To the Editor:

I always enjoy reading your fine publication with its in-depth articles about local news. Today, Dec. 30, I finally had time to read the year-end edition and was deeply disappointed. In the same paper in which Editor Scott McLeod's column bemoaned the fact that the President and the country were sinking into a low standard of vulgarity, staff writer Cory Vaillancourt sank us a little further down. I have never seen a reputable newspaper use “shit” or “BS” in print.

Mr. Vaillancourt was not quoting a vulgar low-life. He decided that only those words could convey his meaning. My mother taught me that only people with small vocabularies had to resort to cuss words. I am sure The Smoky Mountain News can do better.

Beth G. Johnson

Maggie Valley