GUEST COLUMN, Lamar Smith, retired member of Congress

Americans are fed up with the slowing economy and are taking their frustrations out on the incumbent party. Democrats romped to victory in last year's off-cycle elections and may do so again in the midterms this November.

Patent reform might not seem like an obvious tool for calming voters' economic anxieties. But the truth is, patent protections are essential to spurring the kind of innovation that creates jobs, grows the economy, and brings down prices.

Strong, consistently enforced patents allow inventors to profit from their original creations. They also provide investors with the confidence they need to make big bets on experimental technologies, processes, and business ideas.

L&T Publisher Earl Watt

Many are pointing to the infamous “Triple Play” as a reason to keep the selection of Kansas Supreme Court justices in the hands of a few.

Isn’t that exactly what was wrong with the Triple Play?

Let me explain:

When Fred Hall lost his primary election to remain as governor of Kansas in 1956, he devised a plan that short-circuited the judicial selection process.

Kansas Supreme Court Justice William Smith resigned, leaving a vacancy that would have to be filled by governor appointment.

THE POSTSCRIPT, Carrie Classon

I spent last week “up north” with my parents. While my husband, Peter, and my cat, Felix, stayed at home and played cat games, I drove up to my parents’ cabin four hours north.

The city was hot, but right now, even up north is hot. So I decided to go swimming.

I hadn’t been swimming in a long time. I walk in the woods every chance I get, but I don’t go in the water as often as I could. Sometimes it feels like a nuisance to get wet. Sometimes I get self-conscious putting on a bathing suit. Usually, I fret that the water will be too cold. I chicken out and take a walk instead.

MY PERSPECTIVE, Gary Damron

I believe because Jesus believed. My beliefs are not just statements; they are the lens through which I see my past, present, and future. His faith shapes everything. In John 14:9, Jesus said, “’Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.’”

Jesus believed He was the Son of God, and this profound conviction is at the center of my life. When He died on the cross, He provided forgiveness and opened the way to reconciliation with God. God raised Him from the dead, validating what He said and did. The Holy Spirit makes the promised relationship with God possible in our daily lives.