From Marion to Vietnam, governments don’t like secrets exposed
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 […]
With Kansas election season winding down, consider the benefits of being a mugwump
It is hard to become, and then remain, a bona fide political mugwump. A mugwump is someone who wants to remain aloof from party politics. I find snake balls more fascinating than a political gathering of like-minded pachyderms and mules who believe in the sainted majesty of their leaders. As the cowboy poker players would warn, never […]
An absence of malice: Free speech precedent could be up for grabs in shifting media landscape
American watchers of the U.S. Supreme Court keep looking for the one phrase that strikes terror into the hearts of those who want courts to make law rather than leave it to the legislatures. That phrase is: “We should reconsider our jurisprudence in this area.” It’s a siren call to judicial review, where five members […]
In electing lawmakers, Kansans might want to look past active-verb artists
True Story: The 2022 Kansas Legislature recessed in early April before coming back to a veto session. During the break, several legislators, the attorney general, and the governor decided to go on safari. While stretching their legs outside the jeep, a lion jumped out of the bushes and cornered the attorney general. The others scream […]
Want to find real election fraud? Look at the history of Kansas, United States in 1800s
The late Congressman John Lewis, a civil rights warrior in the Martin Luther King Jr. mold, chucked a rock at Kansas during his last year in office when he said there were more UFO sightings in Kansas than allegations of provable voter fraud. Lewis died before seeing the 2020 presidential election’s aftermath. Former President Donald […]
In supporting Ukrainians’ struggle, let’s not go crazy by canceling Russia’s rich culture
If we want to root for Ukraine and back their efforts against Russia, that’s OK. But we don’t have to get crazy in the process.
Remembering Kansas’ own Bob Dole: Will we see his like again?
Remembering Kansas’ own Bob Dole: Will we see his like again? by Ron Smith, Kansas Reflector 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 […]
Removing sales tax on food creates a mess — why not add tax holidays instead?
Removing sales tax on food creates a mess — why not add tax holidays instead? by Ron Smith, Kansas Reflector 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 […]
CRT Is Not Ban-ible
John Micek’s June 4, 2021 column in my local newspaper was, “Fight Over Critical Race Theory Hits the Statehouse.” My classical liberalism background tells me this is a form of First Amendment blasphemy. At least it should be. Because journalists are not getting enough constitutional law in their J-schools, those like Micek often step into […]
Illegal Hunting of Mallard
Illegal Cancel Culture Hunting!! They have shot Mallard Fillmore. The cowards. The wonderfully conservative and a funny comic strip by Bruce Tinsley has been shot by the Gannett Newspapers. Cancel cultured. We’re not sure whether Tinsley received a last cigarette before he was blindfolded and stood against the wall. The barbarians. The Gannett’s brass, idiots […]
