Stealing signs is still a crime
Stealing or tampering with political campaign signs is wrong – period. It does not matter whether the candidate is a Democrat or a Republican. This type of behavior violates First Amendment rights and undermines the democratic process that allows voters to freely express their support for the candidates of their choice.
These actions go against everything the Republican Party stands for and are unacceptable. They do not reflect Republican values, nor will they be tolerated. In one location alone, four campaign signs were stolen. This incident has been reported to the appropriate authorities and will be taken seriously.
We encourage respectful civic engagement and lawful participation in the political process. Differences of opinion should be expressed through dialogue, voting and peaceful advocacy – not through intimidation, destruction of property or suppression of speech. Stealing campaign signs is not political activism – it is wrongdoing.
Mark Kephart, Murphy
The writer is chair of the Cherokee County GOP.
MLK event inspirational
A big thank you to the Cherokee Scout for the coverage of the Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast. Murphy Mayor Tim Radford’s opening remarks set the right tone.
Besides a good breakfast, there were good remarks, prayers and songs leading up to Brenda Blount’s wonderful keynote address. Your article captured some of the beauty, hope and inspiration that she filled the room with that morning, urging us all to build those bridges with each other.
My only regret is that everyone in our community did not have the privilege of hearing her in person. She is an inspiration to us all.
Thanks to the Texana Community Development Club, John C. Campbell Folk School for cooking, as well as all the businesses and volunteers who worked to create an important event.
Phil Mattox, Brasstown
Let our voice, vote be heard
Whoah! 2026 is only one month old, and President Donald Trump has already declared war on the western hemisphere by invading Venezuela, threaten Columbia, Cuba, Mexico, Greenland and Canada.
He says he is only governed by his morality (he has none) and his mind (ditto). He has a shaved head minion (Stephen Miller) setting on his shoulder whispering in his ear what to do.
Where are our representatives and senators, who were elected to oversee what is done on a national level? I know as well as most people that they are afraid to challenge Trump and his cult. Whatever I write will not influence about one-third of the population.
My hope is the other two-thirds investigate and learn what is happening so when it is time to vote this fall, they can make rational decision. Unfortunately, most people only vote by hearsay and disinformation, or no information at all. Trust your source.
One source that you cannot trust is Trump. He is a habitual and pathological liar who cannot utter a statement without lies. Because of him, the people in his cabinet cannot be trusted by what they say.
Just look at what was said by them shortly after the shootings in Minneapolis, Minn. It makes one wonder if there is any morality in any of these people. They profess to be Christians, but what they say and do is not the Christianity that I understand from the teachings of Christ.
It is time for the people who are concerned about what is happening to contact their senators and representatives to voice their feelings about what is happening to our democracy. Get out and demonstrate, write letters to the editor and make your voice heard because this hopefully will not be our last free election.
Keith Bruce, Andrews
What’s in a first name?
As I have just finished reading the Jan. 21 edition of the Cherokee Scout, I rather quickly noticed what seemed to be a mistake in an important name, in a guest column written by Ralph Collinson.
“More misconceptions of local history” reported Winfred Scott as commander of the Native American Removal.
History notes that it was actually Winfield Scott as “commander,” presiding over the forced removal of the Cherokee.
Editorial “typo” perhaps?
Marsha El-Khouri Shiver, Hillsborough
Editor’s note: Yes, it was.
Wolf in sheep clothing today
It’s amazing the number of brain-dead people in the world today. Starting with governments around the world (including the United States), national mainstream media and even some letter writers to the Cherokee Scout.
Some claim to be Christians. Bible readers, followers of Jesus but proclaim their hatred of the Jews. How can these writers read the Holy Bible and come to their conclusions? Isn’t Jesus from the seed of Abraham? Doesn’t that make him a Jew? Geneses 22:18 states, “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” So, are we blessed?
I started with Einstein, and 88 Jewish physicists later I got tired of counting. I then moved to the field of medicine. Starting with Jonas Salk, the field of medicine was pages longer. How many can remember a loved one suffering in an iron lung?
April 1955 was the beginning of the end of the dreaded disease called Polio, all thanks to a Jew named Salk, a descendant of Abraham. In order to maximize its global distribution, Salk chose not to patent the vaccine or take any profit from its use. By today’s standard, it was worth $7 billion.
So, to all you vacuous Jew haters, are we blessed, or are you still so brain-dead you can’t see the forest for the trees?
Ed Huber, Copperhill, Tenn.
Teen dating violence here
Teenage dating violence used to be talked about mostly as physical fights or obvious abuse – but today it looks very different. While physical and sexual violence still occur, a growing part of teen dating harm happens through technology, social media and emotional control, often making it harder to spot and stop.
Today’s research shows that digital abuse is now a major part of teen relationship violence. Around 26% of teens in dating relationships report abuse online or through texts, such as harassment, threats or tampering with social media accounts.
Digital dating abuse can include things like:
- Constant messages and monitoring through phones or apps.
- Pressure to send explicit images.
- Public shaming or threats online.
- Checking someone’s messages without permission.
These behaviors may not leave physical scars, but they can be just as harmful, affecting self-esteem, mental health and daily life.
What makes today’s teen dating violence different is how technology has blurred the lines between private and public life. Teens carry their relationships in their pockets 24/7, so hurtful interactions can happen at any time, not just in person. And emotional or digital abuse often co-exists with more traditional forms of violence.
If you need a friend, call or text 828-837-8064.
Cecilia Crawford, Murphy
The writer is executive director of Reach of Cherokee & Graham Counties.
Here’s why I support ICE
Federal law 8 U.S.C. § 1324 prohibits interfering with law enforcement officers executing immigration laws, specifically, makes it a crime to conceal, harbor or shield an illegal alien from detection. When an illegal alien commits a crime in a sanctuary jurisdiction and the politicians or law enforcement in that city or state fail to cooperate with ICE, the sanctuary
jurisdiction is undermining federal immigration enforcement and making Americans less safe in the process.
By refusing to cooperate with ICE detainers and release criminal illegals to federal agents, these jurisdictions force agents out of safe, controlled settings like jails and onto our streets, where enforcement actions become dangerous and unpredictable. This lack of cooperation with ICE agents led to the death of two protesters in Minneapolis and contributed to the homicides of 23 innocent Americans in 2025, according to U.S. Customs & Border Protection.
In addition to the organized agitators lives put at risk from sanctuary jurisdictions are the murders of innocent U.S. citizens by illegal aliens like Augusta University’s Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student, murdered by a repeat Venezuelan illegal offender released from detention by the New York City police prior to a detainer order being obtained.
The case illustrates a broader point often obscured in contemporary debate: non-enforcement is not a neutral condition. It’s a decision. When an individual who is removable under federal law is released rather than transferred into federal custody, risk is not eliminated. It’s reassigned – from institutions designed to manage it to the public, which never agreed to assume it.
A state that declines to enforce its own laws does not become more humane. It becomes less responsible. ICE exists because modern societies cannot govern through moral outsourcing alone. When enforcement is treated as discretionary, the costs don’t vanish. They accumulate – until someone else pays for them.
Compassion cannot be the basis of immigration policy. Or if one is going to feel compassion, it must be for the well-being of our nation, especially the legal residents of our nation.
Terry Payne, Marble