Opinion

 

Managing the visitor experience is no easy task

I’m sitting alone in the cockpit of the boat anchored at Cape Lookout National Seashore off the coast of North Carolina in the early morning, and I’m about to write a column about tourism. Sipping my coffee, though, I’m distracted as a cool May breeze rattles the halyards. 

Read More

Comment

We are watching futures be ruined
 

We are watching futures be ruined

To The Editor:

Taking the long view of life, I love my God, my country, my family and friends, and really, just people in general. Like many of us, I go to bed at night and pray that God help our country to find its way in this current climate of division and fear and anxiety. 

Read More

Comment

The benefits of 19th century living
 

The benefits of 19th century living

To The Editor:

Donald Trump has adjusted his spiel from “I’ll reduce the price of eggs, bacon and lettuce on DAY ONE!!!” to “We’ll need to take our medicine.” That’s a stunning switcheroo since I was gearing up for a cheaper BLT on day one!

Read More

Comment

Standing up for our country
 

Standing up for our country

To The Editor:

On April 5 over 1,000 American citizens showed up at the Haywood County historic courthouse to stand up for democracy and our Constitution. We were not “bussed” in and we most certainly weren’t paid to be there. Some folks would like you to believe that all the citi-zens that were there were not locals — hate to be the bearer of bad news, many were Haywood County natives.

Read More

Comment

Surprised at writer’s naivete
 

Surprised at writer’s naivete

To The Editor:

I am really surprised at the innocence of the letter writer in the issue of April 23-29.

FYI, I am a Caucasian, or perhaps I should say "white" for the writer's benefit. 

Read More

Comment

 

Lessons learned from garden gnomes

The garden gnomes stared at me from our cluttered carport, dirty and bored, no blooming flowers to observe or tomato vines to tickle their bellies. I was holding on to them well past their desire.  

Read More

Comment

Unite and fight for the republic
 

Unite and fight for the republic

To the Editor:

Acknowledging the fact that, yes, all Americans have a right to have and express an opinion, and that the press has a prerogative to print those (as well as its own) opinions, I feel compelled to take exception to The Smoky Mountain News providing an admitted participant of Jan. 6 (a man tried, convicted, sentenced and then wrongly pardoned by the very person who incited the riot) a platform from which to proliferate the blatant untruth that the 2020 election was stolen (“Jan.6 participant speaks,” SMN April 2). 

Read More

Comment

We’re watching you, Chuck
 

We’re watching you, Chuck

To the Editor:

Dear Rep. Chuck Edwards. It's been a little while, and your defense of the tariffs still has no legs. But that's not why I'm emailing you again. Your president is violating the Constitution. And you know it.

Read More

Comment

Jackson needs more transparency
 

Jackson needs more transparency

To the Editor:

I would like to thank the local author David Joy for speaking out about the removal of the plaque from the Confederate statue outside the Jackson county Library. He spoke for many of us, but being a multi-generational Southern man his words carried more weight. 

Read More

Comment

Smokey Mountain News Logo
SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM
Go to top
Payment Information

/

At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.

The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.