Dickey kind, loved Murphy
My heart is breaking because I have lost a 96-year-old friend I have never met in person.
David Dale Dickey, who loved Murphy, is a kindhearted white man who reached out to me when I initially announced that I planned to publish a book about the African American people in our region. My book is When All God’s Children Get Together: A Celebration of the Lives and Music of African American People in Far Western North Carolina.
David and I have communicated by phone and through his typewritten letters since 2012. We met through his gift of photos of him as a little boy with a formerly enslaved woman named Matilda “Aunt Till” Thomas. [See pp. 3, 12 and 532 in my book.]
He was a journalist and father of the actress Dale Dickey. I will truly miss him.
With much appreciation.
Ann Miller Woodford, Andrews
Biden’s wrong in Afghanistan
During a “Good Will Tour” of Vietnam, President Joe Biden shared pleasantries with the Communist Party general secretary. Biden called Vietnam a “friend” and urged moving on from the “bitter past.”
The Vietnam War isn’t the only “bitter past” that Biden is shuffling under the opaque diplomatic rug. Here are more examples:
u The administration lied originally about Afghanistan’s 2021 August retreat. The consequences that ended with Taliban’s takeover and recovering $7.12 billion in our military equipment are devastating, but there are signals that Biden is seeking friends in Vietnam and in Afghanistan.
u Biden falsely claimed Al Qaeda no longer operates in Afghanistan. The U.N. Security Council reports Al Qaeda has training camps in six provinces, country wide safe houses and its members serve in key government positions. This gas-lighting is a cover-up for the worst military and foreign policy disaster in recent history.
u Undeterred by the presence of Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, Biden’s administration holds meetings with the Taliban, provided over $2 billion in aid after the Taliban takeover and authorized transactions with the Taliban and Al Qaeda components for “humanitarian” reasons.
u When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, 9/11 families were eligible to collect damages from the country’s bank reserves. Biden froze the money so the families couldn’t collect.
u Administration claims of only offering humanitarian aid encompasses printing money for the Taliban through Poland and France. Again, he avoids congressional and judicial oversight.
It’s not time to move on from the “bitter past” until the 9/11 attack perpetrators and their accomplices are dead. Biden’s ludicrous remarks at the memorials and his feigning compassion as the “Wailer-in-Chief” from a minor kitchen fire or his son’s cancer death – not in Iraq as he claims – will not placate 2,977 terror victims’ families.
Terry Payne, Marble
Dem chair gets 4 Pincocchios
This is in response to the letter “Dems call out Oath Keepers.” I am appalled at your accusations that Sheriff Dustin Smith, Constitutional Sheriffs & Peace Officers Association, Citizens For A Better America (local patriot group) or the event “County Sheriffs Americas Best Hope” that was held in Murphy recently are radical, fascists, above the Constitution or rule of law, anti-American, seditious ideology, seeking to destroy our way of life from within.
These are all words used by Katie Dean, Cherokee County Democratic chair, which in itself are untruths and very far-left extremist. If you would bother to research just a little or attend these meetings, you would find out for yourself.
I have attended meetings of CBA, the County Sheriffs America’s Last Hope event, and have followed Sheriff Richard Mack and CSPOA for more than a year and watched many of his podcasts. None of those things you claim are true. It’s all about upholding our Constitution, Bill of Rights, stopping federal government overreach and how our sheriffs can help.
We need to join together and make this country great again. Wake up and get on board.
Dan Adams, Murphy
The writer is co-founder of Citizens for a Better America.
Make sure you know
A lot of folks who call themselves Christians say they are OK with God and ready to meet their Maker.
My question is, have you truly accepted Christ into your heart, and have you confessed to Him that you are a sinner, and you want to repent of your sins and get right with Jesus?
Another vital question comes from John 3. Jesus was speaking with a Jewish Pharisee named Nicodemus, who heard about the miracles that Jesus had been doing in Jerusalem, and the Pharisees agreed that Jesus was a teacher sent from God. The Pharisees wanted to establish the kingdom and throw off the yoke of Rome, but they had no way of doing it.
But here comes Jesus, who was popular with the multitudes, following Him wherever He goes. So the Pharisees want to hitch their little wagon to Jesus’ star and hopefully combine forces to get rid of the oppression of Rome.
While back at the ranch, Nicodemus has an encounter with Jesus. He really wanted to talk about the kingdom of God and what he must do to go to heaven. After Jesus tells Nicky that you must be born again – not physically, but spiritually from above – this did not compute with him.
Let’s hit the pause button for a moment and fast-forward to present day.
Many folks who claim they are Christians and believe they are headed to heaven have a rude awakening because of the same thing as Nicodemus – they, too, don’t understand the spiritual birth that must take place to enter heaven. If only folks could pull off their masks of religion and embrace the reality of a personal relationship with Jesus, and just believe upon Him and you will be saved.
Do you know for sure? I pray you do.
Frank Combs, Blairsville, Ga
Roundabout is not needed
In America, we have relied on stop signs or traffic lights to control traffic flow at the intersection of two or more roads. Traffic on one of the roads has unobstructed right of way while the light is green. At a prescribed interval, right of way passes to drivers on the other road when their red light becomes green. This simple arrangement allows traffic to flow at the speed limit through the intersection, and there is no question about who has the right of way.
In a roundabout, right of way is ambiguous, as traffic is merging from all directions. Often, right of way is seized by more aggressive drivers, which imperils timid drivers and pedestrians. Accident rates in roundabouts are lower than in standard intersections only because uncertain right of way causes slower driving speeds. As a result, roundabouts create significant traffic backups, traffic jams and angry drivers.
In the past, roundabouts were built where multiple roads come together around a small public park or statue. Columbus Circle in New York City, for example, is located at the intersection of Broadway, Central Park West, Eighth Avenue and 59th Street. We are now seeing many roundabouts that serve no useful purpose in rural areas on low traffic volume roads.
The N.C. Department of Transportation’s proposal to put a roundabout on U.S. 64 West at Marks Drive would create a serious traffic jam in both directions along U.S. 64 and would be detrimental to drivers and businesses in the area. The DOT should not proceed with these ill-conceived plans against the will of our county’s residents.
Dr. Dan Eichenbaum, Murphy
Bring Bible to Work Day
Most of us are to young to understand God before the vicious cycle begins. We quit believing and want answers on our time, not His.
The questions would vary depending on the severity of the tragedy that then leads us to the trauma. Healed and unhealed whatever may have happened, sometimes leads even the strongest of us down the uncertain road of addiction.
The word “addict” sounds like a degrading name, and the wide range of variations can differ in many ways. But most addicts I’ve known are wonderful and kind peeps.
They are actually some of the most down to earth people. They probably would be the first to help or lend a hand. If we are lucky enough to be chosen by God, then we should be gracious enough to have a kind heart and lend a helping hand whenever possible.
Every person on Earth is someone God wanted to be here. However, I am learning that it’s not about us. This game of life in such uncertain times can bring even the happiest, most positively fun-loving person the need for a helping hand.
I believe in my heart and soul that if we all worked together as a nation under God, we could make this game a lot more fun and enjoyable for everyone, no matter the differences. I don’t know much, but I am learning daily.
Thursday is “Bring your Bible to School/Work Day.” Maybe if we all play together and bring what our nation is supposed to be guided with into the places where we spend a large majority of our time and life to communicate and interact with each other, positively answer questions and have some fun with it.
Aren’t we supposed to be the United” States of America, “One nation, under God?”
Tiffany Foster, Murphy