Opinion

Opinion

The common thread — we’re Americans

In the streets of Western North Carolina, mostly young spring from the actions of a few Confederate ancestors. social media, talk radio, and cable television commentators. protestors calling for an end to structural and sometimes At least three generations on my mom’s side — her, my Too many have forgotten a political truth that President violent racism are being confronted by working-class grandparents and great grandparents — and likely as many Ronald Reagan reportedly told everyone who worked in the Americans who think many of those grievances are illegitias five or six generations on my father’s side spent their lives West Wing: “we don’t have enemies, we have opponents.” He mate. Statues of Confederates and former slaveholders are in the rural South both before and after the Civil War, during refused to demonize those who believed differently. Today toppling, and those that remain will forever be looked upon Reconstruction and the Jim Crow era. Did they benefit from almost all of us routinely “hate” those on the other side of the differently. slavery or the institutional racism? issue instead of “disagreeing” with what they believe.

I’m trying to take it all in, trying to find some neat and Hell, I don’t know, none of them ever If we truly are a country that thrives on tolerance, incluorderly way to put in perspective what’s happening and pregot rich or got into politics. Did they sion and openness, then we must also accept that we will dict an outcome in both the short and long term that seems participate in racist crimes against sometimes lose on an issue, lose an ideological debate, that attainable and moves us — Americans — forward. And I’m Blacks or condone as much? That’s something we don’t believe will be part of what shapes this flailing, punching blind, not able to see a path beyond the conflict. Amidst all this, I’m thinking about my own heritage, my “Southern-ness?” My roots are working class. My grandfather spent his entire working life at the J.P. Stevens textile mill in Cheraw, S.C., and most of my father’s brothers and sisters Scott McLeod Editor something I won’t ever know. The Black Lives Matter movement is at the forefront of this new conversation, pushing boundaries, demanding to be heard. We all know from where this movement sprang, from country going forward. In the heat of the battle, it’s disheartening to accept that the opponent is going to prevail. When tempers cool, it gets easier. We have to embrace the process, the democratic order, or we have nothing. Count me a proud white Southerner who doesn’t give a damn about the monuments and statues. I liken them to the never worked anywhere else except in those mills around the innocent Black people being killed by golden calves — the false idols — the Hebrews turned to Pee Dee River region. My paternal aunts and uncles and their cops and vigilantes. It has grown to support all kinds of strucwhen Moses left them in the desert. That’s something I’d have families hunted, fished, kept pigs and chickens, and grew a tural societal changes in the way we treat minorities and the to tell my great grandfather if I could. He was born in 1872 in significant portion of their own food. Mom’s side were immiway our culture views its own history. Here in Western North South Carolina and was named Robert Lee McLeod. grants from Hungary and Ireland. As a pre-teen, my mom, Carolina that movement has been met with sizeable counter Somehow I don’t think that name was a coincidence. her sister, and my grandparents were tenant farmers in protests who say all lives matter amid claims that the BLM As for the protestors and the counter protestors, I’ll say Pollocksville, N.C. movement is led by outsiders, that it supports violent riots in this: it’s the rule of law, the democratic process and the right

So here I sit before sunrise, writing, thinking, a 60-year-old large cities, and that it wants to push the country toward to free speech that unite us. I’ve always admired the proteswhite man always proud of being from the South, who never Marxism, socialism and communism. tors, the disruptors, those who scream and shout their beliefs. considered that some might say my blood lineage tied me to If there is a commonality from those staring and shouting We’re Americans all, so it’s our birthright to be revolutionarthe sins of slavery. My Southern pride emanates from a rebelat each other in our streets, it’s the fear that the other side is a ies. Too often, though, we forget that, in the end, we’re on the lious, independent spirit that mistrusts authority while real threat to what they perceive to be their “America.” That same team. searching for truths worth holding on to. It certainly doesn’t kind of polarization is amped up by the echo chambers of (Scott McLeod can be reached at info@smokymountainnews.com)

Are politicians non-essential?

To the Editor:

Would the governor, his staff, his advisors, and cabinet make different decisions if they were determined to be “non-essential” and trying to survive on government largesse? As long as those that govern are drawing full salary and benefits, they will have an “us” and “them” perspective. Is the term “essential politician” an oxymoron? Just ruminating. Paul Stapf Waynesville

Pardon me while I scream

To the Editor:

“The Constitution is not a suicide pact” is a quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln as he defended himself against charges of unconstitutionality when he suspended habeas corpus during the Civil War. Now, with protests gone bad throughout many cities in the country, there arose protests against the violence which got the mainstream press into action. Not to condemn the violence, mind you. It was to lecture us about how important it is to have First Amendment freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, etc. for redress of grievances. I don’t see anyone trying to abridge these freedoms in this context. The

LETTERS

Constitution is well able to ensure these freedoms without allowing matters to devolve into chaos. When Confucius was asked what he would do as governor, he said he would rectify the names, to make words correspond to reality. What we need in America today is a rectification of names.

Peaceful protests do not “intensify,” they become riots. When riots have the avowed purpose of overthrowing the government, it is called an insurrection. We must be able to make critical distinctions and to calibrate responses accordingly. It doesn’t help having to swim up the stream of lies and half-truths we are flooded with by our cultural wordsmiths. The media doesn’t like the term “enemy of the people” hung on them but they have worked hard to earn it by their journalistic malpractice of using words that mischaracterize, obscure the truth, or refuse to report the news at all.

Another big thing today is anti-racism, as if it has just been discovered. That’s another misnomer. Today’s anti-racism is just warmed over, repackaged, old-fashioned racism. It is lipstick on a pig. Non-white people can be as racist as any white, and whites who try to divest themselves of racism by hating themselves and denigrating other whites based on their DNA are only demonstrating their racism. Why can’t we look at people as people, people? This was, after all, the hope and promise of the Civil Rights Movement but it has since degenerated into stupidity. The only real Civil Rights leaders we have are those who are seldom recognized or maybe called Uncle Toms for their trouble when they try to point out some inconvenient truths.

A recent American Cancer Society update on guidelines for cancer screening said that people with a cervix should get screened for cervical cancer. Pardon me while I scream. What happened to women? This is insane! This only scratches the surface of the bastardization of language that occurs all around us. Be aware, don’t get fooled. Rectify the names! Or just call a spade a spade. David Parker Sylva

Cawthorn should support ACA

geous gentleman like Madison Cawthorn totally fall for Donald Trump’s agenda to dismantle health care for millions of Americans. To illustrate:

There are at least 4,500 people in Haywood County alone who have gained access to health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (Obama Care), which Trump has vowed to destroy. Trump pledged that on “day one” of his term in office there would be a “beautiful health plan— the greatest ever,” to replace the ACA. No such plan exists. Why does Mr. Cawthorn identify himself with this cruelty. Over 100 million Americans are protected by the ACA from being dropped from medical insurance because they have a “pre-existing condition.” This protection will F

disappear if Trump and his allies have their way. A for-profit insurance company can decide they just can’t afford to treat your mother’s cancer. Bye bye insurance.

Over 4 million people have lost their employer-based insurance because of COVID-19 job loss. Expanding Medicaid — which would help over 500,000 people in North Carolina alone — and create upwards of 20,000 jobs— has been stubbornly opposed by the Trump crowd. Mr. Cawthorn, please disassociate yourself from this foolish and heartless position and speak out on this!

In an interview with CNBC while attending the World Economic forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump stated that changes (cuts) in Medicare and Medicaid would be “on the table,” but not until “after the election .” Sneaky! Virtually every single family in Haywood County has someone totally dependent on these programs for their health care. These two federal benefits along with Social Security itself have been hated targets of Republicans ever since presidents Roosevelt and Johnson got them passed in 1936 and 1966. Mr. Cawthorn?

After 30 years practicing medicine in Haywood County, I must strongly object to the needless suffering the above policies will cause. I urge every citizen to prepare to vote — by absentee ballot, early voting or on November 3. Vote like your life and that of your loved ones depend on it. They do. Steve Wall Haywood County

Support Parsons for Swain Commissioner

To the Editor:

Roger Parsons is running for re-election as Swain County commissioner and is a lifelong resident of Swain County. He is known to many in Cherokee and Bryson City as a UPS driver until he retired a few years ago. Roger is married to an enrolled member of the Eastern Band and served on the Swain County Board of Education for 16 years.

Roger regularly attended the Swain County Democratic Party WhittierCherokee precinct meetings before the Covid-19 pandemic forced the meetings to cease. As Swain County commissioner, Roger reported on issues and always responded to questions. Among other issues, Roger supported the EBCI on the Catawba Casino issue and voted for renaming a portion of U.S. 441 the Dr. Jeremiah Wolfe Highway.

Roger supports the North Carolina Democratic Party Code of Conduct. When asked for a statement of his values, Roger stated: • I respect and value diversity and I’m committed to equality for all. • I pledge to be honest and truthful in all aspects of my life and service as a Commissioner, trust is earned. • I commit myself to be open-minded. May I never be so rigid in my thinking that I can’t learn from new facts and information. • I will always remember that I work for the people. I’m accessible and will listen. • I pledge to be a good steward of our resources. • I believe that compassion, dedication and service to others is a sign of strength. • I believe that we should leave this world better than we found it. • I believe that optimism and a positive attitude are important in life. • I believe in the “Golden Rule” and “Loving your neighbor.” • I believe in a high standard of ethics for all elected offices.

Roger’s hopes for the Qualla Boundary are to continue to work in partnership with Swain County on issues concerning all residents of Swain County. Roger’s hopes for Swain County are to remember our history but look to the future and continue to grow and improve our community. As a County Commissioner, Roger will listen to the needs of the people. I encourage all residents of Swain County to vote for Roger Parsons as County Commissioner. Mary A. Herr Cherokee, NC

Cawthorn’s hubris not surprising

To the Editor:

By now, it’s disappointingly clear that Madison Cawthorn, the Republican candidate to represent N.C. District 11 in the U.S. House of Representatives, intends to run a campaign of division and name-calling rather than put forth any fresh ideas for how he would improve the lives of all of his potential constituents here in Western North Carolina regardless of political party.

Still, while it wasn’t surprising to see him pandering to the furthest right-wing fringes of his base in Cory Vaillancourt’s excellent July 29 story (“Cawthorn: Davis, Democrats are ‘racist’”) by continuing his mindless attempt to denigrate “white liberals,” it was shocking to see just how intolerant and ignorant his views on race really are.

Setting aside the remarkable hubris required for a 24-year-old white man who has never left a county that is 94.5 percent white to speak for Black people about reparations while laughably accusing his opponent — retired Air Force Colonel and successful government racial discrimination prosecutor Moe Davis — of being a racist and claiming Confederate soldiers gave their lives to free slaves, I would be very interested to hear Cawthorn explain why his real estate company is called “SPQR Holdings LLC.” According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, “SPQR” was on flags at the deadly “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, which was merely one example of how the abbreviation has been adopted by white nationalist groups (Google: “SPQR white nationalism”). This seems like a very disturbing coincidence at the very least and one a candidate with such overt hostility to a conversation about racial justice should address immediately. Ron Wagner Asheville

Since March, Current Dermatology has implemented various safety measures based on CDC and American Academy of Dermatology guidelines, along with company protocols to help protect our patients. Employee measures included temperature checks, wearing masks at all times during patient interactions, and strict hand washing. Patient protection measures included screening questions, temperature checks, social distancing in the waiting areas, allowing patients to wait in cars, rescheduling routine appointments and all patients deemed high risk for complications from COVID-19, as well as requesting patients wear masks. We also began implementing virtual visits to keep our office numbers lower and provide a safe platform for patients who were not comfortable being in public.

Current Dermatology has closely monitored data from government and health organizations related to the spread of COVID-19. We took all precautions necessary to protect our patients. However, in June, after some of our employees tested positive, we realized where there was a need to strengthen our own protocols during staff lunches and times when there were no patients in the clinic. At that time, we chose to close the office for two weeks to ensure all our staff had time to get tested and those staff that were positive had time to fully recover.

At this time, we are implementing stricter rules regarding PPE, hand washing, and screening for our employees. We remain committed to open and timely communication, and continue to take measures to do our part to stop the spread of the virus. Our first priority is the health of our patients and staff, and our sincerest thoughts are with those who are recovering. We have returned to full staffing levels and are ready to assist in your health care needs.

Please use our experience as a reminder to practice social distancing and to wear PPE.

Currie Patterson, MD

Certified by the American Board of Dermatology