Let’s keep debate focused on facts
To the Editor:
My family has called Webster, N.C., home for six generations. In the past I have served the community as the vice mayor of Webster, president of the Webster Memorial Cemetery Fund and currently serve on the Webster Board of Adjustments and as a board member on the Webster Historical Society.
I am not registered with any political party and follow no pre-ordained political agenda.
In my opinion Chad Jones’ recent guest column is a perfect example of the pot calling the kettle black. He accuses opponents of the new gas station project on N.C. 107 of hidden political agendas, while openly acknowledging his own political identity, one that clearly shapes his interpretation of this entire issue.
Let’s be clear: opposition to the Lewis gas station is not rooted in some backroom political plot. It simply comes from a place of concern — about the environment, traffic safety, overdevelopment, local history and character. These are real, tangible issues that affect the residents of our community, regardless of political affiliation.
Jones says this is a “kerfuffle” with shady motives, but in doing so, he engages in the very thing he claims to condemn: politicizing a local issue. When he says, “I believe we have a couple people out there spearheading this for other reasons,” he offers no evidence — just speculation that conveniently aligns with his political beliefs. That’s not civic engagement, that’s conspiracy theorizing.
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He frames support for the project as “keeping it local” and wraps it in a narrative of loyalty to local business. That’s fine, but it ignores that being local doesn't automatically mean being above criticism. If people have concerns about the environmental impact or how this project fits into broader development plans for our community, they have every right to voice them — without being accused of carrying out partisan attacks.
Jones asks, “Would they go after him ... if he were the Chairman of the Jackson County GOP?”, but in the same breath, he brings political roles into this. He is essentially admitting that he views the world through a MAGA political lens, and yet criticizes others for possibly doing the same. That’s not objectivity; that’s projection.
This gas station debate deserves open discussion, not finger-pointing and political paranoia. Not everyone who disagrees with a project is part of some political scheme. Sometimes, people just want to protect the place they call home.
Let’s keep the conversation focused on facts, transparency and the long-term health of our community — not political distractions.
Neal Morgan
Webster
