The Macon County News letters page is a public forum open to a wide variety of opinions. Letters are neither accepted nor rejected on the basis of the opinions expressed. Writers are asked to refrain from personal attacks against individuals or businesses. Letters are not necessarily reflective of the opinions of the publisher, editor or staff of The Macon County News.
Republican Tea Party sang sweet songs
The Republican Tea Party sang sweet songs of no more federal debt.
They held group meetings on the street and followed a clown to make a circus bet.
Avowed to balanced the federal budget, they said, would be their great feat.
But a historical new deficit would be their retreat.
Now they repeat “alternative reality and truth is not truth” to hide their reality of defeat.
Thank you Trump for defining a creep.
Robert W. Dobes – Franklin, N.C.
Children’s future is in schools and academics
Based on a recently published article stating the county is procuring money for school repairs. I would just like to ask one thing: Why is our county trying to procure money to repair our schools? Why is this even an issue? Why? Because “a future for our children” (as stated the reason for the ball fields) is placed in ball fields in west Macon, and not in a better classroom. Why were millions used to create ball fields but we cannot repair a roof on the Middle School, along with other schools? Why do I have to pay for classroom school supplies, crayons, toilet paper, soap and hand sanitizer, but my tax money goes to building ball fields? It seems that money can be better spent. I would think the commissioners would see the “a future for our children” are in schools and academics then in playing baseball. Then they say, tough decisions have to be made? I am sorry but our commissioners do not have a tough decision. It is very obvious what the right choice is. Let’s see if they make it.
Money for education not commodities.
Peter Locke – Franklin, N.C.
All have the same color blood in this nation
Fasten your seatbelts! In the footsteps of Floyd Cruse, I wield the pen.
The cash you carry, the courthouse, all say “In God We Trust,” Yahweh, I say, claims the U.S.A. Every person, whoever, whenever, all with same color blood in this nation, is in Yahweh’s image. Genesis 1:27, “In the image of God he created him, male and female.”
I quote from the last line of the Declaration of Independence, “with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”
Please join me to hold that true.
William H. Bahruth – Franklin, N.C.
Summer visitor appreciates Franklin hospitality
I am a summer visitor to the Franklin area and have been here for the most part since mid-April. I attended the festival this past Friday and I lost my wallet at the fairgrounds. It wasn’t until Sunday morning on my way to church that I realized my wallet was missing. Fortunately I was able to contact Macon County Sheriff’s Office deputy Nick Lofthouse and gave him the details of my missing wallet and within hours he was able to contact the staff at the Chamber of Commerce (the festival’s organizers) and determined that the wallet was found and turned in to staff members.
This was amazing to me and he is not only a credit to MCSO but to the community of Franklin. I also want to thank the chamber staff for their assistance – and for a great festival as well. I am also thankful to the honest and scrupulous person who found my wallet and made the effort to turn this lost item into the festival officials.
I love Franklin and Macon County N.C.
Alan Anderson – Parrish, Fla.
American workers thoughtful and helpful
My family and I recently took a cruise from Seattle into Alaska for my 80th birthday. Without exception, the American workers and passengers were courteous, kind and helpful. One woman, a good Samaritan, paved the way through the Atlanta, Dallas, and Seattle airports, getting us wheelchairs, baggage carts, and priority boarding. She even got us earphones so that we could listen to movies. Throughout our journey, folks, ordinary Americans were thoughtful and helpful. On our return to the Atlanta airport, at 1:30 a.m., the airport was deserted. We went to the parking garage where we could not find our car. A lady from the airport parking staff came and drove us around until we were able to locate our car. Now it’s 2:30 a.m. She asked us where we were staying and suggested we choose a hotel in a better part of town. We did so, and all went well.
With our country now in such conflict, it would serve us well to remember that most Americans do their jobs with kindness and a caring attitude. For the most part, we are not a nation of haters and disrupters. Let us all focus on the basic goodness of most Americans and not on those who seek to destroy our country.
May God continue to bless the USA.
James Baggot – Franklin, N.C.
Offended client lodges complaint against food pantry
Many of the people writing into this paper have expressed dismay at the injustices in our community. These injustices keep on coming.
A woman was offended at a local food pantry last week. As a volunteer I was there and watched this saga unfold. The woman was asked for an ID when she requested her “free food” or TEFAP. TEFAP is government supplied food made available to all. She was asked for an ID, as all clients are, to confirm Macon County residency. None of this information is shared with any other agency. She reluctantly gave the ID and then changed her mind asking that her information be returned. It was returned. She then spent many minutes berating volunteers about the decor in the building and the jewelry they were wearing. She was given the food allotted by the TEFAP program. After receiving this food, she went through it and discarding most of it with open disdain. She left.
She left on a mission. Her mission was to return home and lodge a complaint against the food pantry with the USDA. Her complaint has come back to deprive as many as 400 families in Macon County. The USDA has withdrawn the program from the local food pantry and this decision is irreversible and final.
Local donations will still keep the local food pantry open and running as normal but the extra free government food will be missed.
My parents alway told me one person’s actions could make a difference for many people and now I believe them!
One more thing: This woman let us all know she is running for Congress against Mr. Meadows. Her platform: Clean water and free food for all.
Mark Rosebaugh – Franklin, N.C.
Possessing Marijuana should not be a felony
Out of curiosity I googled what the legal charges would be in N.C. if you are found in possession of marijuana. If depends on the amount, but did you know you would become a felon if you were found with more than 1 1/2 ounces? I sure didn’t.
Class I Felony Possession of Marijuana: It becomes a felony if you are alleged to have knowingly possessed anything greater than 1 1/2 ounces of marijuana.
I recently returned from a three-week visit to the west coast and to British Columbia for a family reunion. I saw many little shops in California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia selling marijuana legally. I went inside to see what they were like. I quit smoking pot in the ’60s so it was quite an education for me to see what they sell in these “dispensaries” as some of them are called.
Yes, I know that in North Carolina marijuana is illegal, and is considered an evil drug, and therefore should be criminalized. My point is, I believe it is a waste of police and court resources to go after those who choose to use marijuana in Macon County. I think it would make a lot more sense to use these limited resources to go after the bad guys who make and sell crystal meth, steal and sell prescription drugs like fentanyl, opioids, and heroin. Before I moved to Franklin, I was told by several people that Franklin is considered the meth capital of North Carolina.
Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia currently have passed laws broadly legalizing marijuana in some form. I hope one day North Carolina will join the majority of states who don’t waste their limited resources on the evil weed and legalize it.
It saddens me that a man like Mr. Ledford has to face criminal charges for something like this….he doesn’t deserve to be treated like a Class 1 felon.
Elizabeth Reinheimer – Franklin, N.C.
Trump’s history proves he’s racist
Lindsay Graham had it right. In 2015, he described Donald Trump as “a race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot.” Merriam-Webster defines bigot as: a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices. That definition clearly encompasses racism and perfectly describes Mr. Trump.
Think about it. His opening salvo was to describe the “rapists and murderers” pouring across the southern border. This theme has persisted throughout his term and been expanded to include Moslems and others.
This approach is the similar to that developed in Germany in the 1930s. At the time Germany was experiencing severe economic distress. The key for Hitler was to enhance the nativist tribalism and find someone to blame for Germany’s troubles. For Hitler, it was the Jews and gypsies—and anyone else who was not Aryan. The key here was to find someone to blame for your personal and national troubles.
Donald Trump has used this technique masterfully to blame everyone other than native born, white Americans for any problems that you are personally experiencing.
So what qualifies him as a bigot? He is convinced that the Russians have not interfered with our elections. Vladimir told him so. His own FBI and national security professionals told him otherwise. He has not challenged Saudi Arabia on the murder and dismemberment of a resident American journalist. Mohammad bin Salman told him that the Saudis were not involved, disputing clear evidence to the contrary. His buddy in North Korea told him that he had stopped his nuclear development program, counter to what US intelligence agency professionals concluded. Additionally, North Korea has resumed missile testing. Trump is convinced that his own beliefs and “judgement” are superior to that of trained professionals who spend their lives making these determinations. That’s the definition of a bigot.
Is Donald Trump a racist? His history says “yes.” To understand what he really is, however, look at the people he admires and defers to. At the top of the list is Vladimir Putin. Second is probably Mohammad bin Salman, crown prince of Saudi Arabia. Kim Jong Un of North Korea and Xi Jinping, the president of China. What unifies these leaders is the effective dictatorship and ruthless control of their countries. That’s what Mr. Trump really wants to be – dictator of the United States of America.
The other thing that unites these “leaders” is their wealth. Regardless of their ethnicity or race, Mr. Trump values wealth. If you aren’t wealthy, you really don’t matter – except on the first Tuesday in November 2020 – election day.
John Gladden – Franklin, N.C.
Is the end in sight?
Erstwhile Donald Trump supporter Anthony Scaramucci may have broadcast a major warning on Aug. 11, 2019. Scaramucci was the White House Communications Director for only eleven (yes, 11 days) before Trump fired him. That record may stand for a very long time. It also reflects the difficulty that people have working around/for Trump. Too much chaos in government.
Scaramucci stated, “Eventually he turns on everyone and soon it will be you and then the entire country.” Witness the revolving door of his personnel moves as well as elected politicians who have abandoned his/Republican regime.
Surely Americans of every political lean have grown weary of Trump’s daily contradictions and personal attacks.
Now that the House is moving toward impeachment how will it affect his fragile, over-grown ego? Can his typically loyal Republicans in the Senate afford not to convict him, if he is impeached? Will we soon see the closing of this fictional (yet tragic) period in American history?
Will the end be by impeachment or the ballot box?
Dave Waldrop – Webster, N.C.
