To the Editor:

Patriarchy is not inevitable and having huge swaths of land and people being controlled by a single person is not ordained by God. 

We are no longer an agrarian society where the physical strength of men allowed them the advantage in acquiring or defending land. Our institutions must be restructured where cooperation and mutual aid become central to policy. 

To the Editor:

“The strength of American government is based on three things: a President that is truthful with the people and who can be counted upon to keep his word, a Congress that ensures that the president follows the law and insists that it controls the spending of all our hard-earned taxpayer dollars, and a Supreme Court whose rulings are fair and just, assuring no man or woman is above the law or favored by the law. 

To the Editor:

I remember proudly going to register to vote when I turned 18 in my hometown of Rome, Georgia. After filling out the forms, I noticed a jar of beans sitting on a shelf. With my usual curiosity, I asked about the jar. The clerk told me very calmly, “If a N-word wants to register to vote, they have to guess the correct number of beans in the jar.” In shock I said, “You didn’t ask me to guess the number of beans in the jar.” Quickly, the clerk said, “Of course not. You are not a N-word.” 

To the Editor:

Like the writer of last week’s letter “Same Story, Different Wording,” I too, look forward to the day when The Smoky Mountain News stops printing letters from David Snell. 

Unlike that writer, however, my reason is very different: I look forward to the day when such letters no longer need to be written. That will be the day when Donald Trump and his cronies stop taking a wrecking ball to the American democratic institutions that our ancestors fought to create and preserve. 

To the Editor:

As a semi-retired resident of Western North Carolina, I never expected to spend this stage of life focused on whether I can trust my decision makers to act in the best interests of our community, our region and our country. 

To the Editor:

The following item is a version of one that has been making the rounds on social media. It is illustrative of the rising tide of resentment and protest against the way property taxes are being assessed and administered by local governments.  There needs to be a major reform of this iniquitous system, if not an outright replacement of it.  

To the Editor:

When is The Smoky Mountain News going to stop taking “letters” from David  Snell? All of his letters follow the same format and include the same elements.  

Editor’s note

As Tony Dillard notes in this guest column, we’ve printed two other opinion pieces over the last two weeks by Waynesville aldermen Chuck Dickson and Jon Feichter regarding this annexation and the issue of whether these housing developments fit into the character of Waynesville. It’s unusual for The Smoky Mountain News to then give this much space to a third opinion piece, but given the importance of this issue — how will we grow — we decided to give Mr. Dillard the opportunity to voice his concerns. To note, Dillard is a private citizen in Waynesville.

— Scott McLeod, SMN Editor 

To the Editor:

Viktor Orban, oppressive dictator and former Hungarian Prime Minister, made one colossal mistake — he allowed an election to take place. Ergo, he was tossed from office in a landslide.

Our own president (a thirsting wannabe dictator himself) knows he faces a similar fate, possible impeachment, conviction and imprisonment if he loses control of Congress.

To the Editor:

“The prior administration failed in its duty to protect the American people by refusing to pursue and carry out the ultimate punishment against the most dangerous criminals, including terrorists, child murderers and cop killers,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement. “Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Justice is once again enforcing the law and standing with victims.”