information we desire in…
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Vote for Luker and Mau in Jackson County
 

Vote for Luker and Mau in Jackson County

To the Editor: I attended the debate on Sept. 29 at Southwestern Community College between the four candidates running for…
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Sen. Davis was big fracking supporter
 

Sen. Davis was big fracking supporter

To the Editor: The rivers are low, and so are the springs. As we face a drought, Sen. Jim Davis,…
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Pound your chest and punch your neighbor

There were two primetime spectacles Monday evening. One was the first presidential debate between candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.…
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Pockets of happiness have become lifelines

For a week I’ve been thinking about what to write in this week’s column, and very little clarity came until…
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