After reading the point-counterpoint last week from David Lawson and Tom Powers, I was inspired to offer a third path forward. Having moved here last October from the suburbs of Atlanta, my husband and I have been blessed with the culture and kindness of everyone whose paths we have crossed. Having come to Lake Junaluska since the 1960s and 1970s, this place has always been my spiritual home, “Halfway to heaven.” 

To the Editor:

Helene brought destruction and chaos! Homes, businesses, cars, people washed away, roads and bridges washed out, people cut off from aid, etc. MAGA voters have brought a national storm upon us all and chaos is resulting.

To the Editor:

As I ponder the implications of the presidential election, I have to ask myself and I ask you to think about what the outcome means in the larger context of our values as a nation. 

To the Editor:

The 2024 presidential election revealed one thing in crystal-clear, proof-positive, light-years beyond any reasonable doubt comprehensibility, that the ability and capacity of the average American voter to simply (but so importantly) distinguish between fact and fiction, the ability to grasp (and choose confidently) between truth and falsehood, the aptitude necessary to seek out and determine right from wrong, to diligently and with purpose contrast good and evil, and lastly, the ability and the practiced competence to differentiate and choose the honorable from the dishonorable — no longer exists. 

The passion surrounding the 2024 election was monumental, and as I observed my fellow Americans, the overarching emotion that simmered to the surface, no matter the party affiliation, was fear.

While a majority of North Carolina voters chose Republican candidate Donald Trump for president of the United States, many split their ticket to elect Democratic candidates to top state offices.

For the second time in two years, Macon County voters have rejected the implementation of a quarter-cent sales tax to bolster funding for local public schools. However, the margin of defeat for the referendum is shrinking. 

While it certainly appears that a “red wave” washed over the United States on Nov. 5, that’s not exactly the case in North Carolina, where Democrats held onto critical Council of State offices and made solid gains where it really counts — in the General Assembly. 

So here we are, days away from this pivotal election, and here’s a word of advice: take a deep breath, relax, and let the system play out as it’s intended, because we won’t know who our next president is until days after Nov. 5. 

To the Editor:

 This upcoming election is going to be a close call. According to many of the polls being taken, the number one issue for many voters is the economy. A Gallup poll on late 2023 showed 53% of Americans thought the Republicans are better at running the economy compared to 39% for Democrats.