Scrapping Electoral College could stop a tyrant
By Martin Dyckman • Guest Columnist | During the Spanish Civil War, which the Fascists won, one of their generals…
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Cawthorn is off to a bad start
To the Editor: As one of Mr. Madison Cawthorn’s constituents in the 11th District, I wish to inform him that…
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Are fixed-period pardons legal?
To the Editor: In 1974 Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon for all offenses against the United States which he committed,…
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Public rhetoric should prompt removal
By Jesse Lee Dunlap • Guest Columnist | As someone whose politics are centered on bodily autonomy, I sympathize with…
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Nowhere to go but forward into 2021
This year has prompted a reckoning unlike any in memory, so we’re all looking to put a bow on 2020…
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A promise to keep on keepin’ on
How does one best express gratitude? That thought kept coming up as I sat down to write a column for…
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Freedom isn’t free
By Heather Hyatt Packer • Guest Columnist | There’s a lot of discussion about freedom, rights and patriotism when discussing…
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After Trump, table is set for dictator
To the Editor: “Incitement of discontent or rebellion against a government, or any action (especially in speech or writing) promoting such…
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Cawthorn’s judgement should worry us
To the Editor: I am worried. Our newly elected congressman Madison Cawthorn contests what he has tweeted about as the…
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Folkmoot’s future is in good hands
To the Editor: Arts organizations have had an extraordinarily challenging time during the pandemic, and it’s been no different for…
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Keep hope alive in the new year
In February 2020, I was in New York City attending a children’s book writing conference. My boyfriend attended the conference…
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History will treat Trump enablers badly
To the Editor: Republicans seem to have given up on our Constitution and democracy. Instead, they have opted to follow…
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Remove Presson from Healthcare Foundation
To the Editor: Your recent report about Waynesville’s Emergency Ordinance (“Waynesville passes State of Emergency ordinance”) includes a description of Janet…
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The caring spirit was remarkable in 2020
To the Editor: I recently read an article that asked, “What will be your story of 2020?” I’ve since given…
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I was watched over by angels
To the Editor: I wanted to let everyone know what an amazing medical community we are fortunate enough to live…
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Cawthorn shows ignorance on current issues
By Erick Mendez • Guest Columnist | According to the U.S. House records, at 25 years old, Madison Cawthorn —…
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Thanks to all the election volunteers
To the Editor: With the most contentious presidential election in modern American history coming to a close, there is enough…
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You only get to do this once
“… one of the most significant facts about us may finally be that we all begin with the natural equipment…
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The human component makes the difference
Apple was once a small business that was started in a garage by two college dropouts. It was the pipe…
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Taking the side of WNC’s citizens
To the Editor: Please allow me a moment to respond to last week’s op-ed by Patrick Gleason “Local government-run broadband a…
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I am afraid history is repeating itself
To the Editor: I have always been a history buff. It was my major in college. I studied WWII in great…
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Please give and help fight cancer
To the Editor: This is in response to your article: “DA undergoes breast cancer treatment,” concerning our elected/head District Attorney,…
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Capitalism married socialism long ago!
To the Editor: IF socialism is: “any of various theories or systems of the ownership and operation of the means…
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Local government-run broadband a bad idea
By Patrick Gleason • Guest Columnist | In times like these, with public resources scarce and taxpayer dollars facing tremendous…
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Standardized testing in a non-standard time
To the Editor: As a public middle school teacher in the great state of North Carolina, I could expound for…
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Trump just keeps money rolling in
To the Editor: All the hype about President Donald Trump claiming voter fraud and the Rudy Giuliani’s traveling legal circus…
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Presidential pardons not handed out lightly
To the Editor: It seems that Ali Baba Don intends to pardon his 40 thieves.
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Please adhere to safety protocols
To the Editor: Doctors across America are literally begging people to mask, maintain safe distances, avoid large and small gatherings,…
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I like calling North Carolina home
When the Lyft driver asked where we were from, our answer was, “outside Asheville, in the mountains.” His reply: “Wow,…
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Thank you, pandemic, for slowing me down
The pandemic forced me to slow down. I’ve always been a busy body, planning trips or parties, purchasing tickets for…
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We are Americans first
Diann Catlin • Guest Columnist | Every American should want and demand evidence as to the integrity of the recent…
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Abolishing college debt is unfair
To the Editor: This is my first letter to the editor, ever. So you know that I feel strongly enough…
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Those moving here threaten our lifestyle
To the Editor: I read with understanding and sadness the article about people leaving the cities and moving to Western…
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Partnership provided valuable COVID data
To the Editor: Like government and business leaders across the country, I am continually looking for ways to help prevent…
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Prior elections had mail-in ballots
To the Editor: To counter the recent assertions from some suggesting that this past election was fraudulent and illegitimate, I…
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Be smart, and things don’t have to get worse
Let me wish each and every one of you a Happy Thanksgiving. Each year at the Passover celebration, there is…
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I am trying to understand
By Steve Wall • Guest Columnist | On Sept. 10, 2020, Donald Trump greeted a cheering crowd in Freeland, Michigan,…
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Shop local, be safe
I’m semi-quarantining in the week leading up to Thanksgiving due to a potential exposure to COVID. At this very moment…
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No time to let down our guard
If you’re feeling COVID fatigue, it’s no wonder. It seems this all started “a long time ago in a galaxy…
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The bright spots of a pandemic holiday
I’ve started listening to Christmas music and it’s not even Thanksgiving, but you know what? It’s 2020 and anything goes.…
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GOP ignorance is staggering
To the Editor: Joe Biden won, period. Biden won by the same “landslide” of 306 electoral votes as Trump declared…
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GOP leadership is sickening
To the Editor: It sickens me — a 72-year-old, seven-year U.S. Air Force and Vietnam veteran — the depths to…
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The USA is on a downhill slide
To the Editor: I hope all the idiots who voted for Biden are happy. Our country is going down the…
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Finding a way past the divide
Can we bridge the divide? That’s the most fundamental question facing us as Americans as we sort out the post-mortem…
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Is a $16.4 million jail a good idea?
The Haywood County Commissioners have decided to move forward with a long-term plan to expand the existing jail at the…
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Editors Note
The number of political letters we have received from readers in our coverage area (Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties,…
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Is it OK to just be satisfied, even happy?
As the sun began its descent on Monday — the eve of Election Day — I sat down to write this…
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Remembering the ‘good’ old days
To the Editor: Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark Supreme Court decision on women’s reproductive rights, has been in the…
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