Author

Ron Smith
Ron Smith is a fifth-generation Kansan, a native of Manhattan, an attorney practicing in Larned, a grandfather several times over, a Vietnam veteran and a civil war historian. He has written a variety of historical articles about 19th century lawyers for the Journal of the Kansas Bar Association and a biography of Thomas Ewing Jr., the state’s first chief justice, published by the University of Missouri Press. His Civil War novel, “The Wastage” was released in 2018.
We welcomed an abandoned dog into our family. But dog dumping harms animals and people alike.
By: Ron Smith - November 17, 2023
In early October, I went outside the house to check on an outbuilding shed door. The Kansas wind had been howling and the door had blown open. Something that looked like a white sheet of plastic had blown up against the fence by our gate. I walked out to the gate and about 10 feet […]
From Marion to Vietnam, governments don’t like secrets exposed
By: Ron Smith - September 28, 2023
Kansas newspapers and media have been falling all over themselves to cover the efforts by the Marion police, assisted by a search warrant signed by a magistrate judge, to confiscate files and computers and other stuff of the Marion County Record. This was a small town newspaper and most small towns have their own unique […]
Words from a legendary columnist offer political wisdom for Kansas, United States
By: Ron Smith - June 27, 2023
I hereby declare Erma Bombeck our National Humorist Emerita après la mort, clothed in an ermine-ringed Balenciaga and holding a gold-plated soup ladle as her bâton de maréchal. The award cannot be given, of course. Erma died in 1996, having “used up every bit of talent (God) gave me.” However, during her life, her writings […]
With Kansas election season winding down, consider the benefits of being a mugwump
By: Ron Smith - November 23, 2022
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. Ron Smith is a fifth-generation Kansan, a native of Manhattan, an attorney practicing in Larned, a grandfather several times over, a Vietnam veteran and a civil war […]
Frontier Kansas lawyers plied their trade ‘on grounds of general intelligence’
By: Ron Smith - October 27, 2022
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. Ron Smith is a fifth-generation Kansan, a native of Manhattan, an attorney practicing in Larned, a grandfather several times over, a Vietnam veteran and a civil war […]
An absence of malice: Free speech precedent could be up for grabs in shifting media landscape
By: Ron Smith - October 13, 2022
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. Ron Smith is a fifth-generation Kansan, a native of Manhattan, an attorney practicing in Larned, a grandfather several times over, a Vietnam veteran and a civil war […]
In electing lawmakers, Kansans might want to look past active-verb artists
By: Ron Smith - June 28, 2022
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. Ron Smith is a fifth-generation Kansan, a native of Manhattan, an attorney practicing in Larned, a grandfather several times over, a Vietnam veteran and a civil war […]
Want to find real election fraud? Look at the history of Kansas, United States in 1800s
By: Ron Smith - May 8, 2022
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. Ron Smith is a fifth-generation Kansan, a native of Manhattan, an attorney practicing in Larned, a grandfather several times over, a Vietnam veteran and a civil war […]
In supporting Ukrainians’ struggle, let’s not go crazy by canceling Russia’s rich culture
By: Ron Smith - March 17, 2022
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. Ron Smith is a fifth-generation Kansan, a native of Manhattan, an attorney practicing in Larned, a grandfather several times over, a Vietnam veteran and a civil […]
Remembering Kansas’ own Bob Dole: Will we see his like again?
By: Ron Smith - December 6, 2021
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. Ron Smith is a fifth-generation Kansan, a native of Manhattan, an attorney practicing in Larned, a grandfather several times over, a Vietnam veteran and a civil […]
Removing sales tax on food creates a mess — why not add tax holidays instead?
By: Ron Smith - November 27, 2021
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. Ron Smith is a fifth-generation Kansan, a native of Manhattan, an attorney practicing in Larned, a grandfather several times over, a Vietnam veteran and a civil […]