RBG’s passing hardens my resolve
To the Editor: I woke up the day after the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with a mix of…
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Cawthorn is not ready for Congress
To the Editor: Madison Cawthorn says he is a “Washington outsider.” Who is he kidding? His campaign has worked with…
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Say no to drilling in Alaska
To the Editor: The Western North Carolina Climate Action Coalition (CAC), a Haywood County-based organization, supports efforts to protect the Arctic…
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Vote yes for the indoor aquatics center
To the Editor: We have a lot to decide this November on the 2020 ballot, but one thing I hope…
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Clampitt is gunning for your Social Security
To the Editor: Folks we have a big decision to make. House District 119 — covering Swain, Jackson and Haywood…
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How can anyone Vote for Trump?
To the Editor: “Trump lied, people died.” I can’t even begin to describe the range of emotion I felt when…
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Don’t send Cawthorn to Congress
To the Editor: Madison Cawthon’s website states: “Send a fighter to Congress.” In fact, the term “fight” is referenced several times throughout…
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N.C. 11 race is a no contest
To the Editor: I am a native Western North Carolinian and a member of Generation Z. I understand that my…
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GOP is a party in crisis
To the Editor: I’m not a Republican, but I know a party in crisis when I see one. The “Party of…
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As school gets going, a lingering anxiety
Elementary schools will open their doors and welcome students back over the next few days, and middle and high schools…
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What to expect as you prepare to vote
By Kirk Stephens • Guest Columnist | Our nation will hold an election this November, as it has always done,…
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Who is the real ‘sucker’ and ‘loser’?
By Mike Leatherwood • Guest Columnist | When I was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Army Corps of…
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Cawthorn’s integrity is a problem
To the Editor: Whatever categories are on a home-schooled student’s report card, “works well with others” is probably not one…
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Vote as if the Earth depended on it
To the Editor: I recently hiked to the top of Wayah Bald. Stunning views, and sobering to see the remnants…
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Just what is ‘appropriate' for a newspaper?
Our readers have spoken. You won’t find a single case of the F-word in this article, and perhaps never again…
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The power of music amidst the chaos
When I was a little girl we had a Victrola sitting atop the stairs in our split-level home. Occasionally my…
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Consider the kind of leader you want
To the Editor: Consider this case study in trust: A meteorologist reports the track of a category 2 hurricane, explaining that…
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Davis puts public health before politics
To the Editor: If you were hanging around outside one of the NC-11 Congressional debates at WCU’s main campus in…
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Cawthorn wrong about health care
To the Editor: As the campaign for North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District enters its final months, I’d like to draw…
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Vote Democrat and restore morality
To the Editor: As another Election day approaches, I feel compelled to express my thoughts and opinions to my community.…
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Sept. 11, 2001
September 11 snuck up on me this year. I was listening to public radio this morning when they discussed commemorations…
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Pandemic prompts huge absentee ballot request
What’s happening in North Carolina right now with absentee ballot requests is staggering. Currently there are around 7.1 million registered…
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The shadow pandemic takes its toll
Lately I’ve been feeling tightness in my chest, an inability to take a nice relaxing breath. When I told my…
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Trump has many accomplishments
To the Editor: I keep hearing the term systemic racism. I assume this means racism built into our nation’s systems…
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Southern pride has a dark history
To the Editor: Haywood County 2020: I can’t drive down the street without seeing a representation of a Confederate flag. It’s…
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We were safer before Trump
To the Editor: Trump is fine with the violence and looting. He thrives on drama and chaos. He can continue…
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Vote to end this insanity
To the Editor: When I was a young girl studying my catechism we would read aloud in unison: “Who Loves…
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Racism at WCU is reason to vote
To the Editor: As a student of color at Western Carolina University, I was angered and disheartened by the racist…
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We all have the right to be heard
To the Editor: I have had the pleasure of reading many a fine editorial from SMN Editor Scott McLeod over…
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Restore sanity to the White House
To the Editor: The White House is a broken train wreck. The only way we Americans can restore sanity to…
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Not all police are bad
To the Editor: In response to Margaret Abel’s rhetorical question “what would our Founding Fathers do?” To quote from the…
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If you stay home, just keep quiet
If you don’t vote, then just shut up. You don’t even really deserve the right to be heard. Especially when…
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Craving a president who smiles with his eyes
A while back I noticed President Trump does not smile with his entire face. It struck me one day when…
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What should we publicly honor?
To the Editor: In my opinion all plaques, markers, statues and monuments honoring those who served the Confederacy should be…
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Democracy is not a spectator sport
To the Editor: Would you be able to vote if you had to pass a literacy test? Can you count…
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Cawthorn’s claims about Davis are ridiculous
Keep electing people who are ideologically too far left or right to reach across the aisle, and we’ll have the…
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Pondering fences and their removal
By Rich Byers • Guest Columnist | Robert Frost said that “fences make good neighbors.” I get that. I am…
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DeVos takes money from public schools
To the Editor: One provision of the CARES Act passed by Congress in March, as it is being administered by…
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FOX not on list of reliable news sources
To the Editor: Forbes magazine caters to the millionaires, billionaires, and Wall Street types whose fortunes depend on accurate information.…
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Haywood Health Board supports vaccines
To the Editor: The Haywood County Health and Human Services Agency Board unequivocally supports the immunization program of the Haywood…
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Western Carolina University is ready to meet the challenges of a fall semester during unprecedented times
By Kelli R. Brown • Guest Columnist | These are uncertain and challenging times. Our communities, our state and our nation…
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A strange back-to-school season for everyone
From my earliest memories, the back-to-school season has been a flurry of excitement. Both my parents were teachers. I worked…
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Trump trying to end your benefits
To the Editor: Got Social Security? Got a back-up plan for living without it? Payroll taxes fund Social Security. Trump,…
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Cawthorn doesn’t deserve youth vote
To the Editor: Madison Cawthorn, newly 25 and a GOP candidate for the 11th Congressional District, may be a young…
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U.S. Postmaster needs to be fired
To the Editor: I can’t begin to understand the actions of the new Postmaster of the United States Postal Service…
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The common thread — we’re Americans
In the streets of Western North Carolina, mostly young protestors calling for an end to structural and sometimes violent racism…
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