Jackson leaders show their hand
To the Editor:
Have you noticed how quietly our basic freedoms can disappear? Right now in Jackson County, a small group of commissioners is on the verge of dismantling our entire library system — not because it’s failing us, but because it’s succeeding at something they fear: exposing people to ideas beyond a single worldview.
“I continue to get hounded by people about the staff and their displays in the library,” Commissioner John Smith complained at Tuesday’s work session, revealing the two-year campaign he’s been leading against our Fontana Regional Library System.
Let’s be clear about what’s happening: despite appointing "good people from our side" (Smith’s own words), commissioners are frustrated that the library board refuses to limit information that “most people in this county reject” — according to Smith, at least. But who appointed him the arbiter of what our community believes?
County Manager Kevin King laid bare their arsenal of weapons against intellectual freedom:
• Stack the library board with ideological allies.
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• Starve the library financially until it surrenders.
• Threaten to abandon the regional library system entirely.
But perhaps most chilling was Commissioner Jenny Hooper’s casual suggestion of “closing the library” entirely — followed by laughter. Is the complete elimination of our community’s primary source of information and internet access really a joking matter?
Think about what our library actually provides: For the family whose home lacks internet, free computer access that keeps them connected to the modern world. For the student during COVID shutdowns, a lifeline to continue learning when schools closed their doors. For the curious mind, windows into histories, cultures and perspectives they might never otherwise encounter. For everyone, the fundamental freedom to choose what information they consume.
When you walk into our library and see a display for Pride Month or Indigenous Peoples Day, remember, no one is forcing you to engage with those materials. But should you have the power to prevent your neighbor from accessing them?
Let’s call this what it is: a handful of officials trying to reshape our community’s access to information based on their personal comfort levels. They’re not protecting community values — they’re restricting your right to form your own values through exposure to diverse ideas.
In rural Western North Carolina, where our library serves as both information hub and internet provider, this isn’t just about books on shelves. It’s about whether we trust our neighbors to make their own decisions about what they read and learn.
When Commissioner Letson suggests using the library’s lease renewal in 2026 as leverage, he reveals how far they’re willing to go. This isn’t governance — it’s a hostage situation, with our shared cultural resources caught in the crossfire.
As citizens who value intellectual freedom, we face a critical choice: Remain silent while a cherished community institution is dismantledor speak up for a library system that respects every patron’s autonomy.
The commissioners are banking on your silence. They’re counting on the fact that while they organize, you’ll stay home. While they strategize, you’ll stay quiet. Will you prove them right?
Our library staff aren’t pushing an agenda — they’re doing what librarians have always done: providing access to the full spectrum of human knowledge and experience. They deserve our vocal support before it’s too late.
Attend the next commission meeting. Email these commissioners. Talk to your neighbors. Share this letter.
Because once we allow elected officials to decide which ideas are acceptable for public consumption, we’ve surrendered something precious that may prove impossible to recover: the freedom to think for ourselves.
The commissioners have made their move. What’s yours?
Walter Cook
Franklin
