The pieces in this section are generally written by members of the Lawrence community and those who have close ties. In addition, the Times is offering some space for area organizations and organizers to provide updates and attempt to reach other folks who might share their mission.
The Lawrence Times does not publish staff editorials (unsigned opinion columns, usually about the topics we cover, that many news publications run).
Want to submit a letter or column to the Times? Great! Click here to find out how.
OPINION COLUMNS
Mackenzie Clark/Lawrence Times
Clay Wirestone: I knew Kansas officials would overstep after Marion raid. I didn’t expect it to be in Lawrence. (Column)
”The fiasco in Marion generated national attention. This dustup in Douglas County will likely fly under the radar, given that it was conducted in the far more restrained forum of legal filings. But we should all be on notice,” Clay Wirestone writes in this Kansas Reflector column.
Tara Wallace: Fixing Kansas’ child welfare system requires the voices of families ‘closest to the pain’ (Column)
”When those living in poverty are dehumanized, no voice can be heard. There is no opportunity to create understanding and no possibility of change,” Tara Wallace writes in this Kansas Reflector column.
Clay Wirestone: Kansas newspaper raid draws plenty of attention, but journalists defy threats across U.S. (Column)
”When powerful people go after journalists and news outlets, they go after everyone. … Let’s look at outrages big and small from across the United States,” Clay Wirestone writes in this Kansas Reflector column.
Doug Anstaett: Kansas Reporters’ Shield Law, passed by huge majorities, should have prevented raid on Marion paper (Column)
”Under the shield law, those who wish to subpoena interview recordings, unpublished notes and other information gained through the newsgathering process must allow those being subpoenaed to have their day in court before proceeding,” Doug Anstaett writes in this Kansas Reflector column.
Clay Wirestone: Powerful voices speak up for Kansas paper after shocking raid. Meanwhile, where’s the affidavit? (Column)
“The question isn’t whether reporters are above the law. It’s whether Marion law enforcement is above the law,” Clay Wirestone writes in this Kansas Reflector column.
Clay Wirestone: In Marion County newspaper raid, a grim threat to Kansans’ First Amendment rights (Column)
”The outrageous law enforcement assault on the Marion County Record newspaper raises a veritable forest of red flags,” Clay Wirestone writes in this Kansas Reflector column.
LETTERS TO THE TIMES
Letter to the Times: Kansas elections are free, fair and safe
”Repeating lies doesn’t change them into truths. More civic engagement, not cynicism, is what democracy needs to survive,” Sonja Czarnecki writes in this letter to the Times.
Letter to the Times: Added barriers to self-determination
”I was just so surprised that the distinguished professor lecture on barriers and self-determination will not be available by Zoom or webinar or as audio,” Juanita Carlson writes in this letter to the Times.
Letter to the Times: Turning neighborhoods into marketplaces without children
”There is a long-term financial advantage for cities to stabilize their modest housing stock and the infrastructure which already exists by utilizing district overlays that provide a level playing field for working families to buy into the market and become long-term residents,” Deborah Snyder writes in this letter to the Times.
ORG CORNER
Watkins Museum of History: Professor to share story from WWI-era postcard (Announcement)
During a Tuesday event, a professor will share an account of two Native American men, one of them local to Lawrence, who fought in World War I and are connected by a postcard discovered a century later.
Bishop Seabury Academy: Students’ projects showcased at the Smithsonian museums (Announcement)
Two Bishop Seabury Academy students had their projects showcased at the Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C. recently as part of the National History Day competition.
Douglas County Master Gardeners: Join us this weekend for garden inspiration (Announcement)
”Douglas County Extension Master Gardeners invite you to join us for a weekend filled with garden inspiration including a Garden Tour, Native Plant Sale, and Garden Art Sale,” the gardeners write.
FROM THE STACKS
Note: Staff members at the Lawrence Public Library write blog posts about books, bookish things and other media. The Times is reposting some of those blogs in this feature, From the Stacks. Find many other blog posts, titles referenced in these posts and much more on the library’s website, lplks.org.
Contributed image
From the Stacks: What I learned about tardigrades, aka ‘water bears’
Tardigrades “have inched their way into the public imagination in recent years. For one thing, they are cute as heck, especially for a microscopic creature that doesn’t really have a face,” Dan Coleman writes in this piece for the Lawrence Public Library.
From the Stacks: Green spaces of Douglas County
“I thought I would write up and share a few of my favorite off-the-beaten-path corners of Douglas County,” Dan Coleman writes.
Contributed
From the Stacks: Goodbye storytime, hello book club
Angela Hyde writes about the benefits and bonding experience of starting a book club with tweens and teens.
