Citizens still need answers
Sheriff is a statutory/constitutional office having exclusive powers and authority under the state law and constitution. It is the only office required under the U.S. Constitution.
Dustin Smith received the constitutional sheriff course outlining his powers and duties under the Constitution. So what happened?
I had the opportunity to sit down with Dustin before he was elected, speaking to him about my concerns with his experience. Dustin assured me he has a supportive command staff with a working knowledge of the law in place.
I have also spoken with Dustin since the shooting and requested that he remove his “less than truthful” statement, accept responsibility and tell the truth concerning the shooting. He has yet to do so.
Dustin said he felt he did not have authority, once requesting SWAT, to tell them how to handle the situation. He asked for me to not pass judgment until the investigation was fully complete.
Frustrated with his response, I said, “You should have known Cherokee Tribal SWAT has no jurisdiction without you or a member of your command staff present at that trailer, which you have said you were not.
“You cannot transfer powers granted only to you under the Constitution to another agency. You had a duty to be at that trailer.”
The shooting of James Harley Kloepfer on Dec. 12, 2022, was avoidable. A breakdown in leadership, along with a command staff with no working knowledge of the law, failed in their duties under the Constitution.
Dustin’s “right to remain silent” is repulsive, an attorney’s response to one’s hand being caught in the cookie jar.
Months ago, I sent Cherokee County commissioners the articles and statutes needed to remove an unfit sheriff under North Carolina laws. The commissioners, also having no leader, have chosen to do nothing. Moronic dog ordinances take priority over finding out why unarmed citizens are being shot by law enforcement.
Darrin Wright, Murphy
Raid caused homelessness
A couple of weeks ago, a residence on Collett Creek was raided by law enforcement, the Valley River Humane Society and part owners of the property. One person was arrested for resisting an officer and taken to jail. He also had animals taken, but the humane society also took animals that did not belong to him.
Myself and five other tenants were rudely forced out of our homes with nowhere to go, making us homeless, and one person is disabled and using a wheelchair. I’ve lived in the creek for five years. The owners saying they had been trying to evict him for three years is a lie.
In five years, those people have been up here twice – they don’t care about the property. Not to mention, they filed papers to evict the man and did not notify any other tenants in the compound. We didn’t know we had to leave.
Instead of those people coming in there and talking to us individually, they made us homeless. How’s that fair to any of us?
On top of that, they locked us out, kept our belongings and threatened to shoot one tenant. I think its wrong; the law thought they were going to find a bunch of drugs, but only found weed paraphernalia. It’s funny how reputations carry on, isn’t it?
Only 12 dogs were in the house; my 2-year-old female that just had seven pups was taken, along with my birds. They had no right; my animals had clean food and water.
It upsets me that they acted like children, throwing out tenants who had no idea what was going on.
Alisha Hyde, Andrews
Put writers strike to use
In case you haven’t heard, the Writers Guild of America – representing 11,500 screenwriters – went on strike over an ongoing labor dispute. The strike, which is mostly focused on pay disagreements with Hollywood producers, is supposed to be “a defining moment for the streaming era.”
Most of us spend a good deal of time watching television and might be wondering: will our viewing schedules be interrupted? What will happen to our favorite programs? Pray tell, how will we survive this broadcasting disaster?
Perhaps the so-called writers and artists who write much of the perverted, violent, nonsensical dribble broadcast into our homes each day should be taking a long hiatus to examine their so-called “art.”
And maybe, while these “artists and writers” are immersed in their strike and their content not available, we might actually spend more time together doing other things, like talking with each other, or taking a walk together, working a puzzle together, reading a good book or some Bible Scripture.
Many of us spend countless hours staring at our TV screens, not to mention many other hours of screen time on our phones, and to what end? Have we been enlightened, educated or advanced in any way by the content we immerse ourselves in each day?
The average viewing person should be the one “striking” and turning away from viewing content that dumbs us down, desensitizes us and lowers the bar of the human experience.
Maybe it is time for these artists and writers to advance the human viewing experience to something more than the status quo – or is their art just imitating life?
Robert Karl, Murphy
Buy Bloody Marys local
The Cherokee/Clay Food Alliance would like to thank all the restaurants in the area that participated in our first Bloody Mary Contest at the Murphy Farmers Market Tomato Fest in the L&N Depot.
We also are appreciative of our judges this year – Cherokee Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Sherry Raines, Murphy Downtown Development Director Laura Lachance and past board member of the Clay County Chamber of Commerce Keith Christensen of Hayesville.
A huge congratulations to Karl Engelmann of Epic Catering & Eatery in Hayesville, which went above and beyond to win Best Overall in the competition with their incredible display, including a full lobster. Epic has this year’s bragging rights as voted “The Best Bloody Mary in Southwestern North Carolina”
We’d also like to congratulate Chevelles Restaurant & Bar 66 in Murphy and 69 in Hayesville for entering the competition. They won in the Best Flavor Category.
Part of the agreement to enter is that the restaurants will offer their winning concoctions for one month after the contest. We ask the community to please support these establishments and our communities.
Be sure to stop by to taste their prize winning Bloody Marys yourself. Buy local.
Susan Ward, Hayesville
On applying biblical laws
Concerning the “Bible law application” letter, the writer asks “… why these verses should not be taken literally, while the ones about homosexuality should be?” Reading the letter, the sincerity of the writer is not clear; is he either genuinely inquisitive or a veiled attempt at sarcasm?
Whatever the motivation, I will answer the question constrained by word and time submittal limitations. The “question” presented involves two main parts in order to answer.
The first part involves understanding that the Old Testament is God’s law for both Israel and man’s conduct in his fallen sinful state. These laws were to provide man a means to understand his sinfulness and seek a faithful and obedient relationship with God until the time His Son came to achieve the final and complete blood atonement for man’s redemption.
The second part is understanding that Christianity is not a religion but a faith. A faith in who and what Jesus Christ is and has accomplished for you and me. The New Testament reinforces law, but with love and God’s grace through the atoning blood of Jesus. I strongly recommend the reading of Hebrews, chapter 9, for this concept. God is clear and not contradicting concerning sexual immorality either in the OT or NT.
Note the consistency between the OT and NT concerning sexual immorality. Yes, God is love, but He is also a just and Holy God, who can’t tolerate any variation from those characteristics. Note, both Daniel and Paul were very educated, which was well-documented by secular scribes and historians. Hardly men given to “superstitions of a nomadic tribe …”
The “question” is not which laws apply, but a better understanding of God’s management of man in his sinful state and how to restore his relationship with his Creator.
Thomas Schildgen, Andrews
Expanding Bible values
An embryo group of concerned Christians seek, in this quad-county area – Towns, Union, Clay and Cherokee – coming alongside local churches and ministries to expand biblical knowledge among our public-school students and citizens. Called the Appalachian Christian Leadership Council, the primary initial focus will be to introduce biblical teaching to public-school middle and high school students.
In partnership with School Ministries Inc., there has been a Christian movement across our country called Released Time Bible Education. In a nutshell, most public-school students do not have the opportunity to study the Bible. RTBE enables students to take elective Bible education classes for credit during their regular school day. Children participating in Released Time programs do better academically and have fewer behavioral problems. School Ministries programs bring hope and purpose to youth, prepare them to be responsible adults, contributing citizens and Godly examples.
Simultaneously, in an effort to increase biblical knowledge and equip Christians in the region, the efforts will include planning multi-pronged approaches to include Bible studies, partnerships with Christian education programs, and other resources for both adults and students.
The immediate goal is to establish a coordinating committee of people having a passion for Christian education and desiring to participate in such an exciting ground-breaking ministry, both for students and adults in our quad-county area.
An organizational meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 1, at 7 p.m. in the Chatuge Ministry & Event Center, 2532 Highway 76 W. in Hiawassee, Ga. We are inviting anyone to attend this meeting who has a passion for educating our public-school youth and communities in biblical principles.
If you have questions, please contact any of those listed below:
- Jim Yohe, 940-867-4392, yohejamesa@gmail.com.
- Bob Louder, 678-386-2640, cfmadmin@good-steward.org.
- Gary Meier, 706-379-0601, gwmeier@windstream.net.
James Yohe, Blairsville, Ga.