Reporting just the facts is getting harder
“Alternative facts” was a phrase used by U.S. Counselor to the President, Kellyanne Conway, during a “Meet the Press” interview on January 22, 2017,…
Read More
No semi-fascist here
To the Editor: I am not a semi-fascist. A ‘deplorable’, maybe. I am not a MAGA terrorist.
Read More
Does the GOP support Fascism?
To the Editor: With the mewling and whining by Trumpian Republicans at having been accurately branded fascists by the president…
Read More
Feeling a lot like ‘Animal Farm’
To the Editor: This election, remember our personal liberties and freedom to voice sentiments without fear. The risk to our…
Read More
Should Jackson have sheriff’s debate?
To the Editor: With the current Jackson County sheriff not running for re-election, we will have a new sheriff to…
Read More
Let’s have a civil dialogue about abortion
To the Editor: Thank you, Jane Harrison, for setting me straight about my being in the minority of Americans because…
Read More
Successful tyrants sell big lies
Americans may wonder what it felt like to be living in Italy or Germany when they were submitting to tyrants. Now…
Read More
A purple state is a better state
To the Editor: I’ve been a casual visitor to Highlands for years, becoming more of a seasonal visitor and now…
Read More
Trump should be prosecuted
To the Editor: One of the most revealing, declarative statements ever uttered by a politician in the last 50 years…
Read More
Back-to-school season is upon us
In May my boys were counting down the days until school ended; now, they are counting down the days until…
Read More
A year later, there is still much to be done
Earlier this week, I had started writing a column about the progress made in the year since the flooding from…
Read More
Letter writer had it all wrong
To the Editor: Oh, good grief! The often-repeated exasperation by the cartoon character Charlie Brown came to mind upon reading…
Read More
What to look for in a judge
To the Editor: Until 2018, judges in North Carolina had been non-partisan, after which the Republican legislature changed the law…
Read More
Let’s have a discussion without hate and anger
As a pediatrician, I spent many years on hospital call in Haywood County and many long hours in the middle…
Read More
The importance of streamside vegetation
Some people consider streamside vegetation a nuisance in need of being cut back. However, it serves a valuable purpose. It…
Read More
Socialism is a misused word
To the Editor: The only thing I learned from a letter in a recent edition is that the letter writer…
Read More
Most Americans support abortion rights
To the Editor: I read with interest Mr. Crider’s “Another view on Abortion” opinion piece in the Aug. 3 edition…
Read More
Living in the moment, cleaning the mind
I’m writing this column from Playa Del Carmen, Quintana Roo in Mexico. We just watched the sunrise over the Caribbean…
Read More
Do opinions still belong in newspapers?
“Not all opinion pieces have to be complaints or deal with issues. Sometimes it is enough to share old memories…
Read More
Better cops make for better communities
I never did buy in to the “defund the police” movement that swept the country a few years ago. Yes,…
Read More
Don’t forget Hiroshima Day
At this moment we are all struggling with many critical issues. The war in Ukraine, the increasing disasters of climate…
Read More
Conservatives must save our country
To the Editor: Three hundred Spartans. The battle of Thermopylae, fought between the Greeks and the Persians in 480 B.C.,…
Read More
Breaking down walls and sharing some magic
“… I hear Mariachi static on my radio / And the tubes they glow in the dark / And I’m there with her…
Read More
Christianity is not partisan
To the Editor: During the past several weeks, a seemingly coordinated series of increasingly vitriolic letters to the editor have…
Read More
Muddying the waters school board election
To the Editor: Over the past few weeks, a series of letters has appeared in local papers which seems to…
Read More
Lessons learned from superheroes
In a previous column, I talked of my personal challenge to undergo “The Great Susanna Reset” this summer. One of my…
Read More
School board race has important choices
To the Editor: On Tuesday, July 26, there will be a runoff election for school board in Jackson County. Early…
Read More
‘You’re OK,’ and more notes from the road
She was 70, or so she said, but looked 15 years younger. She was alone and sipping wine and eating…
Read More
Three education facts you should know
I have strong opinions about education policy in North Carolina and beyond. Maybe you’ve noticed!
Read More
Let’s strive to become great
To the Editor: Been thinkin’ lately ‘bout M.A.G.A. What an acronym! It sounds strong.
Read More
Religion doesn’t belong in schools
To the Editor: As Sylva prepares for its school board runoff election July 26, many signs sporting crosses by one…
Read More
Being intentional about a life reset
I tend to live on a deeper plane than some, and it’s admittedly an exhausting place to be. I feel…
Read More
A modest proposal to eliminate abortions
I have a modest proposal to solve the abortion dilemma, but first we need to understand the background.
Read More
Will Merrick Garland defend the constitution?
To the Editor: The question on the minds of many Americans, will Merrick Garland follow the endless trail of irrefutable…
Read More
Pless and Clampitt are too partisan
To the Editor: Behind the backs of local government in Haywood County, N.C. GOP Reps. Mark Pless and Mike Clampitt…
Read More
We can overcome WNC’s affordable housing crisis
I am old enough that my first 1,800-square-foot house cost just $31,000 and its purchase was easily financed on my…
Read More
Medicaid expansion will save lives, benefit all
North Carolina has one of the highest rates of uninsured people in the country, but our elected officials can cut…
Read More
Gun safety legislation
To the Editor: As a mother, aunt, pediatrician and neighbor to beloved children, I have long been deeply troubled by…
Read More
Election integrity is fundamental to our freedoms
As I was re-reading last week’s issue of The Smoky Mountain News and about the Juneteenth celebrations in the mountains,…
Read More
Thanks to all for keeping Jackson clean
To the Editor: We are so blessed in Jackson County to have many dedicated individuals and community groups who have…
Read More
New and shiny isn’t always better
In my adult life I’ve noticed an emotional pattern when it comes to appliances. When I have an antiquated appliance, it…
Read More
