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In a local dispute over Pride Month, profound questions about faith and government in Kansas
Public officials’ actions can be flawed or a fraud. Yet some people applaud. June 12, Salina’s city commission offered a prime example. A routine proclamation was read and signed by the mayor. It recognized Pride Month and celebrated LGBTQ contributions to city, state and country. Standard stuff. Imagine everyone’s surprise, then, when new commissioner and […]
In their paroxysms against ‘woke’ culture, Kansas legislators wound our health and environment
“Woke culture run amok.” Thus spake Ty Masterson, Senate president, dismissing the governor, or any others blocking his agenda. This attitude, every day, damages the climate of our health and the health of our climate. Our health is damaged by our lack of Medicaid expansion. Any sane examination of that effort soon becomes, well, insane. […]
Why do right-wing voices dominate the AM dial? Decades of change cemented shift.
Say something on social media and it’s out there for eternity. No matter where, it can be traced. So you are ultimately accountable, for better or worse. Say something on AM talk radio, however, and it vanishes into the ether. If asked about it later, you can just shrug your shoulders and turn away. Imagine, […]
How venomous voices from right-wing radio radicalized Kansas and the rest of America
The Kansas Reflector welcomes opinion pieces from writers who share our goal of widening the conversation about how public policies affect the day-to-day lives of people throughout our state. David Norlin is a retired Cloud County Community College teacher, where he was department chairman of communications/English, specializing in media. For better than half a lifetime, I’ve […]
Election results show Kansans willing to converse — but not take decisive action
The Kansas Reflector welcomes opinion pieces from writers who share our goal of widening the conversation about how public policies affect the day-to-day lives of people throughout our state. David Norlin is a retired Cloud County Community College teacher, where he was department chairman of communications/English, specializing in media. I walked doors this election. I talked […]
Now’s the time for Kansans to wade out of the water of meaningless anti-abortion rhetoric
The Kansas Reflector welcomes opinion pieces from writers who share our goal of widening the conversation about how public policies affect the day-to-day lives of people throughout our state. David Norlin is a retired Cloud County Community College teacher, where he was department chairman of communications/English, specializing in media. There’s that old adage about fish not […]
What’s the matter? Consumerism and complacency threaten both Kansas and country
The Kansas Reflector welcomes opinion pieces from writers who share our goal of widening the conversation about how public policies affect the day-to-day lives of people throughout our state. David Norlin is a retired Cloud County Community College teacher, where he was department chairman of communications/English, specializing in media. “What’s the Matter with Kansas?” Thomas Frank […]
As Kansas Legislature meddles in public education, words from great uncle George resonate today
The Kansas Reflector welcomes opinion pieces from writers who share our goal of widening the conversation about how public policies affect the day-to-day lives of people throughout our state. David Norlin is a retired Cloud County Community College teacher, where he was department chairman of communications/English, specializing in media. Among my first rules of debate: Never […]
A year after the insurrection, Sen. Jerry Moran could stand on principle and safeguard our nation
The Kansas Reflector welcomes opinion pieces from writers who share our goal of widening the conversation about how public policies affect the day-to-day lives of people throughout our state. David Norlin is a retired Cloud County Community College teacher, where he was department chairman of Communications/English, specializing in media. Dear Sen. Moran, I address you not […]
Community media can bind us together. So why don’t we support it more?
The Kansas Reflector welcomes opinion pieces from writers who share our goal of widening the conversation about how public policies affect the day-to-day lives of people throughout our state. David Norlin is a retired Cloud County Community College teacher, where he was department chairman of Communications/English, specializing in media. On Sunday, June 27, a former Salina […]
The Kansas Legislature’s majority suffers from a poverty of imagination and humility
The Kansas Reflector welcomes opinion pieces from writers who share our goal of widening the conversation about how public policies affect the day-to-day lives of people throughout our state. David Norlin is a retired Cloud County Community College teacher, where he was department chairman of Communications/English, specializing in media. Kansans are stereotyped as people growing wheat […]
The Kansas Legislature’s power imbalance stifles legitimate debate
The Kansas Reflector welcomes opinion pieces from writers who share our goal of widening the conversation about how public policies affect the day-to-day lives of people throughout our state. David Norlin is a retired Cloud County Community College teacher, where he was department chairman of Communications/English, specializing in media. Our Legislature should be the ultimate debate […]