Opinion

L&T Publisher Earl Watt

Pick your poison on what caused it — the growth of the internet and social media, the lack of statesmen and stateswomen in public office, the biased education system — but the polarization of America is alive and well.

Any issue that seems to come up splits us straight down party lines.

For example, one political party embraced masks while the other rejected them during the pandemic.

GUEST COLUMN, Jon Styf, The Center Square

Tennessee conservative activist Robby Starbuck has continued to impact corporate policies on diversity, equity and inclusion and donations to pride events, most recently at companies such as Lowe’s, Jack Daniel’s, Indian Motorcycle and Polaris.

Starbuck previously made public policies at Harley-Davidson, John Deere and Tractor Supply that led to corporate statements on how the companies would shift policies to limit or eliminate DEI priorities.

SAINTS PERSPECTIVE, SCCC President Brad Bennett

It’s hard to believe that the Seward County Community College Foundation party auction will celebrate its 30th year this month. But it’s true. When guests and friends of the college head to the Seward County Event Center on Sept. 21, they are marking three decades of targeted, thoughtful fundraising by the College’s main supporting body, the Foundation.

And SCCC is fortunate to have this resource. Among the 19 community colleges in the state, SCCC’s Foundation ranks second in terms of its endowed funds. It’s a remarkable achievement when you consider our location, far from the metropolitan centers of Kansas society.

GUEST COLUMN, Vance Ginn, Kansas Policy Institute

As the debate over tariffs continues to dominate political discussions, Kansas finds itself caught in the crossfire of these trade policies. Though touted as a way to protect American industries, tariffs often act as hidden taxes that ultimately burden consumers and largely restrain economic growth and prosperity in the state.