Lots of interest out there in the doings of Terry Fox, judging from the number of entries in this week’s cartoon caption contest. Pictured at left is the winning caption from Joseph Mueller of Wichita. Click on the image to enlarge. Great runner-up too, from Roger Neugent of Haysville. Wichitan Bruce Cole came close as well with "Relax, we’re safe. He’s after that guy behind us in the rainbow-colored shirt." Larry England of Medicine Lodge submitted "Don’t worry. His aim is too far to the right." Bentley’s Jim Holler came up with "And now for a sermon from Dude-aronomy." From Karen Wallace of Wichita: "Contrary to popular belief, it’s a lasso, not a halo." Finally, Tim Leaf of Haysville sent a caption along with a photocopy of the page out of the Bible from which it came: "Didn’t God say in Psalm 50:2, ‘I will accept no bull from your house’?"
Our Labor Day editorial on today’s Opinion page features some thoughts about work and making a living from thinkers ranging from Abraham Lincoln to Homer Simpson. Feel free to add your thoughts.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
Sex offenders don’t deserve sympathy. But a Lawrence Journal-World article highlighted how the state’s offender registry system makes no distinction between pedophiles or rapists and those who made a bad mistake when they were younger.
One man profiled in the article is on the registry because he had consensual sex with a 15-year-old girl when he was 19. He has now been married to her for three years. The man deserved to be punished, but he argues that it is not fair — and is misleading to the public — that the registry treats someone like him the same as someone who grabbed a child off the street.
House Speaker Doug Mays, R-Topeka, said that there has been some concern by lawmakers about “Romeo and Juliet” relationships being included on the registry. “I think it’s something that has been looked at and continues to be looked at by the Legislature,” he said.
But rather than make some adjustments, such as providing more information so the public can understand why a person is on the registry, lawmakers keep increasing the penalties.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
In the context of the feud over funding of school resource officers, Wichita school board member Connie Dietz (in photo) made an observation last week that deserves to be debated in the community. At last Monday’s board meeting, she said she sees a major change in attitude at the city and Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce regarding Wichita public schools. “I’m very distressed about this change of attitude that I am perceiving, and that change of attitude is one that the schools and what happens in our schools is the school district’s business and nobody else’s business, and we’re all just going to bow out of it and let the school district alone to fight their own problems.”
Dietz has a good perspective on this issue, because she was a pioneer of the Business Education Success Team, a partnership between the district and the chamber, and has advocated a stronger bond between business and schools. She added that she doesn’t see the same attitude problem at Sedgwick County, which still partners with the district on juvenile justice and prevention issues.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
