By Sherman Smith | editor-in-chief
Good morning!
Max McCoy/Kansas Reflector
OPINION
Welcome to American Deconstruction. Our democracy is fractured, but not yet beyond repair.
By Max McCoy
There’s an American flag hanging downtown that is frayed and ripping apart at the seams. It hangs mostly together and is recognizable as a flag when there is no wind, but with the breeze the red and white stripes flutter independently of one another. If the wind really kicks up, it all becomes a writhing mess.
I won’t identify the street it’s on, or the business that owns the property, for fear of calling scorn down upon whoever placed it there. Perhaps they left the flag up during too many seasons on purpose, hoping it will outlast our current political moment. But intended or not, I have seen few symbols that are more appropriate to where we find ourselves as a nation.
It also makes me a little sick.
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Trump ‘slush fund’ echoes scorned 19th-century spoils system, academics say
President Donald Trump’s extraordinary $1.776 billion fund to pay off allies and others who say they have been wronged by past administrations has drawn widespread condemnation by opponents, including some Republicans, who characterize it as an act of brazen corruption.
But the Trump administration’s push to reward its supporters also harkens back to an earlier era of American cronyism, experts say, while expanding the frontiers of political favoritism.
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How Trump’s giant ‘slush fund’ sparked lawsuits, roiled Republicans and revived Jan. 6
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration’s nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund has attracted scrutiny for its corruption potential, even splitting congressional Republicans who rarely confront President Donald Trump’s decisions and policies.
Among the top concerns: Could pardoned Jan. 6, 2021, riot defendants who assaulted police officers claim a slice of the pie and essentially be rewarded for committing political violence?
UPCOMING EVENTS
Kansas Reflector staff will participate in the following free public forums.
6:30 p.m. June 12, Kansas Museum of History in Topeka. Opinion editor Clay Wirestone will join a panel discussion: "From the Desk of William Allen White: What Can Journalism Today Learn from the Sage of Emporia?"
5:30 p.m. June 16, Bradbury Alumni Center at Washburn University in Topeka. Editor-in-chief Sherman Smith will lead a discussion on the proposed constitutional amendment to elect Kansas Supreme Court justices. Host: Kansas Appleseed. Register here.
6 p.m. June 24, Groover Labs in Wichita. Editor-in-chief Sherman Smith will lead a discussion on the proposed constitutional amendment to elect Kansas Supreme Court justices. Host: Kansas Appleseed. Register here.
6 p.m. June 25, Clint Bowyer Community Building in Emporia. Editor-in-chief Sherman Smith will lead a discussion on the proposed constitutional amendment to elect Kansas Supreme Court justices. Host: Kansas Appleseed. Register here.
7 p.m. June 27, Park City Senior Center. Host: Park City Community Pride.
2 p.m. Sept. 27, Red Rocks Visitor Center in Emporia. Host: Red Rocks.
If you're interested in having us talk in your town, email Sherman Smith at [email protected].
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