WCU should step up to help students vote

To the Editor:

Partisan actions to create electoral advantages have likely always been rampant for both factions in the U.S. The fact that social media permits virtually instant communication to huge populations has added to the perception that such manipulations are much worse now than in the past. 

Don’t expect better results with same choices

Western North Carolina is a region defined by resilience. Mountain communities have endured floods, factory closures, rising housing costs and the slow erosion of public institutions with a steadiness that deserves admiration. None has beaten our people. 

But there is one challenge the region has not met with the same determination: demanding better from the people elected to represent it. 

The oath that guards our republic

In the cacophony of politics, one truth must remain clear: America’s armed forces swear allegiance not to a man, not to a party, but to the Constitution of the United States. That oath is the bedrock of our Republic. It is the firewall against tyranny. And it is being tested as never before. 

I believe our republic is in danger

To the Editor:

Donald Trump has exerted power as no previous president has in our history. His actions raise a chilling question. Is Peggy Noonan right? She recently wrote in the Wall Street Journal that our republic is in jeopardy because of the actions of our president.

No trust for Jackson County commissioner

To the Editor:

I just finished reading The Smoky Mountain News article about the proposed amendments to the FRL agreement. In the article quotes Todd Bryson: “the [FRL] Board of Trustees, they have more authority than what they realize to make some of these changes that need to be made.” 

Honor our heritage, protect our libraries

To the Editor:

The decision facing Jackson County’s leaders is more than an administrative matter. It is a test of values. Will our commissioners uphold the long tradition of education, cooperation and integrity that has defined our community, or will they yield to a small, insistent minority determined to restrict access to educational information under the false banner of protecting children? 

Rep. Edwards talks the party line

To the Editor:

Recently three Haywood County citizens long involved in issues of public concern met with Congressman Chuck Edwards at his office in Hendersonville. Issues focused on were SNAP, medical insurance, research cuts and the federal match for Medicaid payments to hospitals and nursing homes.

Ten minutes with Rep. Edwards is very revealing

To the Editor:

Last week I met with the Rep. Chuck Edwards of the N.C. 11th District for a short conversation. I asked his opinion of the military incursion into Portland, Oregon, and he asked me if I lived in Portland. For a beat I was stunned, as if I shouldn’t care about what was happening in any American city.

We’ll never have a king in U.S.

To the Editor:

Some protestors of the Trump administration created what they call “No Kings Day” on June 14, 2025.  They claim that Trump’s policies resemble monarchical rule rather than democratic governance. While all presidents have power, it is limited. 

No longer a nation of laws

To the Editor:

Setting aside the fact President Trump is a convicted felon and has been charged with nearly 100 serious crimes for which he’s unlikely to be held accountable, it’s moreover beyond question that he ignited an angry armed mob to attack his own Capitol with the clear intent of overturning an election he knew he’d lost. 

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