The Lawrence Times runs opinion columns written by community members with varying perspectives on local issues. Occasionally, we’ll also pick up columns from other nearby news outlets. These pieces do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Times staff.
The Lawrence Times does not publish staff editorials (unsigned opinion columns, usually about the topics we cover, that many news publications run).
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OPINION COLUMNS
Edith Guffey: Systemic disregard for Black people’s humanity is deeply woven into our culture (Column)
“Although separated by 140 years, the racial violence of 1882 is not disconnected from the systems of racial oppression and white supremacy that continue to flourish in our criminal justice, education, healthcare, housing — all of the systems that are foundational in this community,” Edith Guffey writes in this column.
Tom Harper / The Lawrence Times
Tom Harper: Demolition underway at Oldfather Studios; buildings preserve our shared history (Column)
Demolition is underway at Oldfather Studios at Ninth and Avalon in Lawrence. “This building was unique due to the number of people who spent hours in study, experimentation and work in their field, in addition to its interesting midcentury architectural design,” Tom Harper writes in this piece.
Will Averill: 8 things you should know about domestic violence, and 5 ways you can help (Column)
“October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a chance to reflect on how domestic violence impacts our community and learn more about what you can do to help,” Will Averill writes in this column.
Larryville Life / The Lawrence Times
LarryvilleLife and the Gateway to Hell: Behind the scenes at the Stull Haunted House and Theater
“It is a Wednesday evening, the first night of autumn, and I have a date with the devil in the old Masonic Temple,” LarryvilleLife begins in this sneak peek at Stull Haunted House and Theater.
Clay Wirestone: At anti-vax medicine show, plenty of hokum, grift and conspiracy mongering (Column)
“The same day that U.S. deaths from COVID-19 passed the toll of the Spanish flu pandemic, a modern-day medicine show rolled into Lenexa. Like the entertainments of old, this medicine show boasted cure-alls, rousing oratory, and shameless self promotion,” Clay Wirestone writes in this column for the Kansas Reflector.
Clay Wirestone: ‘Mission critical’: Four numbers that explain why abortion rights in Kansas face an urgent test (Column)
“Next summer, Kansas voters will decide on a constitutional amendment that, if passed, would make a Texas-style ban (on abortion) plausible here. States across the country are watching, and women could pay the price,” Clay Wirestone writes in this column.
Clay Wirestone: Progressives beware: Don’t let values become casualties of the pandemic (Column)
“I sympathize with the anger. But during this virus-riddled time, we can’t allow the pandemic to melt our minds. We should not want people who disagree with us — even if that disagreement takes the form of refusing a vaccine or mask — to forgo health insurance or medical care,” Clay Wirestone writes in this column.
Steve Lopes: Fed up with a discouraging status quo? Grassroots organizing holds the solution (Column)
“Many citizens are outraged by this or that, and that’s a good thing, but only if that energy is used to promote positive change. The obvious response is: Convert our collective anger to action through collective organizing,” Steve Lopes writes in this column.
Clay Wirestone: Kansas attorney general should stop playing footsie with fascism (Column)
“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,” Clay Wirestone writes in this column.
Kimberly Lopez: Gender is complex, and minds can change (Column)
“Multiple pronouns can be elusive. Pronouns are confusing and when you throw more than one into the mix, they can get even more difficult to grasp,” Kimberly Lopez writes in this column.
Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector
Sharon Brett: Redistricting efforts got off to a rough start, but we can still ensure a fair process for all (Column)
“Voters should choose their politicians — not the other way around,” Sharon Brett writes in this column.
Joerg Rieger: Slavery was the ultimate labor distortion; empowering workers today would be a form of reparations (Column)
The conversation about reparations for slavery entered a new stage in 2021, with the U.S. […]
Susan J. Demas: COVID should have made us all question the goals of ‘pro-life’ movement (Column)
The anti-abortion movement “was always about raw political power for the right. It was never about the preservation of human life,” Susan J. Demas writes in this column.
Aaron Schwartz: A letter of encouragement, and some words of warning, to my fellow teachers (Column)
“This year, teachers, we are on our own. We will be thanked, but we will not be kept safe. We will be called heroes, but we will not be advocated for,” Aaron Schwartz writes in this column.
Illustration by Kansas Reflector
Clay Wirestone: Disinformation caucus of Kansas GOP spreads dangerous falsehoods about COVID (Column)
“Elected officials owe their constituents more than representation. They owe them the truth,” Clay Wirestone writes in this column.
