Voting can change your life

To the Editor: How can you connect at the community, regional, state and national level? At all levels, you can…
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Project 2025 must be defeated

To the Editor: The biggest threat to American democracy that no one is talking about is waiting in the wings,…
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You have to stand for something

To the Editor: Do we want to be a country where opinion is more important than fact? How is it…
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Democrats need to learn a lesson

To the Editor: Millions of people tuned in to the debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump…
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N.C was crucial to independence

To the Editor: On April 12, 1776, North Carolina was the first state to call for independence from Great Britain.…
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Trump ignores biblical wisdom

To the Editor: Donald Trump persists in declaring himself “an innocent man.” Yet, juries of his peers believe otherwise. In…
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Biden is the real liar

To the Editor: I have just finished wading through the tirade by Mr. Snell regarding President Trump. Everyone is entitled…
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Let’s get real about ‘school choice’

There are some things John Hood (SMN, May 29) and his ilk don’t want you to think about in their…
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Robinson’s question proves his ignorance

To the Editor: I am writing about the opinion Mark Claxton of Bryson City gave regarding the Republican candidate for…
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We need to stop wasteful spending

To the Editor: “The Convention of States” movement, in a race against time, strongly urges the N.C. Senate to pass…
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We must learn to communicate

To the Editor: No wonder some of us do not want to talk about nor listen to what we loosely…
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Stop spending on illegal immigrants

To the Editor: Amidst an unprecedented border crisis in the United States, the United Nations’ aid plan for migrants heading…
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You got this, you know you do

One of the best things about marriage is the abundance of opportunities for continuous learning. For example, I did not…
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GOP bows to Trump’s immigration edict

To the Editor: Politics Trumps responsibility. I apologize to readers for the terrible pun, but I could not help myself.…
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Don’t weaken floodplain ordinance

To the Editor: The following comments relate to the ongoing discussion about changing the Macon County floodplain ordinance to allow…
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Finding meaning in life’s twists and turns

I recently experienced a visual about worrying. It was a mountain where the highest point is the peak of worry.
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How is it that Trump is embraced?
 

How is it that Trump is embraced?

To the Editor: “How is it possible, what has lobotomized people who cheer and celebrate the most transparent fraud, the…
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No such thing as trans person
 

No such thing as trans person

To the Editor: Trans person filmed in WCU bathroom ... that’s false information. There are no trans persons. 
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Looking forward to SMN in 2049

This week SMN is celebrating its 25th anniversary as a business. As we mark the milestone, this industry is changing…
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Could Trump be a president for all?

To the Editor: Recently Donald Trump spoke at the NRA convention and promised to roll back gun control measures enacted…
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School choice isn’t a conspiracy

North Carolina is becoming a national leader in expanding choice and competition in education. For some North Carolinians, this is…
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Some legislation really helps

To the Editor: Everyone deserves to live a healthy life with financial security. We want to pay less for prescription…
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Border situation is a disaster

To the Editor: It is amazing how people focus on the abortion issue yet ignore important issues that affect far…
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Billionaires, public education and vouchers

Despite stiff opposition, the N.C. Senate voted this month to double the funding for Opportunity Scholarships to boost enrollment in privately run…
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Robinson’s comment taken out of context

To the Editor: I wish to respond to the recent letter from Margaret Pickett of Highlands which she opened with…
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Remember never to forget

To the Editor: I wish to say something about Memorial Day, which is coming up this Monday. I know most…
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When history really does repeat itself

Recently someone described me as a “longtime columnist for the Smoky Mountain News,” which made me realize I’ve been sharing…
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To be a moderate takes real courage

One good thing about being skeptical of your own opinions is that if the wrong candidate wins you can reassure…
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We should support individual freedom

To the Editor: This writing is not the product of extensive research. It is an opinion. The opinion of an…
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Trump masterfully uses false fears

To the Editor: I’m writing in response to the “Democrats try to scare voters” letter in the May 8 edition…
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Once heart beats, life begins

To the Editor: I’ve never written a letter to an editor but I cannot sit silent after reading Mr. Hoffman’s…
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Change is coming, and things will change

What happens when the those with the most chips in the game only have a partial stake in it? In…
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Sorry, fertilized eggs are not living beings

It is time to have a fact-based discussion about the biology and history of our knowledge about human reproduction. Much…
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Democrats try to scare voters

To the Editor: In a letter in SMN’s April 10 edition, a former official of the Haywood County Democratic Party…
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Religious tolerance should be celebrated

To the Editor: “In the beginning God created ….” Do you recognize those famous words? Many people do. They are…
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Let me know when this is published

To the Editor: The only extremists in this country are the people who support publications like yours. Liberals support child…
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Pray for the best, prepare for the worst

After what Haywood County has been through does anyone want to think about the hurricane season from June 1 to…
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Local food is the best choice

If you need a reminder of the sweet soul of humanity, visit your local farmers market on a Saturday morning.
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I fear we will go back in time
 

I fear we will go back in time

To the Editor: In North Caroline we have a candidate for governor who is reputed to have said “I absolutely…
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Corbin should vote against more vouchers
 

Corbin should vote against more vouchers

To the Editor: Since the beginning of the new year, I have seen several photos of Sen. Kevin Corbin, R-Franklin,…
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Are courthouse politics gumming up the system?

When I came back to The Smoky Mountain News after six months away from journalism, one of my first trips…
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Dangerous vigilante fantasies must end

What does Jason Aldean have to do with the recent uproar over a transgender person using the swimming pool at…
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PlottFest not just about canines

PlottFest 2024 will be held at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds Saturday, April 27th from 9 a.m. until 10 p..m.…
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Columnist fashions his own reality

To the Editor: Your guest columnist Steven Crider has a unique way of twisting and re-labeling reality that leaves clear-thinking…
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WCU-Jackson Schools partnership is valuable

To the Editor: I am an emeritus faculty member in the College of Education and Allied Professions at Western Carolina…
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Single-use plastics need to be addressed

When I began my role as the French Broad Riverkeeper nearly 20 years ago, I was wide-eyed and eager. I…
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Library board member is an embarrassment

To the Editor: Diann Catlin is a member of the Macon County Public Library (MCPL) Board of Trustees. It is…
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The hamster wheel of human well-being

I’ve become fascinated with studies and lifestyle changes focused on longevity and biohacking. A few recent “revolutionary health and wellness…
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Don’t loosen floodplain restrictions

To the Editor: Last week, we were informed that one of our Macon County commissioners is planning to eliminate the…
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Plastic grocery bags don’t recycle

To the Editor: The Environmental Action Community (EAC) of Western North Carolina, a nonprofit organization based in Haywood County, is…
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