The benefits of 19th century living

To The Editor:

Donald Trump has adjusted his spiel from “I’ll reduce the price of eggs, bacon and lettuce on DAY ONE!!!” to “We’ll need to take our medicine.” That’s a stunning switcheroo since I was gearing up for a cheaper BLT on day one!

Tell the truth about immigrants

To the Editor:

I am 91 years old. For close to 50 of those years we lived at 116 Cowan Street in Sylva. We were active members at First Baptist Church; our five children attended Fairview Elementary and Sylva-Webster High School. My wife, Barbara, taught piano, dulcimer, guitar and other instruments to dozens of people throughout Western North Carolina. We Osments will always consider Sylva to be our hometown. 

Lying about Social Security isn’t the answer

As an attorney, I have direct experience and the unique point of view that comes from working with the Social Security Administration daily and remain in awe at its ability to serve millions of Americans with a wide array of needs.

Don’t be taken in by Elon Musk

To the Editor:

I write to correct misinformation in a letter to the editor written by David Lawson. He made two statements which are false.

His first mistake accuses the Social Security Administration of issuing benefits to more people over age 100 that are alive.

Now, all lines are blurred

To the Editor:

I was judged rather harshly for a letter, by no less than six people in three newspapers, for doubting the average American voter's capacity to distinguish fact from fiction, truth from falsehoods.

A lesson in how lies lead to dangerous outcomes

Facts, once unassailable, have become, well, difficult to quantify. People make up or repeat lies, especially on social media platforms and other online spaces, and people believe them, think what they read or hear is true, is a fact. As it turns out, those lies can be dangerous. We’ve all witnessed it at the national level, but it’s also happening right here in Western North Carolina. 

Beliefs about Biden/Harris just aren’t true

After reading David Lawson’s letter, “Maybe Trump’s Win Was about Policy,” I sympathize with Dr. Lawson’s desire to focus on policy. However, some of Dr. Lawson’s claims about the Biden/Harris administration’s policies are puzzling. 

Gullible Republicans are a problem

To the Editor:

I was really not surprised that a once-responsible political organization allowed its representative to peddle hilarious falsehoods. Mr. Stello, chairman of the Haywood  County Republican Party, claimed that volunteers for the Democratic Party are being paid by foreign organizations (From the August 7 edition of The Mountaineer).

Smokey Mountain News Logo
SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM
Go to top
Payment Information

/

At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.

The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.