“Both Jews and Blacks suffered due to white Christian bigotry, and this led to a certain amount of bonding.”
It’s time we stopped honoring racists
“Imagine there’s a small town called Bondageville, named after its distinguished founder, Samuel Ashe Bondage.”
The cultural divide: A Jew in Asheville
“There were three distinct cultures in the Asheville I grew up in, and describing the dynamics and relationships among them is difficult.”
Better pay can help solve local child care crisis
“To give Asheville families the support they need, the state legislature must prioritize tackling the multifaceted weaknesses in the child care labor market.”
The monumental toppling of Zeb Vance
“Instead, perhaps Asheville and Buncombe County should follow the British model of ‘retaining and explaining’ controversial monuments and statuary.”
The war years: A Jew in Asheville
“I rushed to the window in time to see one of my classmates from school throw a trash can through our front door, shouting ‘Jew! Jew! Jew!’”
Dear John Francis Amherst Vanderbilt Cecil IV (Jack)
“So, I’m asking you to consider that building excessive numbers of weapons factories may actually be causing war rather than preventing it.”
A Jew in Asheville: The Gospel According to Jerry
“Even as a young boy, I was aware that the intensity of local prejudice against Jews was increasing exponentially as the Nazi threat to the European Jews escalated.”
The myth of ‘Kudzilla’
“Coming on the heels of the disastrous environmental conditions during the Great Depression, the decision to plant kudzu was rational and even environmentally sound.”
My story: We need to protect our mountain forests
“Instead of leveling the woods in a property planned for development, a percentage of trees could be saved, especially mature trees that would help newly planted trees and others thrive.”
Whose space is public space?
“The people we exclude from public spaces, and the things we refer to as worthless, say a lot about what we value as a community.”
Groups work to strengthen and reimagine local food systems
“We must address classist and racist systems and structures through policy change, food sovereignty and food justice.”
Bad news, good news: The Gospel According to Jerry
“The African American community, in cooperation with UNC Asheville, has established a charter school, the P.E.A.K. Academy, which is specifically designed and staffed to give poor Black and other minority children a fair shot at a quality education.”
Year in Review: Readers shared opinions on growth, environment, homelessness and more
Readers had a lot to say in 2022 about a host of local issues — from our region’s growth and development to the environment, homelessness and more.
Can Asheville draw on the past to build its future?
“Today, Asheville’s a tourist destination fueled by wealth-take-all capitalism beset with growing urban issues such as parking, pollution, land use, development, affordable housing, crime and allocation of tax revenues. Yet are all these intractable problems with only temporary solutions? Not really.”
The enduring joys of Beaver Lake
“My suggestion is to avoid a head-on attack but clear a small mental runway for insights to land on if they so desire.”
Don’t just celebrate Native American heritage — take it seriously
“Indigenous heritage is not just important for its cultural value: It offers solutions to some of the biggest problems we face as a society today.”
Vote against the bonds and hold our leaders accountable
“Our wealthiest households are not paying their fair share now, and these bonds will simply add to the inequity, asking disproportionately assessed lower-income households to continue to shoulder more than their fair share of the burden.”
Was U.S. Open cash drop the best use of tax dollars?
“Our leaders are allowing dubious choices like spending $1.3 million on vague ads and luxury VIP suites in New York City, while Asheville’s homeless situation is ever more disturbing.”
Bonds will tackle housing and climate change crises
“Our community faces two mounting crises that we must address in concert — housing affordability and climate change. We can do this by providing a wider range of housing options in and around Asheville and our other municipalities, while not contributing to sprawling development patterns that clear forested land, feed gridlock and increase auto emissions.”
Does pushing students to succeed foster achievement or cause harm?
“The time has come to ask ourselves: Why do we push children to succeed so tirelessly? And what does ‘success’ mean, anyway?”