Opinion
July 4 in a polarized, politicized era
Can my patriotism be politically neutral, separated from my country’s actions if I disagree with those actions? Can it be separated from those who call themselves patriots but who don’t embrace the ideals I think this country stands for? Yes, it can, and I can call myself patriotic while still yelling the loudest when I think this country has gone off track.
Celebrate our country, not the president
Growing up, my family spent every July Fourth at Ocean Lakes Campground in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We had a little blue and white camper on a permanent lot. It wasn’t much, but it was ours, and years of special memories were made on that little piece of property.
Senators should stand tall for USA
To the Editor:
Neither the President’s omnibus budget bill nor the House’s abysmal substitute warrant the approval of sens. Thom Tillis or Ted Budd. The senators should stand up for our country and North Carolina in a time of great need.
A vote for the OBBB will harm Americans
To the Editor:
This is a letter I sent to Sen. Thom Tillis:
Because you had the courage to create and make that presentation to the Senate on what war criminals and enemies of freedom Putin and the Russian regime overall are, I hold out hope that you will vote against — or abstain from voting — for the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill,” or the Senate version of the House budget reconciliation bill with its sneak attack on our republic.
We should fear Trump’s rogue agents
To the Editor:
On June 12, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem made the following statement during a news conference regarding about 4,700 U.S. military troops in Los Angeles: “We are not going away. We are staying here to liberate the city from the socialists and the burdensome leadership that this governor and that this mayor have placed on this country and what they have tried to insert into the city.”
RFK Jr. promotes dangerous vaccine misinformation
As a retired physician assistant who devoted a long career to public health in Macon County, I am deeply concerned by the misinformation about vaccines being spread by Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his appointees.
Thoughts on Jackson and the FRL issue
To the Editor:
I have just finished reviewing the comments and commissioner discussion from the June 3 Jackson commissioner meeting in regard to leaving the Fontana Regional Library system. I want to thank Mr. Letson for the position he stated. It is one that I agree with.
Libraries shouldn’t choose ideologies
To the Editor:
As I read the article about “Jexit,” I found myself wondering about the word “ideology.” In the article, proponents of taking the Jackson Country libraries out of the Fontana Regional Library system frequently used the term.
Leaving FRL just doesn’t make sense
Citizens and constituents of Sylva, I’d like to offer you an apology. In fact, I owe you two.
All Sylva residents are also Jackson County constituents — Sylva is the county seat, and county-level decisions affect us directly. The Jackson County Public Library is a clear example.
