To the Editor:

Does it seem like every day you are overwhelmed by the atrocities in the news? Are you feeling beaten down in despair and hopelessness? Are you longing for some positive energy, some common sense, some time to gather with others, a chance to make some changes in the world?  

We invite you to come join us.

Since 1932, the ashlar veneer of the Haywood County Courthouse in Waynesville has borne silent witness to memorable events in local and national history — the Great Depression, World War II, Korea, the Civil Rights era, Vietnam, 9/11, Afghanistan, the Gulf Wars and most recently the county’s first LGBTQ+ Pride celebration — but a gathering on Flag Day, the same day President Donald Trump celebrated his birthday with a military parade in Washington, D.C., may prove to be just as enduring. 

To the Editor:

The other day, while driving to a golf outing, President Donald Trump demonstrated a callous disregard for the suffering his tariffs have inflicted on hundreds of millions of Americans, whose interests he was elected to champion and protect.