“Everything has only gotten more complicated since I’ve stumbled out of the closet, and I’ve realized there are new and dreadful ways that society at large perceives a body like mine,” Kimberly Lopez writes in this column.
Mackenzie Clark / The Lawrence Times
“Because this case is closed, we ethically can address misconceptions that have arisen from a misguided narrative based on supposition and speculation,” Douglas County DA Suzanne Valdez and defense attorney Jonathan Sternberg write in this column.
C.J. Janovy/Kansas Reflector
C.J. Janovy writes about what she learned on her trip to Lebanon, Kansas, “site of the Jeep commercial in which Bruce Springsteen begged Americans to walk back their fury at each other and find common ground,” in her last column for The Kansas Reflector.
“Through civil asset forfeiture, police may seize any property or money that they can claim may be connected to an alleged crime,” Kirsten Kuhn writes.
“As of June 18, 2021, Juneteenth is recognized as a national holiday. But the end of slavery was also a sweeping national declaration, and yet the material conditions of Black people were left largely unimproved,” Jameelah Jones writes.
Fally Afani/Contributed
Let’s take a brief look at each evening’s film along with a few other short statements submitted by Free State Festival participants.
“You open the app and you’re pleasantly surprised that you’re able to identify as nonbinary, only to immediately be misgendered in the next step by being forced to be perceived as either a man or a woman to others,” Kimberly Lopez writes.
“I believe districts are a bad idea for these 4 reasons: Accountability; issue focus; voter turnout; candidate turnout,” Matthew Herbert writes.
“I regard my needs as typical, not ‘special,’ and I prefer the term ‘disabled.’ This is the term favored by most disability activists who are involved in a civil rights movement and who are working to create a world where everyone with any type of disability is respected, accommodated, and can participate,” Dot Nary writes.
Karrey Britt/Contributed
Matt Cravens, data analyst for Douglas County, will present his summary of his most recent research, “What are Voting Habits and How are They Strengthened?” at the next League of Women Voters of Lawrence-Douglas County Hot Topic series.
