Editor’s Note: This is the transcript of a recent voice memo Garret left for a friend of his on Thursday, Jan. 8, in the aftermath of the incident in Minneapolis, Minnesota, between a protester and an ICE agent. To note, both Garret’s father (U.S. Immigration) and grandfather (U.S. Customs) were career officers for the federal government (now retired). In 2003, Immigration and Customs combined to form ICE due to the Homeland Security Act of 2002.

Good afternoon. You’re probably slaving away at your [office] desk doing your favorite thing, which is working inside under fluorescent lighting, I would assume. [Laughs]. Oh, man, I don’t know where this message is going to go, but I just was wanting to vent about…[well], it’s almost hard to vent anymore, because it’s like every day is just this chaotic frustration of things outside of my [front] door and things across the country and things around the world. 

Domestic violence is widely misunderstood. Most individuals who have not had the unfortunate experience of living through it often hold misconceptions that minimize its severity. This ignorance can lead to responses that are inappropriate, callous and ultimately perpetuate the problem. Misconceptions frequently involve victim-blaming or a lack of understanding about what domestic violence truly entails. 

To the Editor:

What I dislike about the American Christian Right is what I dislike about Jeff Minick’s book review in last week’s edition of The Smoky Mountain News, which is less a book review as it is a chance for Mr. Minick to display his own religious views using the passages he quotes from the book as support.

To the Editor:

One of the few good things to come from the pandemic is you hear more and more people say, “I’ve done my own research.” As we face this election season, that has never been more important.

The change of season, especially to autumn, is always a welcome and refreshing time for me. Traveling diminishes, darkness encroaches sunlight and you hunker down into the coziness of cool mornings and hot drinks.

On Thursday, June 13, 2024, David Crane, author, scholar and international prosecutor, will provide insights on the implications of the war in Ukraine on our national security and world safety.

To the Editor:

Newspaper editors and owners have an important role in our local communities and for us readers.