To the Editor:

The Smoky Mountain News and Western Carolina University’s Gibb Knotts and Chris Cooper are to be commended for a job well done (“Jackson County Political Poll” in the July 7 Smoky Mountain News).

County Commissioners Tom Massie and Brian McMahan seem to believe the polls’ questions too “generic” and do not answer the question of why people are critical toward government? Perhaps we can help with that.

People are tired and they’re angry. Many people (now in their 60s and 70s) have worked hard for over half a century, rarely been sick, never asking for help. Given the economy, for them, there is no retirement in sight ... unless they’re fortunate enough to work for the government.

People are tired of being told they have to “spread the wealth” to people who don’t have their work ethic, of having their hard-earned money given to people too lazy to earn it.

People are tired of being told they have to pay more taxes to help people who bought homes they knew they couldn’t afford and to bail out companies which made that possible, like “Fannie” and “Freddie.”

People are tired of being told how bad America is by millionaires who live in luxury because of the opportunities America offers. In a few years, if they get their way, the United States will have the economy of Zimbabwe, the freedom of the press of China, the crime and violence of Mexico, the tolerance for Christian people of Iran, and the freedom of speech of Venezuela.

People are tired of being told that out of “tolerance for other cultures” we must let Saudi Arabia use our oil money to fund mosques and Islamic schools to preach hate in America while no American group is allowed to fund a church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia to teach tolerance.

People are tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and we must help and support them and pay for the damage they do. Did a giant germ rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up their noses?

People are tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and politicians of both parties talking about innocent or youthful mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was getting caught.

And people are really tired of illegal aliens being called “undocumented workers,” especially the ones who aren’t working but are living on welfare or crime. Should we call drug dealers, “undocumented pharmacists”?

And I’m definitely tired of being lied to. If you believe Barack Obama and the Democratic Party have any intention of reforming immigration in any meaningful way, I have a bridge up in Brooklyn I’d like to sell you. Barack Obama and the Democratic Party know that if they can mange to legalize the millions of illegals presently living in the United States they will have a permanent lock on a Democratic majority in Congress (and the White House) for 50 years.

Jackson County Sheriff, Jimmy Ashe, asks a pertinent question. “Why, with government approval at its lowest, is voter turnout so abysmal?” Easy question, Sheriff ...  apathy and ignorance. And Ashe is painfully correct when he states, “it’s up to the people to take back the government.” Up until now, we Americans have failed miserably in accomplishing that task.

David L. Snell

Dillsboro