Some want to lead by using fear
To the Editor: Don’t let anyone tell you there’s no conspiracy or that conspirators are not busily at work here…
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‘Gun Free Zones’ are danger zones
To the Editor: Legislation has created a zone where the only people protected by a “gun free zone” are the…
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U.S. Postal Service should be left intact
To the Editor: We have just been through a holiday season during which the U.S. Postal Service and its workers…
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State GOP leaders’ tax plan would benefit wealthy
By Martin Dyckman • Guest Columnist A 1996 New Yorker cartoon — poking fun at Steve Forbes’s presidential campaign plank…
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Something strange is haunting our dreams
The teenage cashier at the grocery store is conversing with a customer. “That’s right,” she says. “The only thing that…
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Loosening development regulations a bad idea
To the Editor: I am adamantly opposed to the rescinding or changing of the current steep slope and mountain-top ordinances…
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Our state's priorities have gone askew
The swearing in of new Gov. Pat McCrory this past weekend brought to mind a conversation at a recent holiday…
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Let’s do the hard work on mental illness
To the Editor: Almost everyone has an opinion about how to combat violent, mass killing. My hope is that we…
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Marijuana in national forests is out of control
To the Editor: Since the mid 1990s, Mexican criminals have been growing marijuana in our national forests. In recent years…
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Doesn’t that just melt your face off?
It all started with a simple book fair at the middle school. My daughter, inspired perhaps by viewing the trailer…
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Firearms are not the problem
To the Editor: We are writing in response to the gun control controversy. I agree that the recent acts of…
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We have a cultural problem, not a gun problem
By Tom Rogers • Guest columnist The tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School is beyond comprehension. Such an event should…
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Strong gun laws require strong politicians
By Martin Dyckman • Guest Columnist Had Al-Qaeda carried out the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Congress would be…
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We need a dialogue on guns and laws
To the Editor: I challenge The Smoky Mountain News to assist in opening a respectful, thoughtful, meaningful conversation in our…
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Investment in mental health might provide some answers
By Bob Scott • Guest Columnist After the killing of 26 children and adults by a young man using a…
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Make gun, ammo buyers pay to solve problem
Gary Peebles • Guest Columnist In an entirely predictable way, the Connecticut shootings have touched off another round in the…
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Help protect local nonprofits from fiscal cliff fallout
To the Editor: As the executive director of Cherokee Preservation Foundation for the past 10 years, I’ve seen the tremendous…
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The fiscal cliff is already in our rearview mirror
By Kenn Jacobine • Guest Columnist Washington is full of drama. Americans are constantly being treated to high political suspense.…
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Taking advantage of our unique attributes
The recently announced plans for a Blueways Trail focusing on the recreational uses of Western North Carolina’s waterways is one…
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HCC appreciates fire response
To the Editor: The following letter was sent to firefighters, first responders, and law enforcement personnel for all those who…
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Displaying Confederate flag is not illegal
To the Editor: It is apparent that history is still being written and revised by the victors and their descendants.…
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North Carolinians have it right
To the Editor: BINGO! Most North Carolinians caught on that Barack Obama’s economic failures are not so much ineptness but…
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New writer launches a promising literary career
Since the publication of Wiley Cash’s debut novel A Land More Kind Than Home earlier this year, I have been…
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A small but important investment in public transit
It may seem a relatively unimportant issue, but in truth it is very symbolic because it recognizes a reality that…
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Tourism overhaul was the right thing to do
To the Editor: Democracy is working in Jackson County! This week’s passage of the Tourism Development Authority (TDA) Resolution is…
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Early education no substitute for old-fashioned parenting
To the Editor: Doctor Raymond Turpin’s opinion of Michele Presnell, Mike Clampitt and Jim Davis seems based on the premise…
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When the cat’s away, the boys will play
We had been dreading it all week, and now, as we stood there on a brisk Friday morning waiting on…
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Internet businesses do benefit community
To the Editor: In a recent column, writer Jeff Minick implored holiday shoppers to consider shopping locally and using the…
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Cowee School project part of a larger plan
To the Editor: I’ve been a fan of The Smoky Mountain News for 12 years since you very ably reported…
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Any act of appreciation is worthwhile
To the Editor: After reading your piece this week, “Speaking too loudly sometimes belittles the message,” my reaction was “let’s…
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The right to a job does not exist
By Ken Jacobine • Guest Columnist The idea of the United States of America was born during the Age of…
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Cullowhee presents a great opportunity
We have many vibrant, attractive commercial districts in the mountains, some very small and some large and sprawling. I’m talking…
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Speaking too loudly sometimes belittles the message
My father is retired Navy, and I lived on military bases until I was 10. My stepfather is retired Army…
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Get ready for onslaught of new taxes
To the Editor: During the campaign, Barack Obama let it be known that he believes in redistribution of your income…
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Tax the rich and we all pay more
To the Editor: Harry Reid, the leader of the Democrat Senate in Washington says, “Tax the rich.” Is Harry a…
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GOP should control House for years
To the Editor: The 2012 Election results are in and it gives me hope. Tip O’Neill, the former distinguished Democratic…
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Income disparity much more than a campaign issue
I’m a late-blooming entrepreneur from a lower middle-class upbringing. My parents came from farming and mill-town childhoods, and they bought…
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Jackson commissioners off the mark on tourism
To the Editor: As a nearly 50-year-veteran of the tourism industry and one of the “authors” of the Florida accommodation…
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Election is over, so use newfound time wisely
To the Editor: I am writing this letter in celebration that the elections are now over. I will not miss…
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Points about Mormonism obviously misunderstood
To the Editor: Your correspondent William Fisher has written a constructive response to my recent letter about religion and politics,…
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Consequences of intervention not so good
To the Editor: Almost all actions of politicians have unintended consequences. In times of tragedies their mistakes are amplified. Last…
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The military bubble will be the next to burst
Ken Jacobine • Guest Columnist As students of the Austrian School of Economics understand, financial bubbles are caused by central bank…
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Be very careful what you wish for
To the Editor: Do you wish that your child got less attention from the teacher because teachers and their aids…
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Hayden Rogers willing to work with GOP
To the Editor: During the 11th District Congressional debate at Brevard College, Hayden Rogers clearly distinguished himself from his Republican…
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Economics, jobs, and future business
To the Editor: Do our politicians that run for public offices really care about our future, or are they just…
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Mormonism is not what letter writer stated
To the Editor, Recently a friend of mine said to me: “Mormonism sure is a strange religion.” How so, I…
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Rep. Rapp is a gem of a legislator
To the Editor: I was born January 1933, and I have been a student of our state and our nation’s…
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Rogers should be our next congressman
To the Editor: I am writing to ask for your support for Hayden Rogers for Congress. When I look at…
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OP does not deserve a single vote
To The Editor: Both parties have some valid points that need to be examined. But very simply, one party has…
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Obama deserves another term
To the Editor: Neither of our presidential candidates has reached the stage of perfection. Neither has all the answers to…
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