Opinion Graduates, you’ll miss this place we call home 16
Smoky Mountain News
BY LIAM MCLEOD For those of you who take advantage of these resources, G UEST COLUMNIST you know of the magic you feel once you’re surrounded by the o the high school Class of 2020, congratulations! There is nature of Southern Appalachia. To those of you who don’t get nothing more exciting than completing high school and out there enough and are about to leave, I beg you: start preparing to leave and move on toward what comes next. enjoying it today. It was four years ago now that I was in your shoes, a recent College is an amazing place where you can learn and grow grad with nothing on my mind but leaving my as a person outside the hometown. I can tell you this, enjoy this last sumlimits of our small Liam McLeod mer at home and don’t wish it away. College is town, but there’s one exciting and extremely fast-paced. These four thing almost every colyears at UNCC have felt like one year at Tuscola, lege in North Carolina though I’ve grown and changed more than I ever lacks (excluding WCU could have in high school. I learned many lessons and App State) — in my first year of college, but there’s one that access to nature. sticks out the most to me: our home is unlike any Something you’ll quickother in North Carolina. ly realize about college When you get to college, I can guarantee you is that it’s stressful. will be blown away by the amount of people you’ll That fact is not meant meet, and one of the first things you’ll realize is to scare you, but college that your home and the activities that come with is an extremely chalit are extremely unique. The amount of people you’ll meet in lenging task. If you’re anything like me, you’ll find your mind college that have never been to or seen a waterfall is mind wandering to sunsets at Waterrock Knob while writing essays boggling. You have hundreds in your backyard. So many of on political philosophy or taking an economics test. During the friends I’ve made tell stories of hometowns with nothing those anxiety-filled times at your new home, you’ll find yourto do outside of school. You’ve got an entire parkway with self looking back wishing you could just take a drive with the thousands of trails to call your own. windows down on the Parkway or some Forest Service road.
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Bill of Rights born in June To the Editor: On June 8, 1789, James Madison (who is considered by many historians to be the Father of the US Constitution), proposed the addition of 10 amendments to the US Constitution which had become effective in June, 1788. After two-and-one-half years of debate and discussion, the 10 amendments, now known as the Bill of Rights, were approved. Still debated and discussed more than 230 years after Madison’s initial proposal, they guarantee certain rights and responsibilities that form the bedrock of citizenship in the United States. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion, press and peaceful assembly. The Second Amendment recognizes the need for a “well-regulated militia” for the security of the state and guarantees the right of the people to keep and bear arms. Amendment Three prevents soldiers from being sent to live in any home without the consent of the owner in time of peace and requires the law to define when that is allowed in time of war. The Fourth Amendment prevents “unreasonable” searches and seizures and prevents warrants from being served without probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, describing the place to be searched and the person or things to be seized. Amendment Five says no person can be held accountable for a capital crime (punishable by death) without an indictment by a
If you look hard enough, you’ll be able to find a replacement around you to recharge, but nothing will compare. Having a home that you’re proud of while having the time of your life in college is a strange and often contradictory experience. You can’t wait for breaks while at school and while at home you can’t wait to be back at school. If this article finds you, let me challenge you. Go outside today. It doesn’t matter if there’s rain in the forecast, we all know summer showers in the mountains blow over just as quick as they roll in. Find somewhere new every week until you leave. Every time you find that new place in these beautiful mountains you’ll think: “this is it, my new favorite spot.” Until next week, when you find something even more breathtaking. I know things are different for your class with everything going on. You didn’t get the graduation you always pictured, but remember this. Be proud of your home. I know these words may fall on deaf ears, because I was just like you, so excited to leave that I couldn’t even begin to appreciate the place I was leaving. But I promise you, as soon as you leave, it will hit you: your home is heaven on earth, with a million and one things to do. So before you leave, grab your friends, pack a lunch and head to the hills. And don’t forget towels. There’s always somewhere to swim. (Liam McLeod is a senior at UNC-Charlotte. liammcleod4582@gmail.com)
LETTERS Grand Jury; prevents a person from being placed in jeopardy more than once for the same offense; prevents a person from being a witness against him- or herself; prevents a person from being deprived of his or her property without due process of law; and prevents private property from being taken from any person for public use without just compensation. The Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to a speedy and public trial in all criminal prosecutions, before an impartial jury of the state and district where the crime was committed; provides that the defendants be informed of accusation(s) against them; be allowed to confront witnesses; be able to obtain their own witnesses and have the assistance of counsel for their defense. Amendment Seven guarantees the right to trial by jury in civil cases where the controversy involves more than $20 and assures that no fact tried by the jury can be re-examined by any other court when the trial is over. The Eighth Amendment says that excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. The Ninth Amendment assures that rights not granted to the federal government are retained by the people. The Tenth Amendment makes clear that the powers not delegated to the federal government or denied to the individual states are reserved to the states respectively or to the people. The Bill of Rights became effective on
December 15, 1791 and has been guarding our liberties ever since. Luke Hyde Bryson City
Local authority paramount To the Editor: Gentlemen, I understand that you voted to allow bars to open with restrictions which apparently surpasses the Governor’s executive order (If I understand it correctly). I also heard on state wide news accounts
your actions today will also strip local power from those such as myself, who are dealing with this emergency under local ordinances of the Town of Franklin. What happens if I need to issue an order to protect the public? Who do I go to? Why, when I understood that you both are local government people, did you vote on this? (Assuming you did) I would greatly appreciate an explanation why the NCGA felt it necessary to usurp local authority in a fast moving emergency situation. Bob Scott Mayor, Town of Franklin
