Opinion

Opinion

Half of 2020 is behind us, thank goodness

Iwas walking my animal last night at sunset, enjoying the at all that people close to me were able to qualify for unemSMN and Smoky Mountain Living in this group). This is the evening views and cool temps, thinking back to the July 4 ployment benefits as jobs disappeared by the millions. money that is supposed to turn into a grant if the businesses weekend. Along the way, it hit me that half of 2020 is now All of this, and we haven’t even mentioned George Floyd’s follow SBA guidelines and spend it properly. The sheer numin the history books. The verdict is still out as to how this May 25 killing. The social and cultural shockwaves roiling this bers are staggering. time will be viewed by those who look back, but hell, it sure country are forcing us to acknowledge the still-present sysJust counting those who were approved for PPP loans of feels like the world is in a different orbit. temic racism. It’s going to take a long time to see how we less than $150,000, you have 227 in Waynesville, 217 in

During the Christmas and New Year holidays, I had what come to grips with this realization and what changes will Franklin, 121 in Sylva, 74 in Bryson City and 53 in Canton. I now is an unbelievable, almost laughable vision for what this didn’t look at some of the other smaller towns, but I’m sure year was going to mean for me: a whole bunch of positive, fun the total number tops 1,000 in this four-county region. And stuff. My daughter Megan was to be married on June 6 (now Number of PPP business loans from there’s a good likelihood that many of these also applied for we are looking at August 29, maybe); my youngest child, the SBA of less than $150,000 and received the Economic Injury Disaster Loans that do have Liam, is set to graduate from college in December (though this year has been different for him, he’s still on track); and at The Smoky Mountain News, we had hired a new sales professional, secured some new contracts, developed some new digital offerings, shuffled around some positions, and the table was set for what I was confident would be our company’s best year ever. Scott McLeod Editor Bryson City 74 Canton 53 Franklin 217 Sylva 121 Waynesville 272 to be paid back. Dozens of other businesses in our region got PPP loans of over $150,000, and the SBA actually has a database that allows you to search for those businesses by name. If you search, you’ll see many millions of dollars of loans to local companies. Look, the loans are a great thing. They have been a lifeline

Then whatever normalcy any of us expected burst, and for way too many businesses trying to keep paying their bills like water pent up behind a dam, a torrent of upheaval the come, but fundamental reforms are coming. For some, it’s and keep people working while we distance, wear masks, stay likes of which the world and this country has never seen was going to hurt; others will rejoice. My fear is that some will at home and try to get this pandemic behind us. But the sheer unleashed. resort to even more violence and more extremism. volume of businesses and the dollar amounts do make me

As Covid-19 began to tighten its grip, things that were norThe very character of our small mountain towns is on worry that many won’t survive. They may make it through mal became distant memories: shaking hands, hugging course for a major reset, at least if you consider the smallthis year, perhaps, but when the payments come due some friends and going to concerts and movies. Words like “social business community part of that character and appeal. For will likely fail. I hope I’m wrong. As I said earlier, many of distancing” and “contact tracing” once sounded strange and me, shopkeepers, restaurant owners, building supply, hardthese folks are friends and neighbors. almost nonsensical. And as I write this, we are told more than ware store and other workers and entrepreneurs are all How to describe first half of 2020? That’s just too big a 130,000 Americans have died from this pandemic. friends and neighbors, and this whole group of people and question with too much still unknown. When the phrase “life

All of us have watched small businesses close, some partheir businesses are part of why I’ve come to love this region changing” seems like an understatement, well, let’s just say tially re-open, some perhaps never again able to make their and call it home for so many years. we’re in uncharted territory. But I’m always hopeful, always business viable. We’ve wondered why WalMart was essential So, I hope most of them, no, all of them, survive this. I was the optimist. Humans adapt, take our setbacks and the sucker but not the jewelry store on Main Street or the galleries and looking at the Small Business Administration’s recent release punches and get back up, roll up our sleeves and get to work. other small, niche retailers that sell similar products. I can’t and started counting the number of businesses who applied What are the other options? stand people mooching off the government, but I wasn’t upset for and received Paycheck Protection Program loans (count (Scott McLeod can be reached at info@smokymountainnews.com)

Trump is not fit for office

To the Editor:

Major news sources inform us that Russian operatives have paid mercenaries to kill American soldiers in Afghanistan. What does the Commander in Chief have to say? His knee-jerk response is that he had not been briefed. Not responsible. Will Trump fire those officials who failed to call it to his attention? Should the Commander in Chief be held accountable? Or will congressional Republicans blame it all on Putin? Does the buck not stop at The Resolute Desk anymore?

I have never been the president. Never boasted that I don’t need daily briefings. Never claimed to be the only person who can fix things. Never said I was “the chosen one.” Never said I know more than the generals. Never belittled an American war hero. Never dodged the draft with “bone spurs.”

This latest troubling news has cast an even darker cloud over Trump’s ability/intent to protect Americans. Indeed, what are his basic motives? Perhaps, it is now time for Republicans in Congress to listen to what former National Security Advisor John Bolton says: Trump is “unfit for office.”

LETTERS

Bolton is a staunch Republican. Dave Waldrop Webster

Act now and vote absentee

To the Editor:

I hope every eligible North Carolina resident plans to vote in the November election; the opportunity to vote is both a privilege and a responsibility for all of us. As new residents of Swain County and a military family, we have moved 14 times. Now, Western North Carolina is our home. I am an unaffiliated registered voter.

Today, downloading the request form from the N.C. Board of Elections website (NCSBOE) is easy. Go to: https://www.ncsbe.gov/votingoptions/absentee-voting

When I was active duty, absentee ballot was how I voted. I never wondered if my ballot was counted; I trusted the system. In North Carolina you don’t need a reason. Five states — Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah and Washington have all-mail voting. In these five states every voter receives a ballot by mail. Study after study has debunked any claims of fraudulent voting. Voter fraud almost never happens. Voting by mail is necessary to safely allow increasing voter turnout during the time of this pandemic.

Recently, North Carolina’s Legislature passed an election reform law. It expanded absentee voting and made in-person voting safer amid rising concern over the ability to hold smooth elections during the Coronavirus Pandemic. The law requires an online absentee request option for state voters, who formerly could only request such ballots by mail or in person. The law also reduced the number of witnesses who must sign a voter’s absentee ballot from two to one. Just because you request an absentee ballot doesn’t mean that you can’t still vote in person if you choose.

A significant number of people will be requesting absentee ballots this year. It is a sound decision knowing the lines may be long and social distancing during these times is so important; the convenience is obvious. Don’t wait until the last minute to request your ballot — do it now! If you don’t have computer access, you can request the application for an absentee ballot at your county Board of Elections. Voters need one of the following types of identification: N.C. driver’s license, N.C. special identification card for non-operators, or the last four digits of your Social Security number.

Every position on the ballot is important — at this time our world is particularly stressed and sound leadership at every level of government is important. Everyone has a role to play in good governance and protecting each other as best we can. Our local governments are stressed and budgets require creative utilization of dwindling resources. That is another reason to pay attention to the local elections. Local elections are vitally important.

My request form to Swain County Board of Elections will be mailed today, giving plenty of time for it to be processed for the November election. It’s not too early to request it. The request must be received by 5 p.m. Tuesday, October 27, 2020, one week before the election. Let’s keep each other and the people who work the polls safe and get it done! Mary K. Buranosky, CDR USNR-Ret Whittier

Wishful thinking won’t get us out of this

Before wading into the murk of America’s bizarre tug of war with itself in the year of COVID-19, let’s first stipulate one thing: we’d all love for this to be over. Wearing masks, social distancing, arguing with people on social media over who and what to believe, some of us sweating out every decision on where we can go and who we can see and what we can do and not do any time we venture out of our little quarantine cocoons, others proceeding with their lives as if not one thing has changed. We’re just over it, OK? We’d like to eat in restaurants and get back to the gym and go to ballgames and Chris Cox Columnist see movies in theaters and attend family reunions and hug our friends and an endless list of other things that we took for granted until our lives changed indefinitely back in March, which now feels like about five years ago.

More than anything, we are desperate for a return to normalcy. If we can’t have that, we at least want some clear answers. Instead, we live in a kaleidoscope, with the picture changing constantly, keeping us even more off balance and frustrated.

So, that tug of war? We have two things happening at the same time, forces pulling us in completely opposite directions. On one side, the sheer number of people getting infected with the virus continues to climb at a terrifying rate. In the first six days of July, there have been 300,000 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed according to The Washington Post. The death toll is now over 130,000 and climbing.

Our efforts to flatten the curve back in the early spring have largely failed, and our rush to re-open was not only premature, but disastrous. There have been so many new cases in Myrtle Beach, masks are now mandatory in restaurants, service and retail establishments.

On the other side of the rope, we are pulling toward the closest approximation to normalcy we can manage in these impossible circumstances. As we sit here sneaking up on mid-July, most schools are planning to re-open in about a month, as administrators and school officials scramble to provide the safest possible environment for students, faculty and staff. Gov. Roy Cooper is delaying an announcement on the opening of schools as long as possible, but he will have to make a call one way or the other very soon.

Many parents are counting on schools reopening, while others are apprehensive or unwilling to send their children back into an environment that may be dangerous regardless of whatever measures officials take to ensure proper distancing and the wearing of masks. All it takes is a single trip to Ingles or Lowes to understand how difficult it is to enforce safety measures when people either, A) still believe the virus is a hoax or a liberal conspiracy; or B) simply don’t give a damn about anyone but themselves.

Now, these are supposedly grown-ups. Do we believe their children will behave more responsibly in a school setting? Even if you believe the virus is real and agree that people should wear masks and practice social distancing, are you willing to bet your child’s life that he or she will wear a mask on the bus? Or in a circle of friends between classes?

Another example of this cultural tug of war is the attempt to get professional sports up and running again. There are currently plans for both the NBA and Major League Baseball to resume playing games later this month — albeit with no fans in the arenas and stadiums — but every day more players in both sports are testing positive for the virus, while others are simply opting out of playing in 2020, forfeiting their salaries to avoid the risk of returning to play too soon.

Once again, we pull in one direction, while the virus pulls in the other. I’m afraid that Covid-19 fatigue has pushed us past the point of reckless optimism and into the realm of magical thinking. Maybe if we act as if things are getting better and safer, things will indeed get better and safer. Even if all of the evidence points in the opposite direction.

A friend posed this question the other day on social media: “Why did 9/11 unite us while the COVID-19 is dividing us?”

I think it is pretty clear that we were already divided. By now, it is obvious that a very large swath of the country is all in on the reign of President Trump, while those who are not continue to look on in utter disbelief.

Whatever your allegiance may be, there is no getting around his colossal failure of leadership on this issue in particular. Trump clearly frittered away precious weeks and months by downplaying the virus, deflecting blame for his bungled response after mocking reports of the virus’ seriousness early on. Rather than uniting Americans by calling on us to be selfless, to be patient, and to be vigilant in following the advice of experts as we learned more about the virus, he deepened the divide and pushed for reopening the country long before it was safe. States like Florida that reopened too soon are now having to shut down again in the wake of soaring new confirmed cases.

Regardless of wherever and however blame should be assigned or how frustrating it is that we are several months into this pandemic with no end in sight, it is more important than ever to keep our wits about us and to exercise sound judgment in making decisions that affect public health.

Wishful thinking may seem harmless, but when it becomes the basis for public policy or personal behavior, it could literally be a matter of life or death. (Chris Cox is a writer and teacher who lives in Haywood County. jchriscox@live.com)

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