Democracy hits the mat
 

Democracy hits the mat

To the Editor: Just when I thought it was safe to be optimistic about the trajectory of our country, I…
Read More

Comment

Lessons learned from a bird of prey
 

Lessons learned from a bird of prey

 It was a crisp and cold morning. The lake was still, like a mirror. The sun had just risen. Every…
Read More

Comment

 

A glut of information can paralyze voters

The phones we carry everywhere contain or have access to more information than the largest libraries in the world, many…
Read More

Comment

 

The painful reality of car shopping

If I could go back now and talk to my 12-year-old self, I’d tell him a few things. First, most…
Read More

Comment

 

The annual state of the lies

To the Editor: During his State of the Union address to Congress, President Donald Trump repeated more than 20 of…
Read More

Comment

 

Senate loses power with impeachment

To the Editor: The President of the United States (no longer to be confused, or considered synonymous with, “Leader of…
Read More

Comment

 

Trump deserves all the criticism

To the Editor: These comments are offered in rebuttal to a previously published letter.  The first sentence in the letter…
Read More

Comment

 

Why I’m backing O’Shea for Congress

To the Editor: I served two terms on Asheville’s City Council and am a former candidate for Congress in North…
Read More

Comment

 

Good manners and good food go a long way

I’m not comfortable writing this, and that’s why I have to write it. In the past three weeks, I’ve given…
Read More

Comment

 

Changing the world one book at a time

Lately I’ve been pondering the meaning of life. If everyone took their very best skills and traits and put those…
Read More

Comment

Rep. Queen is leading the way
 

Rep. Queen is leading the way

To the Editor: Our N.C. House Rep. Joe Sam Queen is fulfilling every campaign promise he made two years ago.…
Read More

Comment

The president can do no wrong
 

The president can do no wrong

To the Editor: Congratulations, by now the president has been acquitted of high crimes and misdemeanors. The Republican Senate has…
Read More

Comment

 

Some call it the death of irony

By Mark Jamison • Guest Columnist | Some have called it the death of irony, the moment when Kenneth Starr,…
Read More

Comment

 

A sports hero who left too early

When I came into the bedroom last Sunday afternoon, Tammy had this look on her face. “What is it?” I…
Read More

Comment

 

Healthcare for those in need is threatened

By Steve Wall • Guest Columnist | Why do we even need any medical insurance programs or Social Security? Well, because about…
Read More

Comment

 

No president is above the law

To the Editor: Draw a Venn diagram. Circle one is morality. Circle two is ethics. Number three is law. As…
Read More

Comment

 

Finding middle ground is a must

Standing in the middle of the road is very dangerous; you get knocked down by the traffic from both sides.…
Read More

Comment

 

Yellow blazes and Skip-Bo

It’s been a somber few days since the world learned of the death of Kobe Bryant, his teenage daughter, Gianna,…
Read More

Comment

 

Censure Pompeo for his conduct

To the Editor: I am constantly sickened by the rate at which our country is being driven into the toilet…
Read More

Comment

 

Trump defies the global elites

To the Editor: The hysterical, savage and frenzied attacks on President Trump  by Democrats, the media, powerful deep state and political…
Read More

Comment

 

Who says a sitting president can’t be indicted?

By Martin Dyckman • Guest Columnist | No one in America should be above the law, least of all the person…
Read More

Comment

 

It’s me, it’s me, it’s Ernest T.

As a parent, I’ve tried hard to avoid indoctrinating my children with my political leanings, spiritual beliefs, sports fanaticism, or…
Read More

Comment

 

Health care should not be about profits

To the Editor: Have you a favorite president? I do, Harry S Truman (no period after the S). Truman was the…
Read More

Comment

 

Keep doing what you are doing

To the Editor: It is unbelievable that this quality paper can stand toe to toe with other publications and best…
Read More

Comment

 

Becoming mindful in a chaotic world

Last October, I turned 40. It made me evaluate where I was physically, emotionally and personally. About a month after…
Read More

Comment

 

WCU band trip is once in a lifetime opportunity

In the early hours of the morning on Saturday, Nov. 30, slightly more than 500 students at Western Carolina University…
Read More

Comment

 

Franklin to honor Robert Burns, his work

Robert Burns is credited with saving the folk music of Scotland. He was born just a few years after England…
Read More

Comment

 

Trump is doing a great job

To the Editor: The impeachment of President Donald Trump, the most partisan political witch hunt in our American history, is fraudulent,…
Read More

Comment

 

Budget impasse harms retirees, taxpayers

To the Editor: It is my understanding that the state legislature and the governor are at an impasse over the…
Read More

Comment

 

Grave consequences to follow assassination

The assassination of Iranian Major General Qasem Suleimani is the latest in a string of incoherent, dangerous foreign policy decisions…
Read More

Comment

 

Coffee grounds for breakfast no more

I’m not that big on New Year’s resolutions, but one thing I do want to do in 2020 is practice…
Read More

Comment

 

Bumper stickers can divide us

To the Editor: On a recent ride into town, I found myself behind a car with a bumper sticker that…
Read More

Comment

 

Four more years for Trump

To the Editor: Recently, a prolific contributor of letters to editors asked how much longer we could stand to have…
Read More

Comment

 

Sixty snuck up and smacked me

I just turned the big 6-0. Sixty. What the hell? I’ve been reading essays on reaching this point in life,…
Read More

Comment

 

Twelve commandments for the New Year

When I was a little girl, my dad would make huge snack trays on New Year’s Eve and pour sparkling…
Read More

Comment

 

Trump’s mental health issues a problem

To the Editor: Mr. Waldrop, as always, nails the truth to the sticking-place in his last letter to The Smoky…
Read More

Comment

 

Because one day they aren’t there

The hardest thing to get used to is the stillness. The quiet. The absolute absence of any movement at all.…
Read More

Comment

 

National parks should not depend on fees

By Mark Jamison • Guest Columnist | In Democracy’s Discontent: America in Search of a Public Philosophy, the political philosopher…
Read More

Comment

 

How much longer can we tolerate Trump?

To the Editor: Only a few short years ago Americans criticized Russian leaders for their overt political philosophy: “The end…
Read More

Comment

 

Car seat education will save lives

To the Editor: Five years ago, shortly after partnering with the Sheriff’s Office to begin a Safe Kids coalition in…
Read More

Comment

 

Thanks for reporting on animal cruelty

To the Editor: Thank you for reporting on the recent animal cruelty case in Haywood County. The suffering of so…
Read More

Comment

 

Time to face reality regarding the Smokies

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park — for all its grandeur — is facing serious challenges, and it’s going to…
Read More

Comment

 

Downsizing Christmas, meaningful memories

It seems a lot of folks are downsizing Christmas this year, me included. My reasoning is specific to my life…
Read More

Comment

 

Make America great by dumping Trump

To the Editor: George Washington led Americans in the Revolutionary War defeating a tyrant, King George III, and giving birth…
Read More

Comment

 

Children in poverty face many challenges

To the Editor: Did you know that 44.1 percent of children are living in poor or low-income homes in Jackson…
Read More

Comment

Smokey Mountain News Logo
SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM
Go to top
Payment Information

/

At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.

The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.