Opinion
Grievance envy discounts the oppressed while denying them justice
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. Mark McCormick is the former executive director of The Kansas African American Museum and a member of the Kansas African American Affairs Commission. For decades, people […]
From alcohol to pain-relieving pot, Prohibition runs deep in Kansas
Amy Reid is serious about medical marijuana. She’s a Wichita registered nurse and president of the Kansas Cannabis Coalition. She describes herself as a cannabis navigator for her patients, and she is all business when it comes to advocating for medical weed. I couldn’t help but chuckle when she told me the name of a […]
Chasing rest in vain: the anatomy of sleepless nights
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. Dana Wormald is the editor in chief of the New Hampshire Bulletin. There’s a lot to worry about these days — and nights. I’ll refrain from […]
As Afghan refugees head to Kansas, lawmakers choose scaremongering over hospitality
U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall and U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner want you to know they’re deeply concerned about the nearly 500 Afghan refugees who might be headed to Kansas. They want you to be too, which is why they’re dropping scary sounding words. Terrorism. Taliban. Biden. MEASLES. The lawmakers had made much of the rushed U.S. […]
Audio Astra: When trickle down effects become a waterfall
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. When daily newspapers shed jobs during the last few decades, education reporters took a hard hit. The layoffs left one or two reporters to […]
Progressives beware: Don’t let values become casualties of the pandemic
The transition from summer to fall has been a challenging one for those of us with a progressive bent. Many of us feel fed up with the pace of our battle against COVID-19. Many of us blame those who refuse to get vaccinated or take basic safety precautions. You could watch the frustration seep through […]
Fed up with a discouraging status quo? Grassroots organizing holds the solution.
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. Steve Lopes was a union organizer for Kansas-NEA for 30 years. Kudos to Aaron Schwartz for his Sept. 1 letter of encouragement to teachers, which alerted […]
Kansas attorney general should stop playing footsie with fascism
Let’s talk about Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt for a moment. He’s tall. He’s folksy. He has a decent chance of becoming the next governor of Kansas. And he has a distressing history of playing footsie with fascism, catering to the worst impulses of his party. Sure, the A.G. is the state’s “chief legal officer […]
How to strengthen Kansas foster care and help children and families thrive
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. Linda Bass is president of KVC Kansas, a nonprofit of 450 professionals who strengthen families, prevent child abuse and neglect, and help people achieve mental health […]
It’s September 12. What now?
It’s been 20 years and a day since 9/11 changed us. The last troops have only days ago been airlifted from Afghan soil, ending America’s longest war, a conflict that was waged not against an enemy but a tactic. The Global War on Terror, of which Afghanistan and Iraq were the major theaters of operation, […]
Audio Astra: COVID insecurity in many different forms
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. COVID-19 has become so ingrained in our news coverage that I didn’t realize essentially all of the stories in this week’s Audio Astra are […]
For KU and K-State, new sports conferences could mean new opportunities
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. Paul Samberg is a senior at the University of Kansas studying journalism, Jewish studies and political science. Growing up in Connecticut, I seldom experienced the rah-rah […]