After the way Sedgwick County commissioners recoiled from a casino advisory vote, it’s been remarkable to see commissioners in Harvey County and, as of Monday, Marion County quickly and unanimously find the political will to approve such ballots. None of this may matter, of course, should legislative proposals to expand gambling collapse again next spring. But should the pressure to find new revenue at last prove greater than opposition to gambling, each of these other counties will be well-positioned to welcome a casino that will suck money out of Sedgwick County.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
The weekend vote on the Iraqi draft constitution was another small but important step toward democracy for that country — and perhaps toward an eventual U.S. military withdrawal.
The vote contained several bright spots for the Bush administration. Turnout was large — even among minority Sunnis who largely rejected the new constitution — suggesting that most Iraqis have bought into the political process. It was also a relief to hear that Election Day bloodshed was minimal — insurgents apparently decided to fight another day.
And that is the bad news: There is evidence that the insurgency continues to grow in strength despite the incremental political progress. The Bush administration’s central thesis — that as democratic institutions in Iraq take root, the insurgency will lose popular support and wither — doesn’t seem to be happening, at least not yet.
After the Dec. 15 election to elect a new Iraqi parliament, an anxious world will begin to see whether the new government can pull together its fractious ethnic and religious elements and stand on its own. Will we see political accommodation or outright civil war?
Posted by Randy Scholfield
It’s a long way from the days when Congress was arguing over how to spend the surplus, but it’s noteworthy that the federal deficit shrank from 2004′s record $412 billion to $319 billion for the 2005 budget year that just ended. Too bad the progress, attributable to higher tax revenues because of the economy’s improvement, will be undone by the monumental costs of rebuilding the Gulf Coast.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
An Ohio professor made a key point during a recent debate with an intelligent design proponent from Kansas that is missed by many during our state’s evolution squabbles. Lawrence Krauss, a professor of physics and astronomy at Case Western Reserve University, noted that teachers can discuss the idea of intelligent design if they want to, just as history teachers can tell their students that some people think the Holocaust didn’t happen. But that’s different from putting those views into the testing standards for an entire state. The state shouldn’t mandate standards that the professionals in those fields overwhelmingly reject.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
It’s too late to observe Banned Books Week 2005 (Sept. 24-Oct. 1), but it’s not too late to ponder this list of 2004′s most frequently challenged books in school libraries, as documented by the American Library Association: "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier. "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers. "Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture" by Michael A. Bellesiles. The Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey. "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky. "What My Mother Doesn’t Know" by Sonya Sones. "In the Night Kitchen" by Maurice Sendak. "King & King" by Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland. "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou. "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck.
The total number of formal challenges to school library books was up last year — 547 nationally, compared with 458 in 2003. What’s odd is that 2004 was the first time in the past five years that Harry Potter didn’t make the list. Maybe if Harry and Ron come out as gay lovers in the final book . . . .
Posted by Rhonda Holman
It was sad to see the myriad changes at Exploration Place include the departure of astronomer Martin Ratcliffe, whose work as director of the CyberDome Theatre began even two years before the attraction opened in 2000. His passion for science was central to the center’s identity, both among local stargazers and international scientists and planetarium professionals. As Ratcliffe moves on, Exploration Place officials must ensure that the programming in the impressive 60-foot domed theater lives up to its high-tech potential.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
