Taking exception to reporter’s assessment
To the Editor: I read reporter Cory Vaillancourt’s account of the Mike Clampitt Town Hall on Sept. 8 with astonishment.…
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Oh, the stories they could tell!
The treehouse that we had built in our backyard when we bought our house eight years ago sits vacant on…
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When you come up blank, remember those who are suffering
The computer stares back, unblinking. Deadline is approaching and I’m fighting to hone in on a topic for my column.…
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Planes, trains and automobiles
Reuniting with my big sister never seems to be an easy jaunt. Whether she’s traveling to North Carolina or I’m…
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Trump just plain wrong on DACA decision
Few presidential decisions have been as unjust, unwise and cruel as Donald Trump's threat to deport nearly 700,000 young Americans…
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Questioning the relevance of Confederate statues
By the faculty of Western Carolina University’s Department of Anthropology and Sociology Recent events in Charlottesville, Virginia, demonstrate the inability…
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Reflections on a divided America
As President Trump’s administration continues to descend further into chaos with each passing week, there are a few truths that…
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Fear of immigrants will hurt this country
To the Editor: I was glad to read intelligent responses with a different opinion than that of a recent letter…
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Reasonable benchmarks make for better debate
To the Editor: I’m writing in response to a letter by Tom Enterline in the Aug. 30-Sept. 5 issue. He…
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Illegal signs are a continuing problem
By JoAnna Swanson • Guest Columnist There are all kinds of signs — signs of the times; signs of the…
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Disparaging terms are divisive
To the Editor: I am growing increasingly weary of hearing and reading the far right’s use of disparaging terms to…
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Rep. Meadows is hung up on the wall
To the Editor: Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Asheville, does a disservice to all Americans, but particularly to legal immigrants, by fanning…
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Help needed in Mission-BCBS fight
To the Editor: The ugly fight between Blue Cross and Mission Hospital has no winners. Thousands of Western North Carolina…
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Liberals believe they are righteous
To the Editor: I read your article about the monuments. Well-written, but I think you’re missing the point. This current…
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No monuments on public property
To the Editor: Let’s all agree on one fact: had the South won the war slavery would have persisted in…
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We need some constructive dialogue
To the Editor: It is very disappointing that a clear and unequivocal condemnation of the KKK, American Nazis and the…
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Get busy living, or get busy dying
During the 1970s, my dad spent some time in prison. For over three years, he taught GED prep classes at…
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Civil War monuments don’t stand a chance
“The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” — Nobel prize winning author William Faulkner This oft-trotted out line from…
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Government prayer has limitations
To the Editor: I appreciate and agree with your well-expressed thoughts on government meetings and prayer. Thank you for taking…
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Honor the dead, not the cause
To the Editor: In a recent spate of Confederacy hype, much has been racist and much has been misleading. However,…
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Mission is merely seeking its fair share
Responding to Jeanne Dupois Editorial: We read with great interest the editorial from Jeanne Dupois regarding the many challenges that…
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There’s somethin’ happenin’ here
To the Editor: Donald Trump has vowed to build a wall between the U.S.A. and Mexico. He even claims that…
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Robert E. Lee deserves respect
To the Editor: There was a man who was born at Stratford Hall, Virginia, and his boyhood home was in…
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Don’t let mobs distort history
To the Editor: How many times have we heard or said “history repeats itself?” I’d say often regarding everything from…
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Get insurance out of health care
To the Editor: Can we please stop referring to access to health care insurance as “access to health care” and…
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Christians will not be silenced
To the Editor: In response to Editor Scott McLeod’s column about public prayers (www.smokymountainnews.com/archives/item/20540), secular society would like nothing better…
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Eclipse reveals glimmer of unity, and it feels good
I can admit now that by the time the day of the eclipse finally arrived, I was so tired of…
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In the words of Belushi, ‘I hate Illinois Nazis’
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”…
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Striking a balance between praying and politics
Prayer as part of government meetings has a long — and often contentious — history in this country, and a…
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Mission’s plea falls on deaf ears
To the Editor: Dear Mission Health, I saw your full page ad in the July 19 issue of The Smoky…
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High-speed enforcement too dangerous
To the Editor: The recent accident involving a state trooper and the elderly couple near Balsam was a tragedy for…
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Franklin 4th of July a huge success
To the Editor: On behalf of the Franklin Chamber of Commerce, I would like to thank those who helped to…
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Immigration laws need enforcing
To the Editor: This is in response to Mr. Paul Strop’s letter from the June 7 issue. There is a…
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Reckless hikers should pay for rescue
To the Editor: I read about the rescue at Yellowstone Falls in the July 26 edition of The Smoky Mountain…
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Trump could learn from Boy Scouts
To the Editor: On July 4, the President of the United States addressed the quadrennial Jamboree of the…
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At what age does nostalgia set in?
When I was just about the same age my son is now, my dad took me to Atlanta to see…
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Thanks to Franklin, Macon leaders
To the Editor: As a proud Great Lakes kid, I am so pleased that Franklin Town Council and Macon County…
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Rep. Meadows is doing us no favors
To the Editor: Scott McLeod hit the proverbial nail directly on its head July 12th in his assessment of our…
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Is this a teachable moment?
To the Editor: We all wish Sen. John McCain a speedy recovery. Sen. Mitch McConnell kindly delayed the vote on…
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Supermarket flowers
My mom loved fresh flowers. It was a fun routine for my dad, sister and I to pick up a…
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Finding your beach
Edisto Beach, South Carolina – I will never forget the pictures. The day after Hurricane Matthew plowed through — and…
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We have to decide: turn left or right?
We got to the stop sign at the bottom of our mountain in our fully loaded truck — bikes, camping…
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GOP turmoil continues, but facts do matter
I’ve known Ted Carr many years, and he is not a liar. That charge has been leveled against him by…
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Look before you leap!
To the Editor: Now that the Republican Party has temporary political control over America a strong push is being made…
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Voters are treated poorly by gross gerrymandering
Speaking to his son’s graduating class, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts told them this: “From time to time in…
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Story on party disloyalty had inaccuracies
To the Editor: The disloyalty resolution article in the previous edition of The Smoky Mountain News (www.smokymountainnews.com/news/item/20275) was correct in…
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Dispelling myths about indigent defense
To the Editor: Thank you for dispelling the myth that indigent defense attorneys don’t get paid (http://www.smokymountainnews.com/news/item/20283). They might not…
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Trump, Meadows just don’t care
To the Editor: President Trump’s campaign staff met with a Russian attorney in Trump Tower to discuss inside “dirt” about…
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Single-payer system is badly needed
To the Editor: Conservative business owners are realizing that our dysfunctional health care system, driven by private health insurance, is…
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Finding the light in an RV
Since my mom’s passing almost a year ago, my dad and I have become very close. Without her here as…
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