Washington — With the passing of Jean Vanier on May 7, the sum of the world’s welcoming kindness diminished appreciably. More than 50 years ago, Vanier sparked an unlikely movement of conscience. Shocked by the despair and loneliness he found at a psychiatric hospital outside Paris, ...
The Kansas Supreme Court ruled recently that the state constitution protects a woman’s right to an abortion. Conservative politicians in Topeka may back putting a constitutional amendment on the 2020 ballot to counter that ruling. If a lengthy abortion campaign is looming, then let’s start ...
Washington — The progressive catechism teaches that there is “too much money” in politics. A codicil to this tenet, written in fine print, is that the term “money” does not apply to money from George Soros, government employees unions, private-sector unions, trial lawyers, ...
Washington — Behind last week’s admission by a former CIA officer that he plotted to spy for China lies an astonishing tale of Beijing’s espionage against America — and the vindication of other CIA officers who were falsely suspected of being the Chinese mole. This saga has a classic ...
There are people who do not matter much. That’s a painful truth, starkly at odds with our Jeffersonian creed and national mythology. But it is a truth, nevertheless, one frequently proven in actions if denied in words. In this country, by dint of race, gender, class or status, some people ...
To the editor: Why is this city intent on spending so much on Queens Road? There are only three houses on one side of Queens Road; the road as-is is fine. The new apartments/homes gain nothing by a wider Queens Road. Without the expansion of Queens Road, the city won’t get additional taxes ...
To the editor: I have just finished reading John Meacham’s 2018 book “The Soul of America,” and recommend it to anyone. He relates how great leaders and the nation surmounted crises in our history and how their successes can encourage us in any current crisis. It is not overtly ...
To the editor: On a recent Sunday the Lawrence All British Car Club shared the delights of the Tulip Festival in the town of Wamego. This is a small Kansas town that identifies with the story of “The Wizard of Oz,” and it personifies the wonderful, comforting spirit of being safe and ...
To the editor: Now that the dust – or slime – has settled on 2019 legislative session, let’s remember that two conservative leaders, Sen. Susan Wagle and Sen. Jim Denning, were responsible for thwarting the will of the governor, the majority of legislators, small hospitals, medical ...
To the editor: Affordable housing we assume is being directed at those of the financially challenged population. Therefore every affordable home should include the most energy efficient design and appliances. After all, I can think of no other population more in need of such. Richard ...
Editor’s Note: Views from Kansas is a regular feature that highlights editorials and other viewpoints from across the state. The Docking State Office Building poses challenges for the Kansas state government. It’s largely empty and neglected. It would cost many millions to repair. But as ...
Feb. 19, 1942, was not President Franklin Roosevelt’s finest day. Some 10 weeks after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, FDR signed Executive Order 9066, which violated the legal rights of some 120,000 Japanese Americans. In short order, people of Japanese descent were given just 48 hours to ...
Washington — At a time when America is facing a potential military confrontation with Iran, an escalating trade war with China and a showdown with North Korea, you’d think President Trump would want a permanent secretary of defense to oversee Pentagon plans. But Patrick Shanahan is still ...
Of course Robert Mueller should testify before Congress. Whether the special counsel’s testimony will be particularly illuminating, though, is far from certain. While Mueller may be special in many ways, communication does not seem to be one of those ways. In his defense, communicating in ...
There aren’t many advantages to being old — and at nearly 72, I qualify — but having actually lived through historic events gives one certain insights. From 1972 to 1974, I was a young staffer on the House Judiciary Committee. I was hired to the professional staff even though I did not ...
Washington — Conservatives sometimes accuse the academic left of ignoring the good in American history and emphasizing the horrors. But in some respects, the typical telling of the American story does not focus enough on the horrors. As I recall from my distant youth, American history texts ...
We’re in the last week of the semester here at Kent State, when graduating seniors have reached the zombie stage of stress, and everyone else, it seems, is somewhere else, even when they’re sitting right in front of you. As a teacher, it can be a challenge in these last days to find that ...
Washington — Why aren’t Democratic presidential candidates talking more about foreign policy? Are they being shrewd in playing down a divisive concern that is not at the front of voters’ minds, or are they missing an opportunity? The right answer is: Both. A new study by the Center ...
This is a column about saving whiteness. It’s precipitated by an incident last Saturday at a bookstore in Washington. Seems that author Jonathan M. Metzl was giving a presentation when a group of white nationalists barged in. They formed a phalanx between him and the audience, and one of ...
Washington — While constitutional lawyers, ethicists and theologians — in descending order of importance in the abortion debate — have been arguing in the 46 years since the Supreme Court attempted to settle the debate, some technologists have been making a consequential contribution to ...