Opinion
Schmidt’s Kansas campaign message: Listen to Virginia, Florida, New Jersey and Kentucky
Attorney General Derek Schmidt seems to believe that the pathway to the Kansas governor’s office involves making the race this fall as little about Kansas as possible. What else would you call the appearances with the governors from distant states like Virginia, Florida and New Jersey? Why would Schmidt highlight his stance against transgender students […]
At Topeka Gun & Knife Show, cruel ironies fester amid aisles of weapons
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. Tim Bascom directs the Kansas Book Festival and is the author of two memoirs, two collections of essays, and a novel. Rain is falling, but 50 to 60 […]
Kansas doesn’t have a brand while New York does? Fuhgeddaboudit!
Here’s a three-word response to New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ claim last week that Kansas doesn’t have a brand. Sunflowers, tornadoes and abolitionists. Here are a few more, for the sake of completeness. Bison, chili with cinnamon rolls, and the “Wizard of Oz.” With that out of the way, it’s worth asking why the […]
‘We’re live, we’re local’: Kansas Public Radio marks 70 years on the air
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. Dave Kendall served as producer and host of the “Sunflower Journeys” series on public television for its first 27 seasons and continues to produce documentary videos through […]
Kansas celebrates victories in football, our morally fraught national pastime
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. Eric Thomas directs the Kansas Scholastic Press Association and teaches visual journalism and photojournalism at the University of Kansas. I wrote this column once on Thursday. I flailed around […]
Butter, garage doors and SUVs: Why shortages remain common 2½ years into the pandemic
Shortages of basic goods still plague the U.S. economy — 2½ years after the pandemic’s onset turned global supply chains upside down. Want a new car? You may have to wait as long as six months, depending on the model you order. Looking for a spicy condiment? Supplies of Sriracha hot sauce have been running dangerously low. And […]
At a crossroads in my life, I became a substitute teacher in Kansas. Here’s what I learned.
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. Ashley Motley is currently working as an emergency substitute teacher in Manhattan. Last month, I left my communications position working for a statewide elected official. Experiencing the […]
Adventures in Kansas campaign lingo: Vote for me! Not that other person!
This morning, let’s imagine some homespun Kansas campaign rhetoric. It could be from the governor’s race. It could be from a U.S. House race. It could be from anyone you please. “My dear friends, I urge you to vote for me rather than my opponent! I’m fantastic, but they’re awful. “My opponent won’t confirm their […]
Kansans with disabilities face too many barriers. Help is available, but more needs to be done.
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. Rebecca Lyn Phillips is a published author, speaker and mental health advocate. I didn’t know much about disabilities or advocacy groups like the Disability Rights Center of […]
Without asking for it, transgender kids have been swept up into Kansas political imbroglio
Kansas politicians and school districts have contorted themselves in fury recently over simple requests of transgender students. Treat us fairly and inclusively. Call us by our names and treat us with respect. Value our lives. We saw it recently in Gardner Edgerton School District, as a proposed policy covering trans students would have forbidden teachers […]
At Nicodemus reunion, familial and Kansas history converge
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. Patricia E. Weems Gaston is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and the Lacy C. Haynes Professor at the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications. […]
Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott pull from segregationist playbook with anti-immigration stunts
As a historian of racism and white supremacy in the United States, I’ve become accustomed to callous actions like those of Republican governors who organized transportation for Latin American migrants to states run by their political opponents. Governors Greg Abbott in Texas and Ron DeSantis in Florida are following the playbook of segregationists who provided one-way bus tickets to Northern cities […]