Opinion
Embrace the ideals America stands for
I know that many people are so upset with the state of politics and division in our country that they struggled with the idea of celebrating the Fourth of July this year. Patriotism is and always has been a slippery and problematic thing. We’ll get back to that.
Lessons learned in the wilderness
My last column was written just before I returned from Wilderness Trail. I’m not sure what propelled me to sign up for this adventure, other than I felt it was time to challenge myself.
Beneath the traditions, let’s consider our democracy
When our three children were young, we had a regular July 4 tradition. For probably about 15 years, we would head to Bryson City for the Firecracker 5K, a very low-key road race that starts downtown and heads out toward Deep Creek and then back.
American democracy’s last stand
I was raised in a rural, conservative-leaning county with two working parents and six busy kids. My mother was a nurse and public heath educator and my father worked in insurance and real estate before serving three terms as our Republican State House representative and later as a lawyer and court judge.
N.C was crucial to independence
To the Editor:
On April 12, 1776, North Carolina was the first state to call for independence from Great Britain. Her Provincial Congress, meeting at Halifax, North Carolina, passed a resolution that has come to be known as the “Halifax Resolves.”
Trump ignores biblical wisdom
To the Editor:
Donald Trump persists in declaring himself “an innocent man.” Yet, juries of his peers believe otherwise. In the E. Jean Carroll case. The New York civil fraud trial. And, the Stormy Daniels hush money trial.
Biden is the real liar
To the Editor:
I have just finished wading through the tirade by Mr. Snell regarding President Trump. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I find it sad that he harbors so much rage and pure hatred.
Into the wilderness we go
When this column is published, I’ll be emerging from five days in the wilderness of Southwest Virginia. A group from First United Methodist Church of Waynesville will be participating in the Wilderness Trail experience from June 21-26.
Let’s get real about ‘school choice’
There are some things John Hood (SMN, May 29) and his ilk don’t want you to think about in their relentless promotion of “school choice” and “educational freedom” — their feel-good euphemisms for the transfer of your taxpayer dollars to private, church-related and “charter” schools. Hood, who pops up everywhere these days, is a paid mouthpiece for the libertarian-conservative and free-market agenda of Art Pope (remember him?) — and it shows.
