Opinion

Opinion For at least a while, all the noise stopped

Short escapes from all of the noise coming from everywhere are so refreshing, so worthwhile.

The holidays were a fantastic time at our home. Lori and I and our children and their partners had been spending time together since the pandemic started, had been tested, and so we felt safe getting together. My birthday is Dec. 18, a week before Christmas, so from then until New Year’s Day we had children visiting, excursions out and about, long dinners and a relatively busy holiday. Great times, especially in this year when so much was not normal.

Our youngest, Liam, left for his place in Charlotte on Jan. 2, a Saturday. By the time he departed around 11 a.m., it had turned into a gorgeous winter day. Temperatures were approaching 60, there was no rain in the forecast, and there were so many chores that needed attention after the holidays.

“Let’s go camping,” Lori suggested, out of the blue. My wife is a worker, someone who can get more done in a couple hours than most can in a day. But she’s also spontaneous , someone who gets the urge to do something and wants to make it happen right then. I didn’t jump up and say what a great idea it was, but I did begin to ponder where we could go and how long it would take to get our stuff together.

“Backpacking or car camping?” I asked.

“We haven’t backpacked in a long time,” Lori responded. “Let’s do it.”

So we did. Out came the packs, tent and sleeping bags and mats, cookware and stove, water bottles and camelbacks, food, coffee, and all the clothes and extras we’d need. As we stuffed our packs we made a vague plan to head to the Parkway and toward Shining Rock, the Art Loeb Trail or some portion of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. We only had to stop for propane Scott McLeod Editor fuel for the stove and we were off. As we approached the Parkway from N.C. 215, though, cars were bumper-tobumper along the side of the access road. Damn, the Parkway was closed. Didn’t even occur to us. I was deterred, but Lori was committed. We backtracked and parked at a turnout close to the Flat Laurel Creek Trail — which seemed crowded based on how many cars were there — and weighed our options. We decided to start hiking towards Shining Rock and if there were too many people we’d just turn around.

There wasn’t. A truth that all hikers know is that once out in the woods, the trails often spread people out enough so what seems a crowd is well dispersed. A couple miles in and we were alone, with only a couple groups passing us heading back to the parking areas.

It was an hour from sunset when we got into Shining Rock, and with the Parkway closed it was as empty as I’ve ever seen it. We set up the tent in a spot along the creek Lori dubbed “dos pinos,” then took our camp chairs and box wine to watch the sun set over Little Sam Knob. All the wood near the creek was wet and so we didn’t have much luck with a campfire that night, but we made it work for a while. The next morning we hiked up Sam’s Knob. It’s the only time I’ve been there when the Parkway was closed, and we had the mountain all to ourselves. Literally. Not a soul as we scrambled around the top, taking in the views from various locations, enjoying the winter morning in all its glory.

Back at our campsite we disassembled the tent and packed our stuff, talking about camping gear we could have used and where we might go next. Then we heaved our packs on and started out. The real world, the noise and the anger and the important issues that shape this world and this region were waiting, ready to greet us.

But for 24 hours, it was all forgotten. Blissful solitude. Damn I love living here. (Scott McLeod can be reached at info@smokymountainnews.com)

People must be held accountable

To the Editor:

Let’s look at the definitions.

Sedition: “conduct or speech inciting people to rebel against the authority of a state.”

Terrorism: “the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims.”

The Trump “rally” was clearly sedition, and the subsequent riot was clearly terrorism. Those who spoke at the rally are clearly guilty of sedition.

The entire rally was based on the lie that the election was stolen from Trump. No one has presented any evidence that there was voter fraud of any magnitude during the 2020 election. If there had been enough fraud to change the outcome of the election there would be evidence of that. There is none.

The objective of the sedition and subsequent terrorism was clearly intended to steal the election from Biden and Harris. This is irrefutable if you listened to the speeches and watched the videos of the terrorist riot. The intent of the sedition and terrorism was to overturn the votes of the majority of voters.

This was no protest. The objective was to disrupt the functioning of the government and clear indications are that there was the intent by at least some to harm or kill elected officials. The noose erected to hang Vice Pesident Pence was not just symbolic. Additionally, the bombs and arms brought to the capitol by the rioters were for terrorism not peaceful protests. The events of January 6 are clearly sedition and terrorism. These people are no patriots of the USA.

LETTERS

Now let’s look at Section 3 of the 14th Amendment of the Constitution: “No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and VicePresident, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.” That is a bit long, but it boils down to the fact that anyone who has taken an oath to the Constitution and supports insurrection is to be removed from office.

All of the elected officials who took part in or supported the sedition in challenging the certification of the election should be removed from office. The results were clear and definitive. There was no ambiguity that Biden won. The most notable insurrectionists are Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley. But in supporting the sedition the seven representatives from North Carolina who voted to overturn the elections of other states on the basis of Trump’s lies should also be removed from office.

In the case of Madison Cawthorn, he should not only be removed from office, but prosecuted for sedition because he addressed the rioters at the rally. He and all those who spoke to incite the subsequent riot should be charged and tried in court. Sedition is a crime as defined by federal law. The rally on January 6 was not just fun and games — it was intended to result in the disruption of the US government with the distinct probability of harming elected officials. This cannot be tolerated in a country governed by the rule of law.

At a minimum, the Republican Party in North Carolina and elsewhere need to condemn the behaviors of those who instigated and those who took part in the terrorist activities of January 6. Failure to do so refutes the contention that Republicans stand for law and order. Republicans who supported Trump’s lies about the election support anarchy — they are not patriots.

Indeed, there is time for healing and coming together. That time was at Thanksgiving when the results of the election were clear and obvious. The time now is for accountability. Behaviors have consequences. Once those responsible for sedition and the terrorism of Jan. 6 are held accountable, there will be another time for healing and coming together. Norman Hoffman Waynesville

Let a court decide Cawthorn’s accusations

To the Editor:

In your article, “Words matter: Rhetoric became rage in D.C. insurrection,” Rep. Madison Cawthorn admits that he cannot prove fraud in the presidential election, but is quoted as saying “...what I can prove is that the Constitution was definitely subverted and circumvented.” He does not share his proof so we, his constituents, can evaluate his position, but there is a larger question.

For over 200 years, the courts — and especially the United State Supreme Court — have been the arbiters of constitutional questions, not individual congressmen. If we want to leave a functioning republic to future generations, we need to respect our institutions and let them fulfill their proper roles. Anyone can have opinions about what is and is not constitutional, but if every one of our 535 representatives and senators think they understand the constitution better than the courts, we will have chaos.

If Mr. Cawthorn truly had proof of unconstitutional behavior by states, he should have taken it to the courts, not to a political rally that had the potential to become a mob. Thomas V. Fehsenfeld Asheville

Seek truth, don’t just point and shout

To the Editor:

Who is going to make a difference? Who’s going to clean up the mess this GOP administration has left us?

December 22, 2020: 323,000 deaths; January 17, 2021: 396,000 deaths.

How many deaths could have been prevented by effective, honest leadership? Instead, we have a little baby tweeter (“I think we’ve done a very good job”) whining about how unfairly he’s treated and lying about our election process. The president, since his resounding defeat in the election, has checked out of governing (as if he ever was useful at that), and is hell-bent on making the transition to the new administration as difficult as he possibly can. He does have a major talent for taking America in F

wrong directions. America is well on its way to becoming a failed state, and that is in large part because of misinformed and/or frightened people electing representatives who feign interest in them while consistently exhibiting disdain for problem-solving and moving America forward.

The definition of insanity today has to include a part about Americans voting for ANY Republican, after witnessing four years of incompetence, a massive failure of

leadership which has contributed greatly to hundreds of thousands of unnecessary deaths, and the division of our country by encouraging hatred of others not like them. Seldom have so many gathered in public office only to prove themselves uniquely unfit for any position of leadership, and utterly devoid of any ability to manage our money wisely.

Our president should be brought to justice for his seditious urging of his base (AlQaeda in America) to “stand back and stand by,” which should be grounds for impeachment and removal from office, as was his “perfect” phone call with Ukrainian President Zelensky, as was his phone call attempting to coerce election officials in Georgia, as was his inciting his own personal white supremacist domestic terrorist base to attack the Capitol, etc., etc., etc.

Instead, a majority of GOP representatives continue to enable his sedition and even meet with him to discuss election results denial. Why, our own “representative” from District 11 is already on record as joining in the fight against truth and reality. He even wound up the terrorists before the president’s incitement of them. We can, sadly, count on the GOP to continue exhibiting the same entrenched, lock-step obstruction of all efforts to move forward. The problem is lack of competent management, and the American people are responsible for the terrible job that the GOP and this administration is doing.

It is easy to join a tribe when the chieftains/medicine men/charlatans are so adept at lying, especially if one is afraid and/or a natural or nurtured hater. No reason to look for the truth of the matter, just point and shout. Bil Aylor Bryson City To the Editor:

A ray of hope has appeared in a strange but clear way over the past number of months. It has manifested itself since the presidential election and most clearly since the January 6 insurrection at our nation’s capital. I have been wearing my royal blue “Make America Think Again” hat around the county for the last year. In the run-up to the election, I was cautioned about potentially causing confrontations by wearing it, yet few materialized. After the election, while those cautions were still mentioned, a new phenomenon emerged.

Before the election I would get the occasional “Like the Hat” comment with most being supportive but a few ignoring the sentiment and instead rejecting it because of where the hat comes from. After the election, after the insurrection and especially after the various false narratives about the stolen election, the comments went from one every few weeks to three per day. They became 99 percent supportive of the statement even after they knew the source of the hat.

Therein lies my new hope. The vast majority of citizens in this country, silent or otherwise, want to believe in facts, real debate and real reverence for what this country tries to stand for. I am hopeful that they continue to seek facts and truth and do not hate, but try to understand and communicate with those that George Washington referred to as “pretend patriots.” Try to communicate civilly with those that adhere to clearly bogus conspiracy theories. My experiences teach me that despite common notions that disinformation is hard to parse — illogic, false equivalences and non-facts are actually fairly easy to figure out. The “like the hat” people are hopeful too.

Develop critical thinking skills. Let’s ALL help “Make America Think Again!!” Richard Gould Waynesville

No time to glorify dying for lost causes

terrorists, The Smoky Mountain News chose to print Jeff Minick’s book review with the headline “For what would you lay down your life?”

Minick’s entire piece glorifies fighting and dying for a lost cause. Is this really what The Smoky Mountain News is about, especially at this hour in American history?

The same forces that invaded the Capitol building are now threatening to repeat their attack during the inauguration, as well as invade all 50 state capitals with guns.

This is no time to encourage killing and dying.

Minick’s piece and the timing of it are entirely unacceptable. Dan Kowal Franklin

Counties should loosen pursestrings

To the Editor:

It is totally baffling. At a time when the pandemic is pretty much out of control, vaccines are rolling out in larger numbers daily, our local officials seem oblivious to the urgency to develop a solution needed to save the lives of our local population and their constituents. Not addressing the issue will not make it go away.

Macon County has amassed a contingency fund of over $23 million for a “rainy day.” Well, it could not be raining any harder in Macon County. Covid-19 cases are spiking, deaths are on the rise, and Macon County Public Health is rolling out vaccinations 2 days a week with an average of 100 people a day being vaccinated. Assuming they increase this to 3 days per week as they plan, it will take approximately 116 weeks to vaccinate the Macon County population. That is over two years!

It is time to open the county wallet and demand a better job. Hire the necessary people to administer the vaccine, open drive through vaccination sites at some of the empty shopping center parking lots and manage the problem. It is your job as our elected leaders.

Reading the article in the January 13 Franklin Press, the process to schedule a vaccine is reminiscent of an Abbott and Costello comedy skit. We are advised to call a number (option 2), provide our email address verbally (no risk of error here), await an email with instructions, and then call back the same number (option 2). All of this on a phone system that is described later in the article as totally incapable of handling the current incoming volume. Good luck fixing that with Frontier.

In addition, what percentage of people 75 and over, or any age here in Macon County, do not have an email address let alone dependable internet service? A much better plan is required.

Is Macon County going to step up to the plate, loosen the purse strings and implement a workable plan? I guess we will have to wait and see. Lives are at stake. Eric J. Moberg Franklin

Stayat Maggie Valley Club & Resort thisWinter!