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
Tom Harper/Lawrence Times
Tom Harper: Look up to spot this Lawrence holiday tradition (Column)
”The annual placement of the nativity scene on the Hillcrest Shopping Center pleases many in Lawrence who honor the Christian tradition, and even those who simply appreciate the kitsch of this local holiday tradition,” Tom Harper writes in this column.
Clay Wirestone: Kansas Supreme Court justice resigns as teacher after KU protests antigay speaker. Bless his heart. (Column)
”Stegall outlined the situation and his claims in a six-page letter, packed with the kind of petty grievances one might expect to read in the diary of a middle schooler, and resigned his adjunct faculty position,” Clay Wirestone writes in this Kansas Reflector column.
Max Kautsch: Dear Kris Kobach: Please read this open letter about open government in Kansas (Column)
”Kansans have given you the responsibility to serve as the state’s primary enforcer of open government laws,” Max Kautsch writes in this open letter to Kris Kobach.
Eric Thomas: Midterm squabbles distract from parties that remain ideologically unified, polarized (Column)
“When compared to the lockstep coordination within parties today, previous eras were a madhouse of party disloyalty,” Eric Thomas writes in this Kansas Reflector column.
Clay Wirestone: After an unhinged election season, results in Kansas suggest a sensible streak (Column)
“After all the drama, all the accusations and mudslinging, election evening in Kansas was — dare I say it? — a bit of an anticlimax,” Clay Wirestone writes in this Kansas Reflector column.
Clay Wirestone: With Kansas elections approaching fast, I searched for peace in this tranquil hideaway (Column)
”Whatever our country is, and whatever it becomes, it will need as many people of goodwill as possible,” Clay Wirestone writes in this Kansas Reflector column.
LETTERS TO THE TIMES
Letter to the Times: Vote to retain state court judges
“Vote ‘yes’ to retain all of our judges so there are no judge vacancies for Schmidt to fill if he wins the governor’s race,” Amii Castle writes in this letter to the Times.
Letter to the Times: ‘Independent as a hog on ice’
”Before I voted last week against Skeksis-like Kansas GOP powermongers, first I switched my party affiliation again: to Independent, where I belong,” A. Reed writes in this letter to the Times.
Letter to the Times: Start asking reps to take action on climate change (even Republicans!)
”I asked how often (U.S. Rep. Tracey) Mann’s offices heard from individuals about climate change. The answer: rarely,” Bailey Mareu writes in this letter to the Times.
ORG CORNER
Kansas Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence: Survivors must be allowed to make own health care decisions (Column)
“We know that the trauma and violence of sexual assault and domestic violence strike at the core of a victim’s ability to control their own life. … Regaining personal autonomy is fundamental to healing and survival,” KCSDV writes in this column.
SOS497
Save Our Schools 497: Lawrence school district should move forward with a comprehensive plan (Column)
“Prior to any further discussion about school closures, we call on the school board to create a procedure for best practices when considering school closures and to adopt this procedure moving forward,” Save Our Schools 497 writes in this column.
#BeMoreLikeClaire: Power of collective generosity is helping Douglas County (Column)
“Over the past four years, through the power of collective generosity, #BeMoreLikeClaire has awarded more than $195,825 in grants to area nonprofits, with the vast majority located in Douglas County,” organization leaders write in this column.
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.
From the Stacks: Reclaiming memory and history in ‘Last Night at the Telegraph Club’
“Queer history is vital to a queer future. Reclaiming spaces in history that were occupied by real people through fiction is just as vital,” Margo Moore writes.
