A-B Tech's seventh president as of July 1, 2020. Working with talented employees for the benefit of Madison and Buncombe Counties. tweets are my own.
Asheville, NC
Joined June 2020
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I have friends who are descendants of Avery’s. I would guess they would respond is the same manner if placed in the same situation. 😀
On this day in North Carolina history October 21, 1851.
A North Carolina politician was publicly whipped, then shot the man who did it dead in a courtroom weeks later.
William Waightstill Avery was a lawyer from Burke County and a rising figure in state politics. His opponent was Samuel Fleming, a merchant from Burnsville in Yancey County who was involved in a bitter fight over his late wife's estate.
Avery was representing his wife's family in the legal dispute. During an argument at the courthouse in Marion, Avery called Fleming's life's work a “fraud.”
Fleming took it personally. He left the courthouse, bought a cowhide whip, and attacked Avery. Historical accounts describe Avery as the smaller man, unarmed and unable to defend himself. One account also says Fleming struck him with a rock before whipping him.
But the dispute wasn't over.
Several weeks later, Fleming showed up in a courtroom in Morganton, still insulting Avery and boasting about their earlier confrontation. While Fleming was finishing business with the court clerk, Avery stood up and shot him through the heart. Fleming was standing less than five feet away and close to the presiding judge.
Avery surrendered immediately and was tried for murder. The jury deliberated for about ten minutes before finding him not guilty by reason of emotional insanity, accepting that the earlier beating and extreme provocation had driven him temporarily insane.
The verdict drew criticism in the Whig press, with questions raised about whether the law had been too lenient.
Avery's career survived the killing. He returned to the state legislature, led North Carolina's delegation to the Democratic National Convention in 1856, and became Speaker of the State Senate that same year.
His life ended in 1864, during the Civil War, after he was wounded while leading local militia against Unionists who had entered North Carolina from Tennessee.
This is one of those stories that shows just how seriously personal honor and public humiliation could be taken in nineteenth century North Carolina. A courtroom insult led to a brutal beating, and that beating ended with a fatal gunshot in front of a judge.
John D. Gossett ⚓️ retweeted
How incredibly telling (though ESPN will ignore it) that on the first weekend of play after it was declared inevitable that “college” football is going to a 24-team playoff, we have the perfect proof of why it is a HORRENDOUS idea…
Georgia, Notre Dame, Indiana, Alabama, and Texas all lost, making it a historic day of major upsets…
But, in a 24-team playoff world, NOT ONE of these results would mean ANYTHING to the losers. All the losing teams would still effectively be locks to get in!
This is not disputable! But the proponents of this system will celebrate what a great day this was, but with ZERO self awareness!
😡🤦♂️🤮
John D. Gossett ⚓️ retweeted
How I’d describe each top 25 team:
1. Georgia - ABC store (Any Body Can-get-it), just don’t drive after visiting.
2. Notre Dame - France in WW2. They technically won, but who’d they beat?
3. Miami - Cuban Cigar, they burn you, it feels illegal, but everyone wants what they have.
4. Ohio St. - Jeremiah Smith.
5. Indiana - The new Indiana Jones movie. They tried to do the same thing but it’s not quite the same.
6. Alabama - Heavyweight boxer. They can throw hands with the best of them, but one punch can cost them the game.
7. Texas - Wal-Mart. They have everything, but what you want. That’s a good product that you feel proud paying for.
8. BYU - Rodney Dangerfield. They get no respect.
9. Ole Miss - Running into a friend on vacation. What’re you doing here…in the top ten?
10. Texas Tech - Amarillo by morning, up from San Antone. Everything that Sorsby got, is just what he bet on
11. Utah - An old school John Wayne movie. The acting is horrible, the graphics are even worse. But damnit if you don’t enjoy it.
12. UCLA - Deshaun Foster. You forget that they’re there because of Stephen Davis (USC) but they might be better at this point.
13. Missouri - Stray dogs. They’ve lost before. They’ve got fleas, but they’re lovable and reliable.
14. Tennessee - a 1999 Honda Civic. It’s ugly. It’s missing a lot of key pieces. But, she’ll get you to a win.
15. Kentucky - a Waterbed with a leak. Sleep on them at your own risk.
16. Mississippi St. - see Kentucky.
17. Iowa - A closer. They’ve got two pitches, and are good in a jam. But they don’t have enough to go the distance.
18. Oklahoma St. - The first bonfire of the year. It took a minute to get started, but once it got going, it was HOT.
19. USC - Swiss cheese. They have strong taste, but anything can get through it.
20. Houston - a budding flower. It’s not spring yet, but you see something is about to emerge
21. Wake Forest - A Southern Baptist prayer circle. You forget you have them there, and then you realize how powerful they are when they show up. One sec, I need to call my grandma to get Wake to lose so Clemson can make it to Charlotte.
22. LSU - Kenny Chesney. This team has already been sky diving, Rocky Mountain climbing, and spent 2.7 seconds on a bull named the top 10.
23. Boise St. - Bingo Free Space. Congrats Boise, you are in the CFP (for now).
24. SMU - Apple turnovers. They taste so good but they will be the death of you.
25. Northwestern - Athletes Foot. You try to get rid of them but they keep showing back up.
John D. Gossett ⚓️ retweeted
Bad news for the good people of Minnesota. Somebody is going to have to catch a beating today and it just happens to be you guys
Readers added context they thought people might want to know
It was not the good people of Minnesota to catch the beating. It was in fact Michigan "men" that took it.
x.com/UMichFootball/…
John D. Gossett ⚓️ retweeted
There’s a lot of things we can debate, but the obvious awesomeness of Morris Day and the Time is not one of them ...
John D. Gossett ⚓️ retweeted
El momento en el que el gran Justin Verlander se da cuenta de que la encargada de ir a sacarlo del montículo por última vez en su carrera es su hija.
🥺⚾️
John D. Gossett ⚓️ retweeted
On Sept. 21-25, the North Carolina Community College System is celebrating the inaugural Credit for Prior Learning Awareness Week, meant to “to recognize and support the work being done to connect students to credit they’ve already earned.” ednc.org/9-14-2026-credit-fo…
John D. Gossett ⚓️ retweeted
We need more instructors for skilled trades, healthcare & high demand workforce occupations. @presleatherwood @abtechprez can develop the talent our region needs if they can hire instructors. There aren’t unemployed HVAC, nursing, etc. professionals.
citizen-times.com/story/news…
I KNEW IT!
New Study Proves Referees Are Totally Biased Against Your Team buff.ly/sC6pN8S
