As the Mayan survivors of Efrain Rios Montt's dictatorship tell their stories in a Guatemalan courtroom, we would do well to remember that our nation has been more involved in their tragedy than many of us are willing to admit.
Former Kansas City Council member Teresa Loar went to Afghanistan for work and came back with a new education. She stressed that it was not the Afghan people who were to be feared. It was the mishmash of Taliban and other insurgents.
The new “face” of poverty is actually a shape. An overweight hungry person draws little sympathy. But poverty in America is becoming so linked to obesity that the image advocates need to portray is one they loathe to print in brochures asking for aid.
Some will say that Tomas Young agreed to die a long time ago. The 33-year-old Iraq war veteran is lying in a bed in Kansas City under hospice care, intent on soon stopping life-sustaining drugs and nourishment. But this is not a preordained event, one that he himself invited.
U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts wants to “restore integrity” to America’s food stamp program, but his plan to slash $36 billion from the program bears markings of a harmful attitude toward the people who need help.
Google is surely pleased by the deal cut with Olathe. They did more than just ramp up the appetite for who will be next for high-speed Internet. The way the agreement is crafted, there will also be far less glaring attention to the digital divide in Olathe.
This is the social question of the moment. How far will Pope Francis go to press his natural constituency on the right wing to establish a more just economic order?
Longstanding relationships, be they familial or civic, are bringing to Kansas City the 2015 convention of the National Council of La Raza, led by Kansas City, Kan., native Janet Murguia (pictured). It’s about time.
Kansas City’s young people deserve better than they got from a “twerkfest” that ended in gunfire last weekend. When young people have safer places to push boundaries, more positive things going on in their lives, they’ll be less apt to rush to an event where their safety is compromised.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has long advocated a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Yet in a new book, he has flip-flopped on the path-to-citizenship issue.
Bishop Gregorio Rosa Chavez of El Salvador was in Kansas City over the weekend and he shared stories of his friend and collaborator, of Archbishop Oscar Romero (pictured), who was martyred 33 years ago and whose activism drew the ire of the Vatican.
With the massive project under way to wire the community with Google Fiber, we’ll see more digging in the next few years. With that, it’s safe to assume crews will clip more gas lines. The question is whether cutting bureaucracy for business comes at the expense of public safety.
There is danger in congratulating ourselves too readily on the progress we have made on civil rights. It tempts us to overlook what is being done today to deny those same rights. In the case of certain members of the Supreme Court, the attitude has ossified into a brittle arrogance.
Current Kansas liquor laws amount to a 60-year legislative hijacking of the business of booze. The limitations make no sense for consumers. Problem is, this system has gone on so long that changing it would upend many small liquor stores.
A friend stepped forward Wednesday for restaurateur Jimmy Frantze. He is being offered a centuries-old saber, a symbol of the esteem JJ’s reached before the business was destroyed in a natural gas explosion last week.
With the rate of gun ownership declining, the place of firearms in American culture is withering on its own. Industry and political efforts to resuscitate it need to be understood and, when appropriate, challenged in that context.
The political tit-for-tat on guns in Missouri and Kansas is mostly silly, not inciting. The challenge is not to get riled by antics and fail to grasp rational efforts that could deter gun violence.
JJ’s restuarant is gone and one of his staff is still missing. Jimmy Frantze is focused, just as he has been since hearing the news that the restaurant has exploded while he was in Oklahoma on other business.
We all pay for the costs of not educating all children well. America needs the brainpower, talents and labor of all its children. Savvy business owners know that to get the most out of a workforce, you invest in it at all levels. The business of running a nation is no different. It’s time to invest.
A broader understanding of hate-crime laws is one goal several government agencies plan to reach by enhancing the investigation of such incidents in this region.
Leave a dog locked in a car and people rush to authorities, on the alert to avert the perceived threat. Chain your 17-year-old son to a pole, let him wander the neighborhood at all hours, shivering under trees at night, and the response won’t be quite so immediate.
Former Missouri Rep. Tim Flook arrived at the press conference armed with show and tell — his daughter’s American history book. The volume was tucked under his arm, ready for anyone needing a reminder of Latino contributions to the United States.
Did Sonia Sotomayor choose the wrong profession? The U.S. Supreme Court justice is rocking her book tour, packing venues and leaving social media atwitter with accounts of her warmth and vitality.
Ladies, a man can ask the Internet how long it will take for you to die by suffocation. Another search can give tips on disposing of your dead body and ways of camouflaging it. Prosecutors contend John Meredith Hodges performed both searches in murdering Franchesca Brown, whom he met on an Internet dating site.
Economic boon or burden, what is the impact of legal and illegal immigration to Missouri and Kansas? Too often, the reply is backed by emotion, not facts. Now we have two studies — one for Kansas and one for Missouri — that answer the question, which has befuddled politicians, voters and business owners alike.
Consider this a hesitant first date. Passing sensible immigration reform is a way Republicans can show some respect and lay the groundwork for a more committed and equal partnership on issues more meaningful to Latino voters.
The current rush to buy firearms and the dramatic increase in people seeking conceal and carry permits needs to be equally matched by heightened awareness of gun safety. Make it a tough love approach if necessary, with photos of young people dead and maimed by suicide and accidental gunshots.
The tensions between Bishop Robert Finn and the Kansas City-based National Catholic Reporter are the tip of this iceberg. Faith-based pushback to health care reform is where eyes and ears should focus. That’s the building battle that will affect people far beyond the Catholic faith. The fact is many bishops are out of step with their flocks when it comes to contraception.
For too long, portions of the military have continued to be a “no girls allowed” clubhouse. Change that, and the disgusting institutional culture of misogyny will be pushed to change as well. Such change might occur now that the Pentagon is lifting the ban on women in combat.
For those intent on deriding the Kansas City School District at every turn, the idea of charter schools is often an appealing alternative. A more realistic view would see the schools as an education option for families, but not a silver bullet for everything ailing public schools.
