There was no shortage of gray-haired attorneys in Graham County Superior Court last week. Some represented witnesses; others were just curious to watch a proceeding not seen in modern history. 

Maintaining faith in the justice system and protecting law enforcement were the themes of the four-day hearing held last week in Robbinsville to determine whether Graham County Sheriff Brad Hoxit — now suspended amid allegations of misconduct tied to an investigation of the ex-husband of his current wife — would be officially barred from returning to office.

To the Editor:

How did President Trump (and his rubber stamps in Congress) get us into this war? The way he manages everything — he lies, and his worshippers in Washington silently nod their heads in obedience. Congressman Edwards, shame on you.

Was this dangerous conflict justified because Iran was about to attack the United States with guided missiles and nuclear weapons? Of course not. Back in June, Trump himself bragged that he had totally destroyed Iran’s nuclear capability for years to come and crippled their missile forces. Now he says that Iran’s supposedly destroyed military was on the verge of attacking America. Lies. This reminds us all of the weapons of mass destruction that led us into the disastrous war in Iraq. Those weapons of mass destruction never were found because they didn’t exist.

What a coincidence. Netanyahu is facing criminal corruption charges and is battling with the Israeli Supreme Court, and Trump is facing the Epstein coverup, threatened with his guilt being exposed. So the two of them decide to wreak havoc in the Middle East. The ultimate distraction — war.

Do we need to go over all the lies that this man has told with complete consent of his allies in Congress? One despicable falsehood occurred during his State of the Union speech. He lied that the young Ukrainian woman horribly murdered on a train in Charlotte was a victim of someone who “came in through open borders.” Lies. The murderer was born and raised in Charlotte and was a diagnosed schizophrenic, hearing terrible voices that led him to this horrible crime. Trump knew it had nothing to do with open borders. He used the suffering mother of the victim as a tragic prop, to justify his cruel border policies.  

Remember Haitians eating pets in Springfield, Ohio? Or “Little Johnny goes to school in the morning, and comes home in the afternoon little Jane?” Who did the sex change operation? The school nurse or the principal? Or “illegals vote by the millions.” All lies.

And now an unconstitutional war with no end in sight. How much blood will be spilled?

Pray — and vote.

Steve Wall
Waynesville

In recent years, the phrase “God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers” has evolved from its originally earnest and spiritual meaning to an ironic online take on the resiliency needed, given the current state of affairs, to maintain day-to-day existence. It’s a rebuke of the idea that if bad things come into our lives, it’s because we know how to handle them — or that we must suffer immensely, with a brave face, in order to grow. 

For nearly two decades, a self-styled reformer with no law enforcement experience who toppled a longtime sheriff and rode a rising red tide to four reelection victories enjoyed his unusual transformation from outsider to one of the most powerful law enforcement figures in rural Western North Carolina, but it came with a growing cost — budget troubles, payroll strife, political grudges and ultimately a cascade of criminal charges that would chase Swain County Sheriff Curtis Cochran from office, leaving behind an unanswered torrent of questions. 

To The Editor:

Ashley Babbit! Remember that name. The Trump administration Department of Justice just awarded her family $5 million in a wrongful death suit. This shows how corrupt this administration really is and how it caters to those with loyalty to Donald Trump rather than loyalty to our country. 

To the Editor:

The United States' founding fathers envisioned a government where elected officials would serve the nation selflessly, free from the constraints of political parties.

To the Editor:

I read the newspaper one morning when visiting the area last weekend and was legitimately shocked when I got to the Letters to the Editor section. The U.S. government has been exposed to be a multi-trillion-dollar corrupt money laundering organization, and I was surprised how many of your readers are perfectly OK with it.

To the Editor:

First of all, I think it’s very important for everyone in our area to do their research and fact check the information before forming their opinions. We have been misled for years. 

To the Editor:

Present-day political unrest reminds me of the Spanish cellist, conductor and composer, Pav Casals, known in English by his Spanish name, Pablo Casals. Casals was born in El Vendrell, Spain, Dec. 29, 1876. He lived in France after 1936 and Puerto Rico after 1956, where he died, Oct. 22, 1973. 

To the Editor:

“Welcome to the end of democracy. We are here to overthrow it completely,” Jack Posobiec said as the event began.