Kansas

What a victory; good job, Kansas Supreme Court!

You tell me that law is above freedom of utterance. And I reply that you can have no wise laws nor free entertainment of wise laws unless there is free expression of the wisdom of the people — and, alas, their folly with it. But if there is freedom, folly will die of its own poison, and the wisdom will survive. That is the history of the race. It is proof of man’s kinship with God. You say that freedom of utterance is not for time of stress, and I reply with the sad truth that only in time of stress is freedom of utterance in danger. No one questions it in calm days, because it is not needed. And the reverse is true also; only when free utterance is suppressed is it needed, and when it is needed, it is most vital to justice.

Peace is good. But if you are interested in peace through force and without free discussion — that is to say, free utterance decently and in order — your interest in justice is slight. And peace without justice is tyranny, no matter how you may sugarcoat it with expedience. This state today is in more danger from suppression than from violence, because, in the end, suppression leads to violence. Violence, indeed, is the child of suppression. Whoever pleads for justice helps to keep the peace; and whoever tramples on the plea for justice temperately made in the name of peace only outrages peace and kills something fine in the heart of man which God put there when we got our manhood. When that is killed, brute meets brute on each side of the line.

So, dear friend, put fear out of your heart. This nation will survive, this state will prosper, the orderly business of life will go forward if only men can speak in whatever way given them to utter what their hearts hold — by voice, by posted card, by letter, or by press. Reason has never failed men. Only force and repression have made the wrecks in the world.

Independence, Kansas

The Kansas Forest Service (KFS) issued a press release on Wednesday, May 14, calling on the state’s residents to support the agency as it faces dire straits. The source of the KFS’s anxiety comes from the federal Fiscal Year 2026 proposal, which contains a big change that could seriously impact some of its critical services.

The KFS said the Trump Administration’s budget proposal would eliminate all Forest Service State, Private and Tribal Forestry (SPTF) programs. These programs help the KFS with wildfire prevention, support local fire departments, assist private landowners with management of forests or windbreaks, community tree planting and care, along with habitat restoration.

cross-posted from: https://midwest.social/post/27061311

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/28861747

Summary

When Rosmery Alvarado, 42, arrived in Kansas City on Wednesday with her husband and daughter to attend a spousal interview for her green card application, “everyone had a bad feeling.”

They had received unusual short notice for the interview and saw warning signs. 40 minutes later, Alvarado was on her way to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center.

“We didn’t get any kind of warning. They didn’t let us say goodbye.”

“My mom is not a criminal,” Carina Moran said. “She’s just my mom.” “She told us that she was scared and that she probably cried to herself throughout the whole night, that it was cold.”

We should reach out to Senators Moran and Marshall to encourage them on this. Trump must be reigned in.

Thank you, Governor Kelly!

Reporting is that only Goddard is confirmed so far. Not sure how this will fair with the 50501 protests going on at the same time.

Good to see KC standing up.