Abolitionists Exposed in Asheville

In the Asheville (NC) Mountain XPress, Lara Terstenjak berates the Asheville City Council for not supporting her "Go Topless" movement for women, and somehow ties the City Council's decision to North Carolina's support for the Confederacy:

North Carolina contributed more soldiers (with gun rights) to the Confederate cause than any other state. I hope you do not continue to make the same relative mistake regarding women's rights.

Mistake? Gun rights? While reasonable minds may differ on the issue of topless women, surely Ms. Terstenjak understands that it was the Confederacy that fought to uphold a woman's right to ... to ... Well, what exactly does the Confederacy have to do with public nudity? Ms. Terstenjak says:

City Council members, your North Carolina predecessors voted to keep slavery. What could be more immoral than the buying and selling of human beings? Yet in 2012 you oppose women being topless on moral grounds.

Of course - it's all about slavery. The Confederacy was all about slavery. The Asheville City Council is enslaving women, not by requiring them to cover their breasts, but by encouraging others not to look!

We suspect Ms. Terstenjak will ultimately learn the hard way that there is no constitutional right to public nudity. At that time, we can suggest some appropriate attire for her exhibitionism.

Until then, if you'd like to educate Ms. Terstenjak, please respond with a letter to the editor at PO Box 144, Asheville NC 28802, via fax to (828) 251-1311, or via email to letters@mountainx.com.

Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be ALE Agents

Why in the world did they have to pick Willie Nelson?



North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE) officers protected the ticket-buying citizens of North Carolina from dangerous country outlaws on Friday, arresting Willie Nelson's band for possession of moonshine and marijuana. As a result, Willie's Friday night concert in Kenansville was cancelled.

This might make sense except:

- ALE is supposed to be investigating the growing scandal that is North Carolina's state-run alcohol monopoly, not ruining everybody's weekend.

- It is practically entrapment for the state to promote its moonshine heritage for tourism purposes and then arrest visitors for partaking while they are here.

- There are tons of worthless stoned musicians constantly playing in this state, whose arrest would actually improve North Carolina.

North Carolina law enforcement is looking more and more like Roscoe P. Coltrane, serving no purpose except to protect Boss Hogg's monopoly on the liquor business. Maybe it's time we disband not only ABC but ALE as well.