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So, the outgoing (Asheville) police chief (David Zack) for the joke of a city called Asheville that during his watch lost a third of their police (officers) — causing the city to jump to the top of the North Carolina crime list — leaves after a three whole years.
And, as he (Zack) departs, he says that he had “the continuous support†of the City Council and mayor?
Support for what?
Citicide?
Seems he is afraid to speak truth to a city desparately needing truth.
In any case, its clear that his leaving his post has to be a good thing for all concerned. Maybe even the Asheville Police Department?
I predict the new Asheville police chief will be female, gay and Marxist.
ROB BRANSON
Hendersonville
Reporter accused of bias in her references to Vance Monument
I am honestly surprised that Sarah Honosky, the city government reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, would consistently, in a persistent manner, refer to the demolished obelisk on Pack Square as a Confederate monument, which it is not and never was.
The monument was a unique ornament of our city located downtown, the favorite postcard of our city, and was erected decades after the end of the Civil War, with no inscription, nothing on it.
Since Zebulon Vance happened to be, at that time, not only a very popular governor of North Carolina, but also a nationally recognized politician after whom even schools were named, it is not surprising that a separate stone with a dedication to him was placed in front of the obelisk.
Now, 130 years laer we found out that he had made derogatory statements about African-Americans, consequently the removal of the dedication was in order, with possible rededication in line with our changed attitudes.
Unfortunately, politically overzealous members of the (Asheville) City Council removed, at our expense, even the apolitical obelisk, the pride of our city, and vandalized the heart of our downtown.
And now, when the future of the obelisk is not fully decided, such reference to it by a respected city government reporter is undesirable, misleading and, moreover, incorrect.
PAUL SAMAN
Asheville
Bill Press accused of ‘projection’ in saying Trump re-election will destroy fabric of U.S.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following letter to the editor was written in response to syndicated columnist Bill Press’ commentary headlined “The big question is: Will our democracy survive?†that appeared in the Dec. 20-Jan. 2 edition of the Daily Planet.
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Bill Press looks like a grandfatherly type based on his headshot accompanying his latest thoughts "Will our democracy survive?" if Trump were to return to the presidency.
He seems pretty worried. Should he be?
Mr. Press cites the usual suspects to make his case: Liz Cheney, The New York Times, The Atlantic and The Washington Post.
In unison they write Trump would weaponize the government against his foes, he would act as a dictator by eliminating elections and become an all-powerful leader in perpetuity. These are the same media that had zero interest in examining the Russia-collusion hoax. Instead, they perpetuated the falsehoods.
I asked ChatGPT what Mr. Press was engaging in when those who suggest someone being a threat when they are, in fact, the real threat. The chatbot's response was "projection."
The "projection" requires an examination to see who is the real threat to democracy.
Let's review some history. The Hillary Clinton campaign floated the fake dossier that sent the FBI into motion to undermine the Trump campaign and presidency. It was understood to be fake, but it was useful to the project of undermining Trump.
A multi-year investigation took place with a special counsel and found it all (to be) a hoax. One attorney from the special counsel's office was appointed to the role of counsel at Twitter, who was coerced into suppressing certain stories (origin of COVID, efficacy of vaccines and others) and advancing others (Trump collusion with Russia).
Social media firms were all similarly coerced or willfully engaged in selective, biased promotion of themes favored by government operatives.
The FBI lied to the FISA court to secure a warrant. Sally Yates, a senior official at Justice, was made a hero by refusing to implement a duly issued order from the president. A transcript of a president's call to the Ukrainian leader was leaked and an impeachment followed.
The call involved looking into influence peddling by the current president's son. The content of an explosive laptop documenting the first son's proclivities was denounced as "Russian disinformation" by 51 former CIA heads and intel officers and ignored by the media.
Many administrative agencies opposed an elected president's actions and failed to implement them. Trump faces civil and criminal charges in several jurisdictions.
Oddly, the litigation appears to have made Trump stronger. Perhaps some voters think the government is persecuting him for political purposes.
Does this seem like "weaponizing government" against a political opponent to you?The Democrats have also proposed:
• Enlarging the number of justices on Supreme Court to appoint partisans.
• Make states of Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico to tip the Senate.
• Eliminate the Electoral College.
• Eliminate the filibuster in the Senate.
• Allow voting by non-citizens and the incarcerated.
• Waiving student debt despite a Supreme Court ruling forbidding it.
• Grant immigration parole to non-citizens.
I liken this to a Houdini-esque distraction. We are at a crossroads. The government is spending $2 trillion more a year than is collected. We have a massive debt and larger unfunded liabilities in social welfare programs.
We are being marched into an energy transition that we clearly are not ready for.
Our border is wide-open, with a great strain on our cities. The new entrants are unvetted and, assuredly, some want to do us harm.
I don't want either Trump or Biden as president. I believe our institutions would prevent the scenario painted by Mr. Press.
We survived a Trump term. The polling suggests voters are really unhappy with Biden's handling of virtually every issue.
He is clearly not up to the job.
Biden won by not being Trump in 2020 — will that tactic work again?
Perhaps — if you believe Trump will destroy the fabric of the country.
That is the theory that Mr. Press and the corporate media are projecting.
Happy New Year!
RICK WESTON
Asheville
Arlington National Cemetery: Temporary restraining order?
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following letter to the editor was emailed on Dec. 18 to the Daily Planet.
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Fox News, in its report on Dec. 18, 2023 on the Temporary Restraining Order, would speak in unison with the judge not to remove the Reconciliation Memorial cenotaph at Arlington (Va.) National Cemetery.
However, just like nearly every Yankee who makes the same charge; they always try to make it clear that no one is defending the Confederacy — just the hour of reconciliation.
This is nothing less than an implication suggesting that there was something wrong with the Southern Confederacy.
They don’t want an eye on what really happened around here in America — just leave the lies forged against the South to cover up the truth about the patriotic, God-fearing people of the South, so that the mountains of untruths they tell glorify the North — as if they fought against a bad people.
They want to glorify the Army of the Potomac and its war criminal commander in chief, who was made into a martyr via the greatest lies ever told.
He gave the total warfare policy orders to (generals Ulysses S.) Grant, (William Tecumseh) Sherman, and (Ivan) Turchin to empty the homes and outbuildings of Southern civilians of anything of value — and then burn them. The more fortunate were ordered to walk South or until they reached Confederate lines, with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
Others — not so lucky — were shot and left for dead or dying.
Southern blacks — whether free or slave — were robbed, belittled, brutalized, kidnapped and tortured.
Young women — white and black — and young boys were brutalized, raped and made to cook meals or wash clothes for the Yankee soldiers.
Sherman’s and Grant’s men took all food for man and beast — and destroyed anything they could not carry off. And with their men’s Christian charity, they used churches and schools for stables. And when they left, they burned these structures, too.
And to make matters worse, they recorded and bragged about their evil deeds. (See the Union Provost Marshall’s records in the Tennessee State Library and Archives).
And not to forget the Reconstruction years, which were little more than a peacetime continuation of the devastation of rape, robbery, arson, greed, murder and hatred that characterized the war years.
And now fast-forwarding to the time standing before the United Daughters of the Confederacy was a Union veteran of Lincoln’s illegal war and now himself, as the president, asking for not only forgiveness, but also asking them to build a Memorial Shrine to that Charge.... “Reconciliation!â€
The ladies of the South wanted no part of his request and only wanted to bring their Southern heroes home. However, after his eloquent and relentless plea, they agreed for the good of the country to build a Shrine of Reconciliation.
They contracted the foremost and renowned Jewish sculptor — and himself a Confederate veteran — to build it.
He would request of them that the time of his passing it would be his grave marker.
And now, some century-plus later, this memorial shrine, deemed by Ezekiel Moses as his best work, which became his headstone when he passed, is now under a bill of attainder, declaring Ezekiel himself, the Confederate soldiers and supporting entities of, as traitors, as the justification for its removal from its assumed place of permanency — no matter that a bill of attainder is unconstitutional.
And I, the son of former Southern slaves and United States Army veteran, whose birthplace of origin (in Asheville) is in the Confederate States of America — just like the Honorable President Jefferson Davis — ask for a trial to determine if the charge leveled against me by (U.S.) Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) of the United States Naming Commission is true — and justification for the removal of my American citizenship... and whether the removal of the Reconciliation cenotaph in Arlington National Cemetery is justified.
God bless you!
H.K. EDGERTON
Asheville
Chairman, Board of Advisors Emeritus Southern Legal Resource Center
Member, Save Southern Heritage Florida
Recipient, National Order of the Confederate Rose Life Time Achievement Award Recipient of the Virginia Division Sons of Confederate Veterans General Robert E. Lee Medal Recipient, National Sons of Confederate Veterans H.L.Hunley Award Recipient, United Daughters of the Confederacy Jefferson Davis Medal Recipient, South Carolina Sons of Confederate Veterans Citizen of the Year Award Recipient, Mississippi Division Sons of Confederate Veterans John F. Harris Award Loyal Son of Former Southern Slaves President, Southern Heritage 411Veterans Defending Arlington
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