Opinion
For 150 years, ‘Home’ has been wherever you sing this song
Brewster Higley is an enigma. When he came to Kansas in 1871, he was already pushing 50, so frontier life must have been a special challenge. Higley was a physician, what we would today call an ear, nose and throat specialist. But in rural and remote Smith County, up near the geographic center of the […]
Kyrsten Sinema is gambling that her filibuster vote will help her win again in 2024
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. Jim Small is the editor in chief of the Arizona Mirror, an affiliate of States Newsroom that first published this commentary. She may not have single-handedly derailed […]
Audio Astra: A sparkling grab-bag of eclectic audio stories
Audio Astra reviews recent audio reporting on Kansas news, including podcasts and radio stories. Eric Thomas directs the Kansas Scholastic Press Association and teaches visual journalism and photojournalism at the University of Kansas. School is back in session at KU, so my life is a bit frantic with prepping for the semester. Yet this week presented so […]
Like Quantrill’s violent raiders, GOP legislators in Kansas aim to stifle Lawrence progressives
Republicans in the Kansas Legislature are on the brink of accomplishing what pro-slavery forces in 1863 couldn’t quite manage: Silencing the progressives of Lawrence. Back then, William Quantrill and his raiders set much of the town ablaze and massacred more than 100. Lawrence was a free state stronghold, fiercely opposed to slavery, and its residents […]
5 things you can do if you’re overwhelmed by Kansas COVID-19 news
The latest COVID-19 wave has swept through Kansas, bringing not only illness but a feeling of beleaguered powerlessness. The last two years have left those of us who take the pandemic seriously exhausted and frustrated. The situation shouldn’t be this challenging, not with the vaccines and treatments we have available. We shouldn’t be battling science-denying […]
To support LGBTQ kids, Kansas parents and teachers must stand up against discriminatory practices
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. Rachel Showstack is associate professor of Spanish at Wichita State university and founder of Alce su voz, an organization that supports health equity for Spanish speakers […]
This anesthesiologist and state senator spins COVID-19 fairy tales as virus slams Kansas
Hey, Kansas Board of Healing Arts — you might want to check in with Dr. Mark Steffen, the state senator from Hutchinson and noted purveyor of COVID-19 lies. My predecessor in this opinion editor chair, the incomparable C.J. Janovy, wrote you a letter back in March about Steffen. Unfortunately, it must have gotten lost in […]
Do Kansas legislators understand that we’re all in the middle of a pandemic?
Does the Kansas Legislature know there’s a pandemic going on? Do Kansas senators and representatives understand that we’re all enduring a once-in-a-century event, one in which millions of people are falling ill and being hospitalized, with thousands dying each day? I ask because last week’s session launch demonstrated that state legislators aren’t just pursuing policies […]
Reclaiming Martin Luther King Jr. Day from watered-down convenience
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. The Rev. Michelle Higgins is founder and executive director of Faith for Justice and senior pastor St. John’s UCC-The Beloved Community in St. Louis. Mike Milton […]
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 […]
Week 98: A window facing north
You could feel the dread rolling over us like a cloud. There was a somber quality to all of the past week that imbued every sight and sound with a peculiar gravity, a murmuring at the edge of our consciousness that whispered despair. The weather was mild and the sunsets were pastel and I should […]
What is wishcycling? Two waste experts explain
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. Jessica Heiges is a PhD candidate in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management at the University of California, Berkeley. Kate O’Neill is a professor of Global Environmental […]