Be a patriot and go vote
Here in North Carolina a great day is upon us. Every citizen gets to participate in the great experiment of freedom that we call the United States of America.
Oct. 17 is the first day of early voting in North Carolina this election cycle. I encourage every citizen to get out and vote. Exercise your right and American duty.
It is my great hope you will cast your vote for Republican and conservative voters. But no matter whom you feel your opinions most align with, please get out and be a true American. Vote.
Dallas McMillian, Unaka
1 Republican not for Trump
In 2016, I had been associated with the Republican Party for more than 50 years. When Donald Trump was selected to run for the presidency, I could no longer support the GOP. I had a hard time voting for Hillary Clinton.
Trump won, but in my view, he was worse in the office and did more damage than I had expected. Now he is running for the same office.
Trump is not fit to be president again, and here is a list of reasons I believe this.
Trump has been convicted of sexual assault with a total of $88 million judgment against him. More than 20 other women have filed the same complaints.
If you have any Christian moral values, how can you support someone as immoral as Trump? At least 20 members of his first-term cabinet members publicly stated that he is not fit for office, including his vice president, Mike Pence.
Many past Republican office holders say he is not fit to hold the office of president.
Numerous high-ranking military officers, past and present, state he should not hold the office again.
He is a pathological liar and will say anything for his benefit. Tried to overturn the results of 2020 election by force and still does not accept the truth.
Wants to control women by limiting what they can and cannot do concerning their own body. I believe this must be a major concern to all women.
Trump has no desire to be president to improve our country, but wants to be an autocrat.
I hope this list will make more people think about this election. This election is too important to not be informed concerning the candidates.
P.S. Republicans must be very concerned about losing this election because they continue to remove Kamala Harris campaign signs.
Keith Bruce, Andrews
Red-herring conviction
U.S. Attorney David Weiss was appointed special counsel in the probe of the president’s son, Hunter Biden, by Attorney General Merrick Garland in August 2023. The Justice Department said Weiss was responsible for the “ongoing investigation” of President Joe Biden’s son “as well as for any other matters that arose or may arise from that investigation.”
The public should remember that the DOJ was dragged kicking and screaming into these prosecutions of Hunter. The prosecution occurred after Judicial Watch’s successful Freedom of Information Act litigation exposed federal special protections and the cover-up of Hunter Biden’s gun scandal.
Shortly after Garland’s special counsel announcement, the Babylon Bee’s satirical blog published a spoof on the DOJ.
Yes, the blog uses dark humor, irony, exaggeration and ridicule to expose moronic and corrupt behavior, particularly in the context of politics. However, clever satire is embedded with a sprinkling of truth.
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines a “red herring” as something that distracts attention from the real issue. Why is Hunter’s gun conviction a quintessential “red herring?”
The DOJ interfered in the investigation into Hunter’s tax evasion issues with a “delay, divulge and deny” campaign after Internal Revenue Service whistle-blowers testified that
the IRS and FBI gave Hunter special treatment. Due to pressure from many sources, after a September 2023 indictment
in Hunter’s gun case was rendered, he was also indicted for nine federal tax charges on December 2023 in California for filing false returns and tax evasion.
Prosecutors allege that Hunter engaged in a four-year scheme to not pay at least $1.4 million in income taxes for the years 2016 through 2019. Hunter made more than $7 million, spending on an “extravagant lifestyle.”
Hunter petitioned an “open” guilty plea September 2024 to nine federal tax charges to avoid a jury trial, which will expose Biden’s family.
Terry Payne, Marble
Absolute corruption
Although this quote is attributed to 19th-century British politician Lord Acton, surely its truth stirred the hearts of the Founding Fathers of our American experiment in self government. Separation of powers, the rule of law, checks and balances, separation of church and state, were specifically designed to limit power.
Nation states, kingships and religious institutions that came before, possessed and often abused absolute power. Political states, when aligned with religious creeds, operated as theocracies.
For hundreds of years, the Spanish and Roman inquisitions demanded absolute religious
allegiance, conversion or death by flame to those in its grasp. Wars between competing kingdoms, aligned with competing forms of Christian religion, killed over 30% of Europe’s inhabitants between 1570 and 1700.
No wonder thousands fled to a new world, free of men wielding absolute power, either political or religious.
Today, autocracy is increasing worldwide. Democracy is messy and demanding, often requiring painful compromise, yet better than the alternatives. American far right voices, from Steve Bannon to Project 2025, are arguing for an all-powerful president, and a government entirely of his loyalists.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have that. Our enemies in World War II had that. Some call for a new Christian theocracy. Problem is, the Divine Theocrat hasn’t returned yet, and flawed men claiming to speak for Him just won’t do, never have and never will.
The Christianity I learned is living a life of kindness and humility, unhypocritical and gracious enough to be worth following; being in the world, yet not of it. Giving any man unlimited power ends in corruption and abuse, even if he jokes of only being dictator on day one.
Trump’s fixation with personal power and personal retribution, becoming both king and grand-inquisitor, is disturbing at best. “Hang Mike Pence” may have only been the preview of more horrors to come.
James Messmer, Hayesville
A mockery of justice system
This was addressed to Publisher David Brown.
After reading your article in the “My View” section of the Oct. 9 Cherokee Scout, I just want to tell you I agree with you wholeheartedly. This horrible injustice makes a mockery of the American justice system.
Dr. Nancy Laney’s evaluation of Shane McKinney’s mentality could be wrong. A situation this serious deserves more than one evaluation.
When someone could be a menace to society, they don’t belong with the general population.
This situation needs further assessment.
My heart goes out to the families of the victims.
Tim Johnson, Ellenboro
One father disappointed
I wrote this after reading the front-page article on Oct. 2, “Threat leads to arrest of 17-year-old,” in the Cherokee Scout.
Jeremiah Lloyd was arrested in Hiawassee, Ga., charged with making felony terroristic threats, disrupting public school, felony exploitation of children, felony enticing a child for indecent purposes, child molestation and statutory rape. Lloyd has been in trouble before, but his records as a juvenile are sealed.
Mitchell Lloyd was one of my classmates from first grade. He is probably overwhelmed with disappointment.
Mitchell is Jeremiah’s biological father. My heart goes out to him, too.
Kristina Costa, Ellenboro