To the Editor:

Many American servicemen feel duty-bound to oppose combat Marines being deployed in American cities. I’m one of them.

First of all, this President is in clear violation of the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, a federal U.S. law that restricts the use of the military for law enforcement within the country.

To the Editor:

Disappointing national employment numbers were released last week. Estimates were much lower than expected, and may be precursors of a shrinking economy. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimated that 19,000 jobs were filled in May, 14,000 in June, and 73,000 in July (bls.gov/economic news release 8/1/2025).

To the Editor:

Last week’s letter by L. E. Cossette: “Democratic Party is in disarray,” is a delusional insult to Democrats and a vacuous flattery job to Trump’s Republican Party. Democrats are as committed and vocal about the values that they support as they always have been. 

To the Editor:

As we approach the 2026 mid-term elections, the political climate is marked by uncertainty for the Democratic Party. Confusion and disorder echo throughout their ranks, causing many to doubt the party’s sustainability. Meanwhile, the Republican Party has a unique opportunity to benefit from this chaos, provided it avoids complacency and overconfidence. 

To the Editor:

A year ago …. who would have thought …

That the richest man in the world who helped elect the president with $290 million would be appointed to a bogus government agency and then walk in to real agencies with his teenage hackers with handles like “Big Balls” and fire thousands of government employees, destroying decades of institutional knowledge and dismantling agencies and parts of agencies that work on behalf of and protect American citizens. 

To the Editor:

What I dislike about the American Christian Right is what I dislike about Jeff Minick’s book review in last week’s edition of The Smoky Mountain News, which is less a book review as it is a chance for Mr. Minick to display his own religious views using the passages he quotes from the book as support.

To the Editor:

The big beautiful bill is neither. Tax cuts take effect this year. While the cuts for the highest earners are permanent, most cuts expire in 2030. Sixty percent of the total tax savings will go to people with incomes greater than $217,000 per year.

To the Editor:

I’m not finding many things to laugh about these days, so I want to give a shout out to the author of the letter “Harassing public officials is wrong” in the July 9 issue.

His letter was hilarious. I laughed each time I read it ... four times. 

To the Editor:

In compliance with Executive Order 14253, an official sign has now been posted in the Oconaluftee Visitors Center of our beloved (and already beleaguered) Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and, I presume, at all of the hundreds of other sites overseen by the National Park Service.

To the Editor:

I am a former employee of Tracy Fitzmaurice and I'm writing in support of her work as director of the Fontana Regional Library and Librarian of Jackson County Public Library.