CHS in McPherson raised its prices a dollar and a half on Friday. Kansas Common crude starts the week at $42.50 per barrel, the best price since February 19, 2020. After a long stretch of steady prices, we're now seeing a big bump at gas pumps across the country, and an even bigger bump locally. The statewide and national averages were up about three cents a gallon on the week, but local prices rose more than a dime in that same period. The statewide average in Kansas was $2.04 while the national average was just shy of $2.29 a gallon. Motorists in Hays and Great Bend were paying around $2.15 a gallon. There are just four states (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Missouri) boasting average gasoline prices under two dollars a gallon. Baker Hughes reports its year-end rig count was less than half the total at the end of 2019.&nbsp; The weekly count on Friday jumped eight oil rigs and one gas rig for a total of 360 active rigs. New Mexico added four rigs and Oklahoma added one. Canada was up 58 to 117 rigs.&nbsp; Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports a 32% drop in its weekly Rig Count in Kansas, all in the eastern half of the state. The count east of Wichita went from ten last week to just three this week. In Western Kansas, the tally rose by one to ten active drilling rigs. The active rig count statewide at the end of 2020 was down 17% from the year-end total in 2019. Regulators in Kansas approved eight new drilling permits across the state during the week ending January 7th. Four of them are in eastern Kansas and four are west of Wichita, including one new permit in Russell County. The state saw 482 permits last year, less than half of the total in 2019. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports six new well completions in the first of its weekly reports this year. Five of those were in western Kansas, including one dry hole in Barton County. Kansas ended the year 2019 with 785 newly-completed wells, compared to nearly twice that number the year before. Weekly crude inventories dropped eight million barrels. The Energy Information Administration Administration says stockpiles remain about nine percent above the five-year average for this time of year.&nbsp; EIA reports U.S. crude production rose 2,000 barrels per day during the final week of the year, to remain slightly above eleven million barrels per day for the sixth week in a row. Production a year ago was approaching 13 million barrels per day. U.S. crude oil imports rose by 43,000 barrels per day. The four-week average remains 18% below the same four-week period a year ago. The government's final weekly crude-storage analysis of the year shows the Cushing tank farm at 74% of capacity for the fourth week in a row. Storage usage reached a peak May 1st as prices crashed. Weekly oil-by-rail traffic was up slightly week over week, but still down more than 21% from a year ago. The Association of American Railroads reports 10,266 rail cars hauling petroleum or petroleum products for the week ending January 2nd. The trade group reports December's monthly total for oil-by-rail dropped by more than 10,000 carloads from a year ago, a decline of nearly 16 percent amid a decline of nearly four percent in all rail traffic. The world's largest international shipping association last week warned shippers to be on guard after Iran seized a South-Korea flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran took the vessel over alleged "oil pollution." South Korea has frozen seven billion dollars in Iranian oil funds held in a pair of Korean banks. Iran is demanding release of the money. Lawmakers in North Dakota have gotten used to huge new budgets as the state rose to become the second-biggest oil-producer in the country. Up until last year they hadn't needed to issue bonds to pay for large capital projects. But now, thanks to plunging revenues brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, they are moving ahead with infrastructure projects worth over two billion dollars, funded by bonds to be paid for with future oil-and-gas taxes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592847975802.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN P. TRETBARCHS in McPherson raised its prices a dollar and a half on Friday. Kansas Common crude starts the week at $42.50 per barrel, the best price since February 19, 2020. After a long stretch of steady prices, we're now seeing a big bump at gas pumps across the country, and an even bigger bump locally. The statewide and national averages were up about three cents a gallon on the week, but local prices rose more than a dime in that same period. The statewide average in Kansas was $2.04 while the national average was just shy of $2.29 a gallon. Motorists in Hays and Great Bend were paying around $2.15 a gallon. There are just four states (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Missouri) boasting average gasoline prices under two dollars a gallon. Baker Hughes reports its year-end rig count was less than half the total at the end of 2019.&nbsp; The weekly count on Friday jumped eight oil rigs and one gas rig for a total of 360 active rigs. New Mexico added four rigs and Oklahoma added one. Canada was up 58 to 117 rigs.&nbsp; Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports a 32% drop in its weekly Rig Count in Kansas, all in the eastern half of the state. The count east of Wichita went from ten last week to just three this week. In Western Kansas, the tally rose by one to ten active drilling rigs. The active rig count statewide at the end of 2020 was down 17% from the year-end total in 2019. Regulators in Kansas approved eight new drilling permits across the state during the week ending January 7th. Four of them are in eastern Kansas and four are west of Wichita, including one new permit in Russell County. The state saw 482 permits last year, less than half of the total in 2019. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports six new well completions in the first of its weekly reports this year. Five of those were in western Kansas, including one dry hole in Barton County. Kansas ended the year 2019 with 785 newly-completed wells, compared to nearly twice that number the year before. Weekly crude inventories dropped eight million barrels. The Energy Information Administration Administration says stockpiles remain about nine percent above the five-year average for this time of year.&nbsp; EIA reports U.S. crude production rose 2,000 barrels per day during the final week of the year, to remain slightly above eleven million barrels per day for the sixth week in a row. Production a year ago was approaching 13 million barrels per day. U.S. crude oil imports rose by 43,000 barrels per day. The four-week average remains 18% below the same four-week period a year ago. The government's final weekly crude-storage analysis of the year shows the Cushing tank farm at 74% of capacity for the fourth week in a row. Storage usage reached a peak May 1st as prices crashed. Weekly oil-by-rail traffic was up slightly week over week, but still down more than 21% from a year ago. The Association of American Railroads reports 10,266 rail cars hauling petroleum or petroleum products for the week ending January 2nd. The trade group reports December's monthly total for oil-by-rail dropped by more than 10,000 carloads from a year ago, a decline of nearly 16 percent amid a decline of nearly four percent in all rail traffic. The world's largest international shipping association last week warned shippers to be on guard after Iran seized a South-Korea flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran took the vessel over alleged "oil pollution." South Korea has frozen seven billion dollars in Iranian oil funds held in a pair of Korean banks. Iran is demanding release of the money. Lawmakers in North Dakota have gotten used to huge new budgets as the state rose to become the second-biggest oil-producer in the country. Up until last year they hadn't needed to issue bonds to pay for large capital projects. But now, thanks to plunging revenues brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, they are moving ahead with infrastructure projects worth over two billion dollars, funded by bonds to be paid for with future oil-and-gas taxes.

News From the Oil Patch: Kansas oil prices reach 11-month highs

I have been a registered Republican since I was first eligible to vote. I have to say that I was appalled by the actions of the mob at the Capitol on Jan. 6. I was even more appalled by the fact that Trump incited this debacle. His lies about the election and his inability to admit that he legitimately lost the election have led to his supporters reprehensible behavior. For a party and president who continually state that they are all about law and order, this behavior shows that they do not really believe their own statements. All of the lies by this president and the numerous members of the Republicans in the House and Senate have led to a destroyed faith in our democracy.

I also hold these elected officials responsible for the state our country is currently in. When Trump was first elected, it was their responsibility to hold him in check. They did not do this. What they actually did was roll over and play dead for him. The only thing they really care about is maintaining their position in politics. They felt that bowing to any and everything Trump said or wanted would secure the elected positions they were so desperate to maintain. They showed little if any regard for all of the Americans they are supposed to represent.

It is my opinion that the infamous senators (Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, Cindi Hyde-Smith, John Kennedy, Roger Marshall, Tommy Tuberville) greatly contributed to the attempted coup that occurred on Jan. 6. For their active participation regarding the lies concerning fraud in the election they should be expelled from the Senate.&nbsp;

How can you possibly claim fraud when you were elected on the same ballot with Trump? You claim fraud; does that mean that you were fraudulently elected?&nbsp; Or was it that only one small part of the entire ballot was fraudulent? That doesn’t even make sense.&nbsp;

I also feel there should be consequences for the numerous Republican representatives in the House. They too contributed to the travesty that led to the insurrection.

In 2016, I did not vote for Trump because I honestly did not feel he was qualified or fit to be the President of the United States. In 2020, my feelings were even stronger that he was unfit and unqualified to hold that position.

I am very proud that I can say that not only did I never vote for Trump but I also refused to vote for Roger Marshall.

I am equally proud that I did not support Roger Marshall. I found his behavior during the campaign despicable. His campaign ads were full of lies and innuendoes. Of course people never bother to fact-check any of his false claims. Marshall’s behavior since he was sworn into office is even more despicable.

Linda Leiker Hays Pam Shaffer Hays

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1582312931775.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>To the editor:I have been a registered Republican since I was first eligible to vote. I have to say that I was appalled by the actions of the mob at the Capitol on Jan. 6. I was even more appalled by the fact that Trump incited this debacle. His lies about the election and his inability to admit that he legitimately lost the election have led to his supporters reprehensible behavior. For a party and president who continually state that they are all about law and order, this behavior shows that they do not really believe their own statements. All of the lies by this president and the numerous members of the Republicans in the House and Senate have led to a destroyed faith in our democracy.I also hold these elected officials responsible for the state our country is currently in. When Trump was first elected, it was their responsibility to hold him in check. They did not do this. What they actually did was roll over and play dead for him. The only thing they really care about is maintaining their position in politics. They felt that bowing to any and everything Trump said or wanted would secure the elected positions they were so desperate to maintain. They showed little if any regard for all of the Americans they are supposed to represent.It is my opinion that the infamous senators (Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, Cindi Hyde-Smith, John Kennedy, Roger Marshall, Tommy Tuberville) greatly contributed to the attempted coup that occurred on Jan. 6. For their active participation regarding the lies concerning fraud in the election they should be expelled from the Senate.&nbsp;How can you possibly claim fraud when you were elected on the same ballot with Trump? You claim fraud; does that mean that you were fraudulently elected?&nbsp; Or was it that only one small part of the entire ballot was fraudulent? That doesn’t even make sense.&nbsp;I also feel there should be consequences for the numerous Republican representatives in the House. They too contributed to the travesty that led to the insurrection.In 2016, I did not vote for Trump because I honestly did not feel he was qualified or fit to be the President of the United States. In 2020, my feelings were even stronger that he was unfit and unqualified to hold that position.I am very proud that I can say that not only did I never vote for Trump but I also refused to vote for Roger Marshall.I am equally proud that I did not support Roger Marshall. I found his behavior during the campaign despicable. His campaign ads were full of lies and innuendoes. Of course people never bother to fact-check any of his false claims. Marshall’s behavior since he was sworn into office is even more despicable.Linda Leiker Hays Pam Shaffer Hays

LETTER: Trump, GOP and the consequences of Jan. 6

One of the many effects of the pandemic is as there may not be as many occasions to learn in an on sight forum, there are many online learning opportunities to take advantage of than ever before. My online presence has increased in the last year and I have also taken advantage of a good number of courses available to learn myself. This year, I will highlight online meetings that I will be hosting, as well as share meetings that are being held throughout the state that may be of interest. The first meeting I would like to highlight is from Chuck Otte in Geary County. Any given year there are always a good number of questions regarding leasing arrangements, and the Geary County program should be beneficial to anyone that leases ground or is looking to do so.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Agricultural Lease Meeting, Virtual Presentation&nbsp;

The Geary County Extension Office is hosting a video conference on agricultural leases on&nbsp;Wednesday, January 13th.&nbsp;&nbsp;The meeting will start at 7:00 p.m. and last 1 – 1½ hours.&nbsp;&nbsp;In order to participate you will need a computer, tablet or smart phone to join on the Zoom presentation. Geary County Extension Agent, Chuck Otte, will discuss various topics on agricultural leases including: the impact of the Kansas ag lease law, crop share leases, cash leases and the importance of communication. There is no charge for the session but, participants must email Otte to register so that the connection information and Zoom password can be provided. To sign up email Chuck at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:cotte@ksu.edu">cotte@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;and he will respond with the needed information. This virtual presentation will be recorded and will be made available for later viewing. K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.&nbsp;

Alicia Boor is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact her by e-mail at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:aboor@ksu.edu">aboor@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;or calling 620-793-1910&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573141354634.png" alt="Alicia Boor is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District." />
 <figcaption>Alicia Boor is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District.</figcaption>
 </figure>One of the many effects of the pandemic is as there may not be as many occasions to learn in an on sight forum, there are many online learning opportunities to take advantage of than ever before. My online presence has increased in the last year and I have also taken advantage of a good number of courses available to learn myself. This year, I will highlight online meetings that I will be hosting, as well as share meetings that are being held throughout the state that may be of interest. The first meeting I would like to highlight is from Chuck Otte in Geary County. Any given year there are always a good number of questions regarding leasing arrangements, and the Geary County program should be beneficial to anyone that leases ground or is looking to do so.&nbsp;&nbsp;Agricultural Lease Meeting, Virtual Presentation&nbsp;The Geary County Extension Office is hosting a video conference on agricultural leases on&nbsp;Wednesday, January 13th.&nbsp;&nbsp;The meeting will start at 7:00 p.m. and last 1 – 1½ hours.&nbsp;&nbsp;In order to participate you will need a computer, tablet or smart phone to join on the Zoom presentation. Geary County Extension Agent, Chuck Otte, will discuss various topics on agricultural leases including: the impact of the Kansas ag lease law, crop share leases, cash leases and the importance of communication. There is no charge for the session but, participants must email Otte to register so that the connection information and Zoom password can be provided. To sign up email Chuck at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:cotte@ksu.edu">cotte@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;and he will respond with the needed information. This virtual presentation will be recorded and will be made available for later viewing. K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.&nbsp;Alicia Boor is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact her by e-mail at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:aboor@ksu.edu">aboor@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;or calling 620-793-1910&nbsp;

BOOR: Virtual session will focus on ag leases

By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development&nbsp;

“Connecting with consumers.” That’s a goal of many food companies, but today we’ll meet a young beef producer who has taken this idea to heart. She finds that delivering beef and communicating with families is the most rewarding part of her job.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Lettie McKinney is the founder of MC- Meat Company, which provides homegrown beef directly from the ranch to the consumer. The family brand, based on their last name, is pronounced “M C Bar.”&nbsp;

The McKinneys have farmed and raised cattle for decades in southwest Kansas since Lettie’s ancestors settled there in the 1920s. “My great-grandparents lived through the Dust Bowl and the Depression,” Lettie said. “We’re still here by the grace of God.” Today, she is part of the fourth generation on the ranch.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Lettie attended school in the nearby town of Manter and then Stanton County High School in Johnson. She earned her animal science degree at Oklahoma State University and then graduated from the Ranch Management program at Texas Christian University. Lettie worked at feedyards in Texas and Kansas before moving back home.&nbsp;

Today the McKinneys’ operation is evenly divided between crop farming and beef production, with about 150 momma cows.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In 2009, Lettie’s father Brad was diagnosed with a brain tumor. After surgery, it was found to be benign, but by a decade later, the disease had returned. Lettie moved back to the ranch to help.&nbsp;

She had already been thinking about how to generate more value from the family’s beef production. In 2018, she launched MC- Meat Company. This was a way of selling their beef direct to consumers.&nbsp;

“Every ounce of beef we sell is from a calf that is born and raised on our ranch,” Lettie said. “They don’t leave the place until we take them to be processed.” That creates a very direct supply chain and the opportunity for high quality control.&nbsp;

The McKinneys have upgraded their Hereford and Red Angus cattle, using Gardiner Angus bulls and others plus premium Japanese breeds. The finished product, called Brad’s Beef, is available at a couple of local grocery outlets, but is primarily sold online.&nbsp;

Brad’s Beef is available in the form of KC strip steaks, ribeyes, short ribs, farm-fresh ground beef, and more. Packages can include the ground beef bundle or what’s called the picnic basket. It is also possible to sign up in advance for shares such as a half, quarter, or full side of beef. The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.mcbarmeatco.com/">MC- website</a>offers hats and bags with the family brand, plus other products such as spices and rubs.&nbsp;

Along with placing orders online, customers can reach Lettie through social media. “People can call or message or text me, I’m on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/mcbarmeatco">Facebook</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/mcbarmeatco/">Instagram</a>,” Lettie said.&nbsp;

Of course, internet service is a game-changer for a business like this. “Pioneer Communications is our provider, and they are working on getting fiber optic cable to us,” Lettie said. Good broadband access opens up a world of opportunities for rural businesses. “The sky’s the limit,” Lettie said. “I can be in small town Kansas but service New York, New York.”&nbsp;

Delivery service is also vital. “Our UPS man is a lifesaver,” Lettie said. “I’ve been known to track him down in town.” MC- can pack and ship their beef by two-day air.&nbsp;

MC- Meat Company has shipped as far away as California and Wisconsin. Lettie also personally delivers beef in the region, and that is what she finds most rewarding.&nbsp;

“I like delivering beef,” Lettie said. “It’s nice to go into the customer’s home and share with the family. That’s something that I will always cherish.”&nbsp;

She said she likes sharing her family’s story and being transparent with consumers. “Just like them, I want safe, high-quality food,” Lettie said. It’s great to see this message come from near the rural community of Manter, population 171 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;

For more information, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.mcbarmeatco.com/">www.mcbarmeatco.com</a>.&nbsp;

Connecting with consumers. That’s not just a slogan, it is a way of life for Lettie McKinney at MC- Meat Company. She’s making a difference by building consumer connections.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1609942679045.png" alt="Lettie McKinney" />
 <figcaption>Lettie McKinney</figcaption>
 </figure>By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development&nbsp;“Connecting with consumers.” That’s a goal of many food companies, but today we’ll meet a young beef producer who has taken this idea to heart. She finds that delivering beef and communicating with families is the most rewarding part of her job.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Lettie McKinney is the founder of MC- Meat Company, which provides homegrown beef directly from the ranch to the consumer. The family brand, based on their last name, is pronounced “M C Bar.”&nbsp;The McKinneys have farmed and raised cattle for decades in southwest Kansas since Lettie’s ancestors settled there in the 1920s. “My great-grandparents lived through the Dust Bowl and the Depression,” Lettie said. “We’re still here by the grace of God.” Today, she is part of the fourth generation on the ranch.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Lettie attended school in the nearby town of Manter and then Stanton County High School in Johnson. She earned her animal science degree at Oklahoma State University and then graduated from the Ranch Management program at Texas Christian University. Lettie worked at feedyards in Texas and Kansas before moving back home.&nbsp;Today the McKinneys’ operation is evenly divided between crop farming and beef production, with about 150 momma cows.&nbsp;&nbsp;In 2009, Lettie’s father Brad was diagnosed with a brain tumor. After surgery, it was found to be benign, but by a decade later, the disease had returned. Lettie moved back to the ranch to help.&nbsp;She had already been thinking about how to generate more value from the family’s beef production. In 2018, she launched MC- Meat Company. This was a way of selling their beef direct to consumers.&nbsp;“Every ounce of beef we sell is from a calf that is born and raised on our ranch,” Lettie said. “They don’t leave the place until we take them to be processed.” That creates a very direct supply chain and the opportunity for high quality control.&nbsp;The McKinneys have upgraded their Hereford and Red Angus cattle, using Gardiner Angus bulls and others plus premium Japanese breeds. The finished product, called Brad’s Beef, is available at a couple of local grocery outlets, but is primarily sold online.&nbsp;Brad’s Beef is available in the form of KC strip steaks, ribeyes, short ribs, farm-fresh ground beef, and more. Packages can include the ground beef bundle or what’s called the picnic basket. It is also possible to sign up in advance for shares such as a half, quarter, or full side of beef. The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.mcbarmeatco.com/">MC- website</a>offers hats and bags with the family brand, plus other products such as spices and rubs.&nbsp;Along with placing orders online, customers can reach Lettie through social media. “People can call or message or text me, I’m on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/mcbarmeatco">Facebook</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/mcbarmeatco/">Instagram</a>,” Lettie said.&nbsp;Of course, internet service is a game-changer for a business like this. “Pioneer Communications is our provider, and they are working on getting fiber optic cable to us,” Lettie said. Good broadband access opens up a world of opportunities for rural businesses. “The sky’s the limit,” Lettie said. “I can be in small town Kansas but service New York, New York.”&nbsp;Delivery service is also vital. “Our UPS man is a lifesaver,” Lettie said. “I’ve been known to track him down in town.” MC- can pack and ship their beef by two-day air.&nbsp;MC- Meat Company has shipped as far away as California and Wisconsin. Lettie also personally delivers beef in the region, and that is what she finds most rewarding.&nbsp;“I like delivering beef,” Lettie said. “It’s nice to go into the customer’s home and share with the family. That’s something that I will always cherish.”&nbsp;She said she likes sharing her family’s story and being transparent with consumers. “Just like them, I want safe, high-quality food,” Lettie said. It’s great to see this message come from near the rural community of Manter, population 171 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;For more information, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.mcbarmeatco.com/">www.mcbarmeatco.com</a>.&nbsp;Connecting with consumers. That’s not just a slogan, it is a way of life for Lettie McKinney at MC- Meat Company. She’s making a difference by building consumer connections.&nbsp;

Now That’s Rural: Lettie McKinney, MC- Meat Company 

The insurrection against Congress this week placed in sharp focus the role — and fragility — of legislatures in the American governmental system.

Legislatures rarely require defining. Their composition and activities are straightforward as “a deliberative body of [elected] persons.”

But after a year of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s worthwhile to assess whether our state legislatures and our Congress can effectively function as legislative bodies.&nbsp;

In legislatures, we see a gathering of elected representatives, most of whom hail from outside the capital city.&nbsp; But it’s far more than that as last week’s attack demonstrated.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Take the Kansas Legislature, which consists of 165 lawmakers, a substantial number of permanent staff (Revisor’s Office, Legislative Research, etc.), the security force, journalists, lobbyists who represent thousands of interests, groups that come to the capitol to make a host of statements, individual citizens who have specific policy goals to present, and members of the executive branch and departments who regularly interact with legislators.

In sum, the Legislature is our only institution that brings together a wide array of elected officials, reporters, staff, lobbyists speaking for others, members of the executive branch, and citizens.

Far more than the Kansas Supreme Court or the Governor, the Legislature stands as the permeable branch of government, open to all.&nbsp;

Moreover, legislatures are defined by their “deliberative” capacity.&nbsp; That is, lawmakers, whether in committees, on the floor of their chambers or through informal gatherings, regularly interact with each other and deliberate over policy choices that may become law.&nbsp; Deliberation necessarily precedes decision-making, which produces laws.&nbsp; Nothing could be more serious.

Enter the pandemic.&nbsp; Aside from a terrorist attack or a mob insurrection, it’s hard to imagine anything that challenges the legislative process so profoundly, to the point of damaging the very essence of a legislature.

At its core, legislating is highly personal and requires continuing conversations among many participants.&nbsp; No matter what accommodations are implemented, legislatures simply cannot replace the intimate nature of law-making, whether in a committee room, a hallway conversation, or an evening social setting, where much business is actually conducted.

Social distancing within the legislative process denies members private conversations; limiting discussions between legislators, constituents, and interest groups means that representation is made more difficult, with less likelihood of meaningful exchanges.

I have great sympathy for legislative leaders, as they try to construct a setting that least obstructs the regular legislative process, within the bounds of constitutional mandates.&nbsp; At the same time, legislatures depend heavily on the observance of norms, the kind of informal understandings that facilitate the difficult process of law-making.&nbsp;

In a partisan era, many norms have weakened, and when legislators are confronted with new quandaries — whether to wear a mask or not, for example — they have little common ground to fall back upon, especially when formal leaders will not or cannot create clear new rules.&nbsp; Thus, in an already fraught situation, distrust likely increases.

What should legislators do?&nbsp; In Kansas, they might consider deferring their session until all participants are vaccinated, perhaps by mid-February.&nbsp; This seems sensible, but unlikely, given the central fact of life in contemporary legislatures — the &nbsp;highly uneven and partisan distribution of power.

Given less opportunity for discourse and informal discussion, formal leaders control more information and wield more power.&nbsp; As long as they hold these advantages, don’t expect much effective adaptation or delay, even as legislatures veer far from their role as deliberative, in-person assemblies.

Burdett Loomis is an emeritus professor at the University of Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574348610067.jpeg" alt="Burdett Loomis is an emeritus professor at the University of Kansas." />
 <figcaption>Burdett Loomis is an emeritus professor at the University of Kansas.</figcaption>
 </figure>The insurrection against Congress this week placed in sharp focus the role — and fragility — of legislatures in the American governmental system.Legislatures rarely require defining. Their composition and activities are straightforward as “a deliberative body of [elected] persons.”But after a year of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s worthwhile to assess whether our state legislatures and our Congress can effectively function as legislative bodies.&nbsp;In legislatures, we see a gathering of elected representatives, most of whom hail from outside the capital city.&nbsp; But it’s far more than that as last week’s attack demonstrated.&nbsp;&nbsp;Take the Kansas Legislature, which consists of 165 lawmakers, a substantial number of permanent staff (Revisor’s Office, Legislative Research, etc.), the security force, journalists, lobbyists who represent thousands of interests, groups that come to the capitol to make a host of statements, individual citizens who have specific policy goals to present, and members of the executive branch and departments who regularly interact with legislators.In sum, the Legislature is our only institution that brings together a wide array of elected officials, reporters, staff, lobbyists speaking for others, members of the executive branch, and citizens.Far more than the Kansas Supreme Court or the Governor, the Legislature stands as the permeable branch of government, open to all.&nbsp;Moreover, legislatures are defined by their “deliberative” capacity.&nbsp; That is, lawmakers, whether in committees, on the floor of their chambers or through informal gatherings, regularly interact with each other and deliberate over policy choices that may become law.&nbsp; Deliberation necessarily precedes decision-making, which produces laws.&nbsp; Nothing could be more serious.Enter the pandemic.&nbsp; Aside from a terrorist attack or a mob insurrection, it’s hard to imagine anything that challenges the legislative process so profoundly, to the point of damaging the very essence of a legislature.At its core, legislating is highly personal and requires continuing conversations among many participants.&nbsp; No matter what accommodations are implemented, legislatures simply cannot replace the intimate nature of law-making, whether in a committee room, a hallway conversation, or an evening social setting, where much business is actually conducted.Social distancing within the legislative process denies members private conversations; limiting discussions between legislators, constituents, and interest groups means that representation is made more difficult, with less likelihood of meaningful exchanges.I have great sympathy for legislative leaders, as they try to construct a setting that least obstructs the regular legislative process, within the bounds of constitutional mandates.&nbsp; At the same time, legislatures depend heavily on the observance of norms, the kind of informal understandings that facilitate the difficult process of law-making.&nbsp;In a partisan era, many norms have weakened, and when legislators are confronted with new quandaries — whether to wear a mask or not, for example — they have little common ground to fall back upon, especially when formal leaders will not or cannot create clear new rules.&nbsp; Thus, in an already fraught situation, distrust likely increases.What should legislators do?&nbsp; In Kansas, they might consider deferring their session until all participants are vaccinated, perhaps by mid-February.&nbsp; This seems sensible, but unlikely, given the central fact of life in contemporary legislatures — the &nbsp;highly uneven and partisan distribution of power.Given less opportunity for discourse and informal discussion, formal leaders control more information and wield more power.&nbsp; As long as they hold these advantages, don’t expect much effective adaptation or delay, even as legislatures veer far from their role as deliberative, in-person assemblies.Burdett Loomis is an emeritus professor at the University of Kansas.

INSIGHT KANSAS: What is a legislature?

By DANIEL MCCLURE Fort Hays State University

A recent <a href="https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/news-polls/npr-misinformation-123020">poll by NPR/Ipsos</a> outlines the new reality for the United States: Conspiracies have entered the mainstream of political thought.

<a href="https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/ct/news/documents/2020-12/topline_npr_misinformation_poll_123020.pdf">More than one in three Americans</a>
 embrace the idea of a “deep state” seeking to undermine President 
Donald Trump, and 40% believe “COVID-19 was created in a lab in China.” 
When asked whether “a group of Satan-worshipping elites who run a child 
sex ring are trying to control our politics and media,” only 47% said it
 was false, while 37% were “unsure whether this theory backed by QAnon 
is true or false” and 17% “believe it’s true.”

As Joe Biden assumes the 
presidency, this hyper-polarization doesn’t look good. At the same time,
 conspiracy theories are at the root of United States history, including
 in Kansas. One of the driving forces of the American Revolution was the
 conspiracy suggesting the British were going to deprive the colonists 
of their liberties — particularly the right to enslave, as the abolition
 of slavery in the British empire became increasingly inevitable.

As Kansans cautiously enter 2021, historian <a href="https://history.uoregon.edu/profile/jostler/">Jeffrey Ostler</a>’s work on conspiracy theories during the state’s populist movement of the 1890s helps make sense of the seemingly insensible.

Dismissing psychological 
reasons for conspiracies, Ostler approaches them as a core element of 
politics rooted in the idea of liberty, individual rights, the 
sovereignty of the people, and virtuous citizens performing civic duties
 — i.e., “republican virtues” (republican with a small R). Just as 
today’s world of wealth concentration and technological surveillance 
provokes a nation of anxious people worried about losing their sovereign
 rights, Kansas populists also believed their individual liberties were 
threatened by forces out of their control.

In attempting to create a 
third political party, Kansas populist leaders embraced a conspiracy 
theory drawn from Sarah E. V. Emery’s “<a href="https://www.kansasmemory.org/item/203947">Seven Financial Conspiracies Which Have Enslaved the American People</a>”
 (printed in various editions between 1887 and 1896) to mobilize people.
 This pamphlet targeted the GOP — the dominant party in Kansas in the 
late 19th century — charging it with aiding nefarious forces that had 
supposedly pushed Kansans from being independent and prosperous people 
into a new life of “unremitting, half-requited toil.”

In response to genuine 
economic realities, Kansas populists saw their republican virtues under 
attack from these nefarious forces. In particular, Emery’s pamphlet 
charged Wall Street with seizing the national economy in the wake of the
 Civil War, as well as older national villains, such as the English, in 
accomplishing this anti-republican putsch. Drawing off still smoldering 
Jacksonian ideas about the “money power” of banks and their danger 
towards liberties, the new conspiracy drew on what Ostler suggests was 
“the need for a new antimonopoly party.” Emery’s conspiracy provided a 
balm for the patchwork of anxieties imagining the death of the republic.

Rather than simply 
dismissing beliefs in conspiracies, Ostler highlights how embracing 
conspiracy theories reflected the political impotency, economic hardship
 and indifference from mainstream political parties felt by many Kansas 
farmers and workers between the 1870s and 1890s. Emery’s pamphlet 
“helped explain the GOP’s intransigence” and was not simply a product of
 simplistic psychological naivety. Rather, it justified “political 
independence” from the GOP.

These familiar patterns offer a starting point for bipartisan engagement.

Ostler points to one 
inconvenient political truth for 21st century U.S. politics. A key 
element of unrest in Kansas was the populists’ complex relationship to 
capitalism and the American republic: They “accepted some aspects of a 
market economy, but they invoked ideals of liberty and independence to 
denounce monopoly, speculation, inequality of wealth, and deferential 
politics.”

<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/09/23/were-so-close-to-civil-war-everyone-can-smell-the-smoke/">Today’s polarization</a>
 and embrace of Trumpian conspiracies reflects a similar unrest, as many
 people struggle within an economic system put in place by conservatives
 in the 1980s that has largely failed to deliver to the constituents 
supporting the GOP. Only the rich have prospered. Meanwhile, Democrats 
fail to capitalize on this discontent because they, too, were complicit.

Struggling to overturn 
conspiracies appears to only harden the lines of polarization. If Kansas
 progressives, Democrats and Republicans want to seek some sort of 
dialogue with folks more inclined to view <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/12/04/why-students-in-an-emporia-state-alternative-facts-class-are-not-happy-with-their-elders/">QAnon as the gospel truth</a>, they must invest party resources in outreach addressing concrete needs.

They should critique the 
concentration of wealth — what populists called “monopoly” — and focus 
on ways to keep money circulating through local communities via the 
support of small business and farmers who do not receive generous 
subsidies. And they should embrace infrastructure development aimed 
toward the needs of the 95% rather than the 1%.

These policies should be transparent and constructive. This is the way out — and this is progress.

Daniel Robert McClure is an assistant professor of United States history at Fort Hays State University. His scholarship explores the history of conservatism, capitalism, popular media and African American history. McClure’s forthcoming book, "Winter in America: A Cultural History of Neoliberalism, from the Sixties to the Reagan Revolution," will be published in 2021 by the University of North Carolina Press. Republished courtesy the <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/01/08/kansas-history-suggests-a-path-away-from-conspiracy-theories-and-their-violent-mobs/">Kansas Reflector</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610139898275.png" alt="The scene at the Kansas Statehouse in Topeka on Feb. 15, 1893. According to the Kansas State Historical Society, a mob gathered "after an attempt to disarm a member of the militia during the Populist War. This dispute began when both the Republican and Populist parties claimed victory in the Kansas House elections in 1892. A number of contests were still being disputed when the legislative session began in January 1893. The conflict between the parties reached a crisis when the Populists locked themselves in the House Hall. The Republicans used a sledgehammer to break down the doors to the hall." (kansasmemory.org/Kansas State Historical Society)" />
 <figcaption>The scene at the Kansas Statehouse in Topeka on Feb. 15, 1893. According to the Kansas State Historical Society, a mob gathered "after an attempt to disarm a member of the militia during the Populist War. This dispute began when both the Republican and Populist parties claimed victory in the Kansas House elections in 1892. A number of contests were still being disputed when the legislative session began in January 1893. The conflict between the parties reached a crisis when the Populists locked themselves in the House Hall. The Republicans used a sledgehammer to break down the doors to the hall." (kansasmemory.org/Kansas State Historical Society)</figcaption>
 </figure>By DANIEL MCCLURE Fort Hays State UniversityA recent <a href="https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/news-polls/npr-misinformation-123020">poll by NPR/Ipsos</a> outlines the new reality for the United States: Conspiracies have entered the mainstream of political thought.<a href="https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/ct/news/documents/2020-12/topline_npr_misinformation_poll_123020.pdf">More than one in three Americans</a>
 embrace the idea of a “deep state” seeking to undermine President 
Donald Trump, and 40% believe “COVID-19 was created in a lab in China.” 
When asked whether “a group of Satan-worshipping elites who run a child 
sex ring are trying to control our politics and media,” only 47% said it
 was false, while 37% were “unsure whether this theory backed by QAnon 
is true or false” and 17% “believe it’s true.”As Joe Biden assumes the 
presidency, this hyper-polarization doesn’t look good. At the same time,
 conspiracy theories are at the root of United States history, including
 in Kansas. One of the driving forces of the American Revolution was the
 conspiracy suggesting the British were going to deprive the colonists 
of their liberties — particularly the right to enslave, as the abolition
 of slavery in the British empire became increasingly inevitable.As Kansans cautiously enter 2021, historian <a href="https://history.uoregon.edu/profile/jostler/">Jeffrey Ostler</a>’s work on conspiracy theories during the state’s populist movement of the 1890s helps make sense of the seemingly insensible.Dismissing psychological 
reasons for conspiracies, Ostler approaches them as a core element of 
politics rooted in the idea of liberty, individual rights, the 
sovereignty of the people, and virtuous citizens performing civic duties
 — i.e., “republican virtues” (republican with a small R). Just as 
today’s world of wealth concentration and technological surveillance 
provokes a nation of anxious people worried about losing their sovereign
 rights, Kansas populists also believed their individual liberties were 
threatened by forces out of their control.In attempting to create a 
third political party, Kansas populist leaders embraced a conspiracy 
theory drawn from Sarah E. V. Emery’s “<a href="https://www.kansasmemory.org/item/203947">Seven Financial Conspiracies Which Have Enslaved the American People</a>”
 (printed in various editions between 1887 and 1896) to mobilize people.
 This pamphlet targeted the GOP — the dominant party in Kansas in the 
late 19th century — charging it with aiding nefarious forces that had 
supposedly pushed Kansans from being independent and prosperous people 
into a new life of “unremitting, half-requited toil.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610139965047.jpeg" alt="Sarah E. V. Emery’s “Seven Financial Conspiracies Which Have Enslaved the American People” targeted the Kansas GOP in the late nineteenth century, charging it with aiding nefarious forces that had supposedly pushed Kansans from being independent and prosperous people into a new life of “unremitting, half-requited toil.”" />
 <figcaption>Sarah E. V. Emery’s “Seven Financial Conspiracies Which Have Enslaved the American People” targeted the Kansas GOP in the late nineteenth century, charging it with aiding nefarious forces that had supposedly pushed Kansans from being independent and prosperous people into a new life of “unremitting, half-requited toil.”</figcaption>
 </figure>In response to genuine 
economic realities, Kansas populists saw their republican virtues under 
attack from these nefarious forces. In particular, Emery’s pamphlet 
charged Wall Street with seizing the national economy in the wake of the
 Civil War, as well as older national villains, such as the English, in 
accomplishing this anti-republican putsch. Drawing off still smoldering 
Jacksonian ideas about the “money power” of banks and their danger 
towards liberties, the new conspiracy drew on what Ostler suggests was 
“the need for a new antimonopoly party.” Emery’s conspiracy provided a 
balm for the patchwork of anxieties imagining the death of the republic.Rather than simply 
dismissing beliefs in conspiracies, Ostler highlights how embracing 
conspiracy theories reflected the political impotency, economic hardship
 and indifference from mainstream political parties felt by many Kansas 
farmers and workers between the 1870s and 1890s. Emery’s pamphlet 
“helped explain the GOP’s intransigence” and was not simply a product of
 simplistic psychological naivety. Rather, it justified “political 
independence” from the GOP.These familiar patterns offer a starting point for bipartisan engagement.Ostler points to one 
inconvenient political truth for 21st century U.S. politics. A key 
element of unrest in Kansas was the populists’ complex relationship to 
capitalism and the American republic: They “accepted some aspects of a 
market economy, but they invoked ideals of liberty and independence to 
denounce monopoly, speculation, inequality of wealth, and deferential 
politics.”<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/09/23/were-so-close-to-civil-war-everyone-can-smell-the-smoke/">Today’s polarization</a>
 and embrace of Trumpian conspiracies reflects a similar unrest, as many
 people struggle within an economic system put in place by conservatives
 in the 1980s that has largely failed to deliver to the constituents 
supporting the GOP. Only the rich have prospered. Meanwhile, Democrats 
fail to capitalize on this discontent because they, too, were complicit.Struggling to overturn 
conspiracies appears to only harden the lines of polarization. If Kansas
 progressives, Democrats and Republicans want to seek some sort of 
dialogue with folks more inclined to view <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/12/04/why-students-in-an-emporia-state-alternative-facts-class-are-not-happy-with-their-elders/">QAnon as the gospel truth</a>, they must invest party resources in outreach addressing concrete needs.They should critique the 
concentration of wealth — what populists called “monopoly” — and focus 
on ways to keep money circulating through local communities via the 
support of small business and farmers who do not receive generous 
subsidies. And they should embrace infrastructure development aimed 
toward the needs of the 95% rather than the 1%.These policies should be transparent and constructive. This is the way out — and this is progress.Daniel Robert McClure is an assistant professor of United States history at Fort Hays State University. His scholarship explores the history of conservatism, capitalism, popular media and African American history. McClure’s forthcoming book, "Winter in America: A Cultural History of Neoliberalism, from the Sixties to the Reagan Revolution," will be published in 2021 by the University of North Carolina Press. Republished courtesy the <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/01/08/kansas-history-suggests-a-path-away-from-conspiracy-theories-and-their-violent-mobs/">Kansas Reflector</a>.

OPINION: Kan. history suggests path away from conspiracy theories, mobs

January is National Stalking Awareness Month. Nearly 1 in 6 women and 1 in 17 men have experienced stalking victimization at some point in their life (SPARC, 2018).

Stalking is defined as a pattern of behavior directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear. 

It occurs in many different forms, including being followed/approached, unsolicited and repetitive phone calls or texts, unwanted notes or gifts, as well as showing up at the targeted person’s workplace or home. 

Stalking is a crime in all 50 states, U.S. Territories, the District of Columbia, and military and tribal lands.

 The crime of stalking is often misunderstood, minimized and/or ignored.

Stalking is a terrifying and psychologically harmful crime as well as a predictor of other forms of serious violence. In 85% of cases where an intimate partner or ex intimate partner attempted to murder their partner, stalking took place in the year prior to the attack (SPARC, 2019). 

The behaviors used to stalk are manipulative tools used to gain power and keep control over another person. Victims of stalking often feel isolated, intimidated, fearful, and vulnerable.

Tips to consider if you or someone you know is being stalked:

1. Trust your instincts. Many times we tend to downplay a stalker’s behaviors, but stalking can possess a real threat.

2. Keep a record or log of any contact a stalker makes.

3. Since stalking can occur through technology, save emails, text messages, voicemails, or any posts online for evidence.

4. Contact your local domestic violence agency to create a safety plan.

5. Call 911 if you feel you are in danger.

We, at <a href="https://www.janascampaign.org/">Jana’s Campaign</a>, believe we all have a role to play in identifying and preventing stalking behaviors as well as supporting victims and survivors.

Learn more about these behaviors and how to prevent stalking by visiting <a href="https://www.stalkingawareness.org/">www.stalkingawareness.org</a>.

Hays-based Jana’s Campaign is a national education and violence prevention organization with the single mission of reducing gender and relationship violence. In honor of the late Hays native Jana Mackey and other victims and survivors of gender and relationship violence, Jana’s Campaign delivers educational programs that prevent domestic and dating violence, sexual violence, and stalking.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1609952443296.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Jana’s Campaign&nbsp;January is National Stalking Awareness Month. Nearly 1 in 6 women and 1 in 17 men have experienced stalking victimization at some point in their life (SPARC, 2018).Stalking is defined as a pattern of behavior directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear. It occurs in many different forms, including being followed/approached, unsolicited and repetitive phone calls or texts, unwanted notes or gifts, as well as showing up at the targeted person’s workplace or home. Stalking is a crime in all 50 states, U.S. Territories, the District of Columbia, and military and tribal lands. The crime of stalking is often misunderstood, minimized and/or ignored.Stalking is a terrifying and psychologically harmful crime as well as a predictor of other forms of serious violence. In 85% of cases where an intimate partner or ex intimate partner attempted to murder their partner, stalking took place in the year prior to the attack (SPARC, 2019). The behaviors used to stalk are manipulative tools used to gain power and keep control over another person. Victims of stalking often feel isolated, intimidated, fearful, and vulnerable.Tips to consider if you or someone you know is being stalked:1. Trust your instincts. Many times we tend to downplay a stalker’s behaviors, but stalking can possess a real threat.2. Keep a record or log of any contact a stalker makes.3. Since stalking can occur through technology, save emails, text messages, voicemails, or any posts online for evidence.4. Contact your local domestic violence agency to create a safety plan.5. Call 911 if you feel you are in danger.We, at <a href="https://www.janascampaign.org/">Jana’s Campaign</a>, believe we all have a role to play in identifying and preventing stalking behaviors as well as supporting victims and survivors. Learn more about these behaviors and how to prevent stalking by visiting <a href="https://www.stalkingawareness.org/">www.stalkingawareness.org</a>.Hays-based Jana’s Campaign is a national education and violence prevention organization with the single mission of reducing gender and relationship violence. In honor of the late Hays native Jana Mackey and other victims and survivors of gender and relationship violence, Jana’s Campaign delivers educational programs that prevent domestic and dating violence, sexual violence, and stalking.

LETTER: January is National Stalking Awareness Month

Assembling to protest is our right under the First Amendment — it’s how we talk to each other as a nation.

Sometimes politely. But often not. Occasionally at the top of our 
lungs. Frequently with brutally frank messages. And often in ways that 
spark counterprotests.

Just as the nation’s founders intended — and it is still a good thing we do.

What happened Wednesday when a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol was not a
 protest protected by the First Amendment. It was a criminal act. A 
stain upon the fabric of democracy.

Freedom of speech and press, as well as to assemble and to petition 
for change, provide the real means to speak to each other across the 
nation’s deepest divides. Those freedoms are the way we give voice to 
those who feel ignored by the powerful.

One aspect of those freedoms is to provide a kind of national safety 
valve for the normal frustrations built into democracy — where elections
 and legislative decisions by their very nature are a form of majority 
rule until the next election.

We have been doing a lot of talking lately. Mostly peaceably. But 
when mobs replace protest with chaos, it betrays the core principles on 
which the United States was founded and the role is has played for more 
than two centuries as a worldwide beacon of freedom and the rule of law.
 There is no First Amendment shield for violence, no matter the motive.

Yes, we are intently discussing and debating some of the most 
important challenges that the nation faces, from Black Lives Matter 
protests over racial bias and racial dignity, to COVID-19 demonstrations
 for and against pandemic health restrictions. Waiting in the wings are 
the demonstrations, marches and protests over ongoing issues such as 
abortion, gun laws and voting rights. The venues will range from the web
 to public meetings to city sidewalks and rural byways and, yes, the 
steps of the Capitol.

As differing as the subjects, points of view and mediums may be 
across 330 million citizens, there are some fundamental facts for all to
 acknowledge — and in the wake of Wednesday’s violence, reaffirm:

To be sure, there is no provision in the First Amendment’s 45 words 
for universal agreement or quick solutions to what ails the republic. 
The First Amendment is a constitutional starting point, not a finish 
line.

The very real tension of the First Amendment’s promise to produce 
positive change is this: Sometimes it doesn’t. The pace of change is 
often too slow for advocates and too fast for opponents. Perhaps that’s 
why assembly and petition lag behind the other First Amendment freedoms 
in public understanding. But as many as a third of our fellow citizens 
have trouble even naming one of the First Amendment freedoms (which also
 include religion, speech and press).

While we tend today to choose speech as the most important freedom 
among those five, petition was the keystone for many of our nation’s 
founders. Protecting the right to speak the truth as each of us sees it,
 they reasoned, would protect the other four freedoms in law and 
democracy in practice.

If we want our ideas to be heard, we must encourage the rights of our
 opponents to speak also. We must disavow those on the right and left 
who would demonize dissent, discourage debate or deny a platform for all
 to be heard. And we must resist resorting to violence when conversation
 lags or fails to produce the results we seek.

Our nation’s history shows us that when we talk to each other, and 
when we listen, we are making progress at solving problems, correcting 
wrongs and admittedly, often imperfectly, making better the lives of 
ourselves and our fellow citizens.

That applies whether we are gathering in the nation’s capital city 
over election results or in our hometowns where we are free to publicly 
express views on everyday matters like school policies or streets that 
need to be paved.

Those difficult conversations are worth having, despite the 
frustrations. Those contrary views are worth expressing, peaceably, no 
matter the tensions of the moment.

And those rights are worth preserving, no matter our divisions — and no matter the actions of a mob.

Gene Policinski is a senior fellow for the First Amendment at the Freedom Forum. He can be reached at <a href="mailto:gpolicinski@freedomforum.org" target="_blank">gpolicinski@freedomforum.org</a>, or follow him on Twitter at&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/@genefac" target="_blank">@genefac</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1593729871227.png" alt="Gene Policinski is a senior fellow for the First Amendment at the Freedom Forum, and president and chief operating officer of the Freedom Forum Institute. " />
 <figcaption>Gene Policinski is a senior fellow for the First Amendment at the Freedom Forum, and president and chief operating officer of the Freedom Forum Institute. </figcaption>
 </figure>Assembling to protest is our right under the First Amendment — it’s how we talk to each other as a nation.Sometimes politely. But often not. Occasionally at the top of our 
lungs. Frequently with brutally frank messages. And often in ways that 
spark counterprotests.Just as the nation’s founders intended — and it is still a good thing we do.What happened Wednesday when a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol was not a
 protest protected by the First Amendment. It was a criminal act. A 
stain upon the fabric of democracy.Freedom of speech and press, as well as to assemble and to petition 
for change, provide the real means to speak to each other across the 
nation’s deepest divides. Those freedoms are the way we give voice to 
those who feel ignored by the powerful.One aspect of those freedoms is to provide a kind of national safety 
valve for the normal frustrations built into democracy — where elections
 and legislative decisions by their very nature are a form of majority 
rule until the next election.We have been doing a lot of talking lately. Mostly peaceably. But 
when mobs replace protest with chaos, it betrays the core principles on 
which the United States was founded and the role is has played for more 
than two centuries as a worldwide beacon of freedom and the rule of law.
 There is no First Amendment shield for violence, no matter the motive.Yes, we are intently discussing and debating some of the most 
important challenges that the nation faces, from Black Lives Matter 
protests over racial bias and racial dignity, to COVID-19 demonstrations
 for and against pandemic health restrictions. Waiting in the wings are 
the demonstrations, marches and protests over ongoing issues such as 
abortion, gun laws and voting rights. The venues will range from the web
 to public meetings to city sidewalks and rural byways and, yes, the 
steps of the Capitol.As differing as the subjects, points of view and mediums may be 
across 330 million citizens, there are some fundamental facts for all to
 acknowledge — and in the wake of Wednesday’s violence, reaffirm:<ul>
 <li>A democracy is only as strong as those willing to exercise their freedoms in the service of a better nation;</li><li>We sometimes must hear voices and messages that challenge our 
fundamental beliefs, if only to be better prepared to defend our own 
positions.</li>
 </ul>To be sure, there is no provision in the First Amendment’s 45 words 
for universal agreement or quick solutions to what ails the republic. 
The First Amendment is a constitutional starting point, not a finish 
line.The very real tension of the First Amendment’s promise to produce 
positive change is this: Sometimes it doesn’t. The pace of change is 
often too slow for advocates and too fast for opponents. Perhaps that’s 
why assembly and petition lag behind the other First Amendment freedoms 
in public understanding. But as many as a third of our fellow citizens 
have trouble even naming one of the First Amendment freedoms (which also
 include religion, speech and press).While we tend today to choose speech as the most important freedom 
among those five, petition was the keystone for many of our nation’s 
founders. Protecting the right to speak the truth as each of us sees it,
 they reasoned, would protect the other four freedoms in law and 
democracy in practice.If we want our ideas to be heard, we must encourage the rights of our
 opponents to speak also. We must disavow those on the right and left 
who would demonize dissent, discourage debate or deny a platform for all
 to be heard. And we must resist resorting to violence when conversation
 lags or fails to produce the results we seek.Our nation’s history shows us that when we talk to each other, and 
when we listen, we are making progress at solving problems, correcting 
wrongs and admittedly, often imperfectly, making better the lives of 
ourselves and our fellow citizens.That applies whether we are gathering in the nation’s capital city 
over election results or in our hometowns where we are free to publicly 
express views on everyday matters like school policies or streets that 
need to be paved.Those difficult conversations are worth having, despite the 
frustrations. Those contrary views are worth expressing, peaceably, no 
matter the tensions of the moment.And those rights are worth preserving, no matter our divisions — and no matter the actions of a mob.Gene Policinski is a senior fellow for the First Amendment at the Freedom Forum. He can be reached at <a href="mailto:gpolicinski@freedomforum.org" target="_blank">gpolicinski@freedomforum.org</a>, or follow him on Twitter at&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/@genefac" target="_blank">@genefac</a>.

FIRST FIVE: Violence isn’t protest

With the new year upon us, attention will soon turn to the legislative session beginning Jan. 11 in Topeka. I’m incredibly grateful for the elected officials we have. Legislative sessions are always about making tough choices on allocating resources that are too few to address problems that appear unending. This upcoming one is set to be one of the toughest.

One reason is because we’re just beginning to emerge from the pandemic that’s upended life as we once knew it. The continued need for social distancing will severely limit floor passes, building access and other interactions legislators have with the public in the Capitol.

Technology will allow the public and lobbyists to participate in the process of drafting laws, but we know it’s just a stopgap measure. The business of the state will still get done, but there might be a few more bumps in the road. That’s why it’s more important than ever to open a dialogue with your Kansas representative and senator.

In addition to access in the Capitol, there will likely be fewer legislative coffees, forums and other chances to interact with our leaders until there’s widespread inoculation. Sending emails, making phone calls and writing letters will be the only reliable way to ensure your voice is heard on the subjects that matter to you.

At Kansas Farm Bureau (KFB) we have three priorities in this year’s session: broadband, taxes and water. Our advocacy staff will still weigh in on any proposed legislation important to our members, but those are the big three this session.

Access to a vibrant, highspeed broadband network is essential to the future of both rural and urban Kansas. One of the few bright spots of the pandemic has been the ability for a significant portion of our population to work wherever there’s adequate signal. Moving forward, broadband will provide new opportunities for the delivery of health care, education, entertainment, business development and enhance the capabilities of precision agriculture.

Of course, deploying broadband access to every Kansan will take time and money, which is why taxes make our list. The state’s tax coffers aren’t quiet as full as they otherwise would be because of the pandemic. After digging through the couch cushions, legislators might get the idea to start tinkering with the tax code to fill in the gaps.

Such changes are always fraught and with the public limited in how it can interact with legislators, this session is especially prone to any tinkering having unintended consequences. KFB will continue to advocate for the use-value system in place now that accurately and appropriately values agricultural lands. Agricultural operations are businesses and sales tax exemptions are necessary to continue fair and equal tax treatment for business-related purchases.

Finally, KFB will continue its support for the basic tenets of Kansas water law. Knowing, understanding and implementing these principles provide our members the ability to plan, invest and defend their private property rights for one of the state’s most valuable resources.

I know these aren’t the only issues legislators will face in the upcoming session, but they’re vitally important for all Kansans. I thank all of our elected officials for their service and wish them well in the endeavor they will soon embark on.

"Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574694551876.png" alt="Greg Doering&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Greg Doering&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>With the new year upon us, attention will soon turn to the legislative session beginning Jan. 11 in Topeka. I’m incredibly grateful for the elected officials we have. Legislative sessions are always about making tough choices on allocating resources that are too few to address problems that appear unending. This upcoming one is set to be one of the toughest.One reason is because we’re just beginning to emerge from the pandemic that’s upended life as we once knew it. The continued need for social distancing will severely limit floor passes, building access and other interactions legislators have with the public in the Capitol.Technology will allow the public and lobbyists to participate in the process of drafting laws, but we know it’s just a stopgap measure. The business of the state will still get done, but there might be a few more bumps in the road. That’s why it’s more important than ever to open a dialogue with your Kansas representative and senator.In addition to access in the Capitol, there will likely be fewer legislative coffees, forums and other chances to interact with our leaders until there’s widespread inoculation. Sending emails, making phone calls and writing letters will be the only reliable way to ensure your voice is heard on the subjects that matter to you.At Kansas Farm Bureau (KFB) we have three priorities in this year’s session: broadband, taxes and water. Our advocacy staff will still weigh in on any proposed legislation important to our members, but those are the big three this session.Access to a vibrant, highspeed broadband network is essential to the future of both rural and urban Kansas. One of the few bright spots of the pandemic has been the ability for a significant portion of our population to work wherever there’s adequate signal. Moving forward, broadband will provide new opportunities for the delivery of health care, education, entertainment, business development and enhance the capabilities of precision agriculture.Of course, deploying broadband access to every Kansan will take time and money, which is why taxes make our list. The state’s tax coffers aren’t quiet as full as they otherwise would be because of the pandemic. After digging through the couch cushions, legislators might get the idea to start tinkering with the tax code to fill in the gaps.Such changes are always fraught and with the public limited in how it can interact with legislators, this session is especially prone to any tinkering having unintended consequences. KFB will continue to advocate for the use-value system in place now that accurately and appropriately values agricultural lands. Agricultural operations are businesses and sales tax exemptions are necessary to continue fair and equal tax treatment for business-related purchases.Finally, KFB will continue its support for the basic tenets of Kansas water law. Knowing, understanding and implementing these principles provide our members the ability to plan, invest and defend their private property rights for one of the state’s most valuable resources.I know these aren’t the only issues legislators will face in the upcoming session, but they’re vitally important for all Kansans. I thank all of our elected officials for their service and wish them well in the endeavor they will soon embark on."Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.

Kansas Farm Bureau Insight: Legislative priorities

By STACY CAMPBELL Cottonwood Extension District

With this year quickly wrapping up, it is definitely time to start talking about agricultural leases for the coming year. For the most part, there is speculation within the agriculture community that tenants and landlords may not talk to each other enough. This then leads to the number one problem that some of us in Extension run into with ag leases, lack of communication.&nbsp;

I know of situations where leases have been in existence between families, and non-family members for over 30 years. In many cases, the terms of those leases haven’t changed much in those three decades. Yet, if you look at agriculture over that same time frame, there has been significant changes.&nbsp;

It is imperative that landlords and tenants get together and talk. Talk about how the crops did this year. Talk about cropping plans for next year if you need to, talk about the uncomfortable stuff.&nbsp;

When you start getting down to the nitty gritty and talk about cash rental rates, shares or what expenses the landlord is going to share, it can get uncomfortable. This is why far too many landlord/tenant discussions don’t get that deep and that is a shame.&nbsp;

Frustration can build up with either party, or the tenant simply can’t afford to continue with a current lease. At this time the tenant may let go of a lease or the landlord decides it’s easier to find a different tenant than to negotiate new terms.&nbsp;

We can easily look at what crop production expenses are shared and figure out how the crop should be shared. But sometimes landlords come into the lease and state what share of the crop they want, and what expenses they are willing to share. Without even seeing if the crop expenses share is equitable to the amount of the crop they want. This process seems to be backwards of what it should be.

Then ideally the discussion can take an even deeper track. Let’s talk about all the things that come up that are never talked about. Can the tenant double crop after corn or soybeans? Can the tenant graze the crop residue after harvest? Can the tenant fall or spring graze the wheat crop or cover crops if cover crops are planted? Actually, if it’s a verbal lease, a tenant has a right to do all of these things. Their lease may not be renewed if it wasn’t discussed, but in the eyes of the law, they have the right. This is why communication is so vitally important.&nbsp;

For many years now it has been talked about at Extension programs that written leases vs. verbal leases are important in spelling out the specifics, which should help to alleviate problems later on.&nbsp;

A K-State Research &amp; Extension, County and District Extension office is in every county of Kansas and will have simple and more complex written leases available and other info. on leasing laws and arrangements.

Stacy Campbell is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact him by e-mail at scampbel@ksu.edu or calling 785-628-9430, if after hours please leave a voice-mail for a return call.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1609860170277.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By STACY CAMPBELL Cottonwood Extension DistrictWith this year quickly wrapping up, it is definitely time to start talking about agricultural leases for the coming year. For the most part, there is speculation within the agriculture community that tenants and landlords may not talk to each other enough. This then leads to the number one problem that some of us in Extension run into with ag leases, lack of communication.&nbsp;I know of situations where leases have been in existence between families, and non-family members for over 30 years. In many cases, the terms of those leases haven’t changed much in those three decades. Yet, if you look at agriculture over that same time frame, there has been significant changes.&nbsp;It is imperative that landlords and tenants get together and talk. Talk about how the crops did this year. Talk about cropping plans for next year if you need to, talk about the uncomfortable stuff.&nbsp;When you start getting down to the nitty gritty and talk about cash rental rates, shares or what expenses the landlord is going to share, it can get uncomfortable. This is why far too many landlord/tenant discussions don’t get that deep and that is a shame.&nbsp;Frustration can build up with either party, or the tenant simply can’t afford to continue with a current lease. At this time the tenant may let go of a lease or the landlord decides it’s easier to find a different tenant than to negotiate new terms.&nbsp;We can easily look at what crop production expenses are shared and figure out how the crop should be shared. But sometimes landlords come into the lease and state what share of the crop they want, and what expenses they are willing to share. Without even seeing if the crop expenses share is equitable to the amount of the crop they want. This process seems to be backwards of what it should be.Then ideally the discussion can take an even deeper track. Let’s talk about all the things that come up that are never talked about. Can the tenant double crop after corn or soybeans? Can the tenant graze the crop residue after harvest? Can the tenant fall or spring graze the wheat crop or cover crops if cover crops are planted? Actually, if it’s a verbal lease, a tenant has a right to do all of these things. Their lease may not be renewed if it wasn’t discussed, but in the eyes of the law, they have the right. This is why communication is so vitally important.&nbsp;For many years now it has been talked about at Extension programs that written leases vs. verbal leases are important in spelling out the specifics, which should help to alleviate problems later on.&nbsp;A K-State Research &amp; Extension, County and District Extension office is in every county of Kansas and will have simple and more complex written leases available and other info. on leasing laws and arrangements.Stacy Campbell is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact him by e-mail at scampbel@ksu.edu or calling 785-628-9430, if after hours please leave a voice-mail for a return call.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574181994278.png" alt="Campbell" />
 <figcaption>Campbell</figcaption>
 </figure>

CAMPBELL: Time to start talking about ag leases

Year-end numbers from the Kansas Corporation Commission reflect a dramatic drop in drilling activity last year across the state and here at home. Regulators in Kansas approved just 560 new intent-to-drill notices across Kansas last year, less than half of the total from 2019, nearly 2,000 fewer than five years ago, and a far cry from the more than 7,000 intents filed back in 2014. For the year, Barton and Ellis counties each reported 16 intents for the year, Russell County had six, and Stafford County notched 12. CHS in McPherson raised its prices slightly last week to end the year, and start the new year, at $38.75 per barrel. That's up a dollar from a week ago, but down more than twelve dollars from the first of last year. The average price for the month of December was $37.44, compared to $31.55 in November of 2019. The average for December of 2019 was over $50. U.S. crude-oil inventories dropped more than six million barrels last week to nearly 494 million barrels. The Energy Information Administration says Stockpiles are about 11% above the five-year average. EIA reports total U.S. production last week dropped slightly, but ended the year above eleven million barrels per day for the fifth week in a row. A year ago at this time, U.S. production was approaching 13 million barrels per day. Imports dropped more than a quarter million barrels per day last week. The four-week average for imports is down nearly 15% from last year at this time. The government Wednesday said the crude-storage facilities at Cushing, Oklahoma have reached 74% of working capacity. Analysts first started to worry about storage capacity during the price crash in April, when prices dipped below zero briefly and producers fled the market to put crude production into storage, either on board tankers or at the tank farms in Oklahoma. In late April the world's largest independent offshore storage firm ran out of space, and Cushing reached 83% of capacity in early May. North Dakota’s top oil regulator says 2020 will be known for the rapid collapse of crude prices, dismantled drilling rigs and idled wells. All in all, says Mineral Resources Director Lynn Helms, it was a pretty terrible year for the industry. Helms told the Bismarck Tribune that next year does not look very promising in terms of growth. He says we will need a year or more before oil and gas prices prompt sustained growth in North Dakota. Regulators say total crude oil and condensate production in the top U.S. producing state declined for the third straight month, reaching its lowest total since May. The Railroad Commission of Texas reports monthly output of 128 million barrels, or 4.1 million barrels per day. That's down from over five million barrels per day before the pandemic. Colorado officials have agreed to enact more stringent regulations on ozone emissions from the oil and natural gas industry at the instruction of Governor Jared Polis. The state is hoping to avoid a dramatic downgrade under the federal Clean Air Act, which could require reformulated gasoline blends in some areas. Weekly oil-by-rail deliveries are down more than ten percent on the week and nine percent year-over-year. The Association of American Railroads reports 10,296 rail cars hauling petroleum during the week ending December 26th. The trade group reports the year-to-date totals are down nearly 14%. Canada reported an 18% drop for the week, with an annual total more than 20% below 2019. Triple-A reports the national average reached two-and-a-quarter per gallon last week, the highest prices since stay-at-home guidance was issued in March. Nearly twenty states reported average prices at least three cents higher than a week earlier. Kansas was not one of them, sporting a statewide average of just over two-oh-one per gallon on December 31. That's up three tenths of a cent on the week and about fourteen cents per gallon higher than a month earlier. Prices were up to $2.05 per gallon in Great Bend, and we spotted $2.03 at several retailers in Hays. Filling up your 15-gallon tank will cost you a dime more than a week earlier, two dollars more than last month, and a dollar more than six months ago. Russia is speeding up work on a natural gas pipeline to Germany in a race against the clock before the U.S. tightens sanctions against the project. Bloomberg reports the 764-mile NordStream-2 pipeline reached a milestone on Monday with the completion of pipe-laying in German’s exclusive economic zone. Among the next steps is resuming work in Denmark’s part of the Baltic Sea, where the bulk of the remaining sections will be located. The pipeline would bypass the traditional transport corridor through Ukraine. Work on the project was stopped a year ago by U.S. sanctions, but resumed earlier this month when the Russian state-run natural gas company found its own ship to lay the pipeline. The outlook for the crude market in the Mediterranean Sea next year is heavily dependent on recently restored crude-oil exports from Libyan. But, at least one analyst is not optimistic that the new supplies will be reliable. Argus Media reports that in the weeks since restrictions on Libyan oil development were lifted, prices for competing Algerian crude have gone up rather than down, with regional refiners wary of Libyan stability. Since the ceasefire deal was struck between warring factions, Algerian prices gained around thirty cents per barrel. Libyan production was nearly 1.3 million [["one point three million"]] barrels per day.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592847975802.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BY JOHN P. TRETBARYear-end numbers from the Kansas Corporation Commission reflect a dramatic drop in drilling activity last year across the state and here at home. Regulators in Kansas approved just 560 new intent-to-drill notices across Kansas last year, less than half of the total from 2019, nearly 2,000 fewer than five years ago, and a far cry from the more than 7,000 intents filed back in 2014. For the year, Barton and Ellis counties each reported 16 intents for the year, Russell County had six, and Stafford County notched 12. CHS in McPherson raised its prices slightly last week to end the year, and start the new year, at $38.75 per barrel. That's up a dollar from a week ago, but down more than twelve dollars from the first of last year. The average price for the month of December was $37.44, compared to $31.55 in November of 2019. The average for December of 2019 was over $50. U.S. crude-oil inventories dropped more than six million barrels last week to nearly 494 million barrels. The Energy Information Administration says Stockpiles are about 11% above the five-year average. EIA reports total U.S. production last week dropped slightly, but ended the year above eleven million barrels per day for the fifth week in a row. A year ago at this time, U.S. production was approaching 13 million barrels per day. Imports dropped more than a quarter million barrels per day last week. The four-week average for imports is down nearly 15% from last year at this time. The government Wednesday said the crude-storage facilities at Cushing, Oklahoma have reached 74% of working capacity. Analysts first started to worry about storage capacity during the price crash in April, when prices dipped below zero briefly and producers fled the market to put crude production into storage, either on board tankers or at the tank farms in Oklahoma. In late April the world's largest independent offshore storage firm ran out of space, and Cushing reached 83% of capacity in early May. North Dakota’s top oil regulator says 2020 will be known for the rapid collapse of crude prices, dismantled drilling rigs and idled wells. All in all, says Mineral Resources Director Lynn Helms, it was a pretty terrible year for the industry. Helms told the Bismarck Tribune that next year does not look very promising in terms of growth. He says we will need a year or more before oil and gas prices prompt sustained growth in North Dakota. Regulators say total crude oil and condensate production in the top U.S. producing state declined for the third straight month, reaching its lowest total since May. The Railroad Commission of Texas reports monthly output of 128 million barrels, or 4.1 million barrels per day. That's down from over five million barrels per day before the pandemic. Colorado officials have agreed to enact more stringent regulations on ozone emissions from the oil and natural gas industry at the instruction of Governor Jared Polis. The state is hoping to avoid a dramatic downgrade under the federal Clean Air Act, which could require reformulated gasoline blends in some areas. Weekly oil-by-rail deliveries are down more than ten percent on the week and nine percent year-over-year. The Association of American Railroads reports 10,296 rail cars hauling petroleum during the week ending December 26th. The trade group reports the year-to-date totals are down nearly 14%. Canada reported an 18% drop for the week, with an annual total more than 20% below 2019. Triple-A reports the national average reached two-and-a-quarter per gallon last week, the highest prices since stay-at-home guidance was issued in March. Nearly twenty states reported average prices at least three cents higher than a week earlier. Kansas was not one of them, sporting a statewide average of just over two-oh-one per gallon on December 31. That's up three tenths of a cent on the week and about fourteen cents per gallon higher than a month earlier. Prices were up to $2.05 per gallon in Great Bend, and we spotted $2.03 at several retailers in Hays. Filling up your 15-gallon tank will cost you a dime more than a week earlier, two dollars more than last month, and a dollar more than six months ago. Russia is speeding up work on a natural gas pipeline to Germany in a race against the clock before the U.S. tightens sanctions against the project. Bloomberg reports the 764-mile NordStream-2 pipeline reached a milestone on Monday with the completion of pipe-laying in German’s exclusive economic zone. Among the next steps is resuming work in Denmark’s part of the Baltic Sea, where the bulk of the remaining sections will be located. The pipeline would bypass the traditional transport corridor through Ukraine. Work on the project was stopped a year ago by U.S. sanctions, but resumed earlier this month when the Russian state-run natural gas company found its own ship to lay the pipeline. The outlook for the crude market in the Mediterranean Sea next year is heavily dependent on recently restored crude-oil exports from Libyan. But, at least one analyst is not optimistic that the new supplies will be reliable. Argus Media reports that in the weeks since restrictions on Libyan oil development were lifted, prices for competing Algerian crude have gone up rather than down, with regional refiners wary of Libyan stability. Since the ceasefire deal was struck between warring factions, Algerian prices gained around thirty cents per barrel. Libyan production was nearly 1.3 million [["one point three million"]] barrels per day.

News From the Oil Patch: Drilling activity down dramatically in 2020

Ranking right up there with man’s greatest accomplishments like five-gallon buckets, Ziploc bags and double stuff Oreos has to be the front porch. Call them stoops, decks, verandas or whatever else you please, the front porch is crucial in maintaining life as we know it.

My brother’s secluded cabin in the middle of a couple hundred acres of southeastern Ohio woods sports a splendid front porch of fifty feet or more that spans the entire length of their cabin; its suspended ten feet above the driveway below, and even higher above the gurgling creek beyond. From that front porch the coming day is planned and the completed day is discussed. From it, deer, turkey, pig and mushroom hunts are designed in advance, and successes or failures of each are analyzed later. I believe it to be the premier bird watching platform in the state. From there, innumerable species of song birds are seen and heard as they visit the porches many feeders, and geese and wood ducks call as they fly back and forth through the valley below. Most nights find someone on the front porch well into the darkness listening for the coyote howls that echo eerily through the surrounding hills, and hoping to be serenaded by the several varieties of owls calling the forest home.

Besides the usual accumulation of comfy chairs, a barbecue grill and bird feeders, my brother’s front porch offers some very unique but necessary furnishings. A couple empty Pringles cans, now repurposed as arrow holders are fastened to porch posts. There are several bow hunters in the family, so the cans hold the variety of different arrows necessary to cover every possible target, whether it be chipmunks, squirrels or coons at the deer feeder along the creek, a simple archery target in the meadow or “Bucky” the deer decoy prominently situated on the hillside below.

Another feature possibly unique to this front porch is an assortment of tennis and badminton rackets hung from nails on the posts. As temperatures warm, large wood bees and big bumble bees seem to flock to the porch, and nothing zings them across the porch railing like a well placed shot from a badminton racket. When the family’s all present, this “bee batting” quickly turns into a competition.&nbsp;

Yes, there’s just something about sitting on a front porch with a cold glass of ice tea or lemonade that brings calmness and clarity to the world around us, and boy howdy do we need buckets full of calmness and clarity right now. Maybe congress should meet on a front porch somewhere (I’m just sayin’!)&nbsp; And I can’t help but think that if world summits were held on someone’s front porch, the world would be a better place for it; any grievances could be settled on the spot with badminton rackets. And of course, it would help immensely if the front porch, like my brothers, was smack in the middle of God’s creation…I think Joyce said it best when she observed “I have a feeling this is what Heaven will be like – one huge front porch full of rocking chairs.” Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!

Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574696211722.png" alt="Steve&nbsp;Gilliland" />
 <figcaption>Steve&nbsp;Gilliland</figcaption>
 </figure>Ranking right up there with man’s greatest accomplishments like five-gallon buckets, Ziploc bags and double stuff Oreos has to be the front porch. Call them stoops, decks, verandas or whatever else you please, the front porch is crucial in maintaining life as we know it.My brother’s secluded cabin in the middle of a couple hundred acres of southeastern Ohio woods sports a splendid front porch of fifty feet or more that spans the entire length of their cabin; its suspended ten feet above the driveway below, and even higher above the gurgling creek beyond. From that front porch the coming day is planned and the completed day is discussed. From it, deer, turkey, pig and mushroom hunts are designed in advance, and successes or failures of each are analyzed later. I believe it to be the premier bird watching platform in the state. From there, innumerable species of song birds are seen and heard as they visit the porches many feeders, and geese and wood ducks call as they fly back and forth through the valley below. Most nights find someone on the front porch well into the darkness listening for the coyote howls that echo eerily through the surrounding hills, and hoping to be serenaded by the several varieties of owls calling the forest home.Besides the usual accumulation of comfy chairs, a barbecue grill and bird feeders, my brother’s front porch offers some very unique but necessary furnishings. A couple empty Pringles cans, now repurposed as arrow holders are fastened to porch posts. There are several bow hunters in the family, so the cans hold the variety of different arrows necessary to cover every possible target, whether it be chipmunks, squirrels or coons at the deer feeder along the creek, a simple archery target in the meadow or “Bucky” the deer decoy prominently situated on the hillside below.Another feature possibly unique to this front porch is an assortment of tennis and badminton rackets hung from nails on the posts. As temperatures warm, large wood bees and big bumble bees seem to flock to the porch, and nothing zings them across the porch railing like a well placed shot from a badminton racket. When the family’s all present, this “bee batting” quickly turns into a competition.&nbsp;Yes, there’s just something about sitting on a front porch with a cold glass of ice tea or lemonade that brings calmness and clarity to the world around us, and boy howdy do we need buckets full of calmness and clarity right now. Maybe congress should meet on a front porch somewhere (I’m just sayin’!)&nbsp; And I can’t help but think that if world summits were held on someone’s front porch, the world would be a better place for it; any grievances could be settled on the spot with badminton rackets. And of course, it would help immensely if the front porch, like my brothers, was smack in the middle of God’s creation…I think Joyce said it best when she observed “I have a feeling this is what Heaven will be like – one huge front porch full of rocking chairs.” Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

Exploring Outdoors Kansas: In celebration of the front porch

If you are considering purchasing fruit trees this spring, there are certain factors that should be considered for some of our fruit tree species. &nbsp;Spring in Kansas is often unsettled with apricot and peach tree flowers being very vulnerable to late frosts that can kill fruit buds. Of course, the tree itself will be fine but there will be little to no fruit for that year. 

Other species of trees can also be affected but apricots and peaches are by far the most sensitive. &nbsp;Also, the closer a tree is to full bloom, the more sensitive it becomes to frost.

Apricots are more likely to have frost kill flowers than peaches because they bloom a bit earlier. Though there are late-blooming apricot varieties, the differences between full bloom on early and late-blooming varieties appear to be slight. Research at Virginia Tech in the '90s showed a maximum of a 4-day difference between early and late varieties. However, in some years that may be all that is needed. The trees in the study that were considered late blooming included Hungarian Rose, Tilton, and Harlayne. Harglow was not included in the study but is also considered late-blooming. 

See&nbsp;<a href="https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/422/422-761/422-761.html">https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/422/422-761/422-761.html</a>for more info.​Peaches are next on the list for being likely to be caught by a late frost. With peaches, two characteristics become important when considering whether they will be damaged. Like apricots, bloom time is very important but fruit bud hardiness should also be considered. In this case, fruit bud hardiness refers to hardiness to late frosts rather than the ability to survive extremely low temperatures during the winter. Late bloomers included ‘China Pearl’, ‘Encore’, ‘Intrepid’, and ‘Risingstar.’ See&nbsp;<a href="http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/research/horticulture/RR782.pdf">http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/research/horticulture/RR782.pdf</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;. The ‘Intrepid’ cultivar also has shown excellent cold hardiness when in flower. See&nbsp;<a href="http://www.google.com/patents/USPP12357">http://www.google.com/patents/USPP12357</a>

<a href="http://www.google.com/patents/USPP12357"></a> So, are there other considerations when looking at frost damage? Location can be very important. Planting on a hill that allows cold air to drain to lower elevations can help. &nbsp;Also, a location in town will be more likely to have a warmer micro-climate than an exposed location. Some gardeners will add a heat source under a tree during cold nights if they are close to a building. Heat lamps and charcoal briquettes are sometimes used but safety should be the first consideration. Lauren Fick is the Horticulture Extension Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District. If you have questions, she can be contacted by e-mail at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:lfick@k-state.edu">lfick@k-state.edu</a>&nbsp;or by phone at 785-628-9430 or 620-793-1910.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1580750915301.jpeg" alt="Lauren Fick is the Horticulture Extension Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Lauren Fick is the Horticulture Extension Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>If you are considering purchasing fruit trees this spring, there are certain factors that should be considered for some of our fruit tree species. &nbsp;Spring in Kansas is often unsettled with apricot and peach tree flowers being very vulnerable to late frosts that can kill fruit buds. Of course, the tree itself will be fine but there will be little to no fruit for that year. Other species of trees can also be affected but apricots and peaches are by far the most sensitive. &nbsp;Also, the closer a tree is to full bloom, the more sensitive it becomes to frost.Apricots are more likely to have frost kill flowers than peaches because they bloom a bit earlier. Though there are late-blooming apricot varieties, the differences between full bloom on early and late-blooming varieties appear to be slight. Research at Virginia Tech in the '90s showed a maximum of a 4-day difference between early and late varieties. However, in some years that may be all that is needed. The trees in the study that were considered late blooming included Hungarian Rose, Tilton, and Harlayne. Harglow was not included in the study but is also considered late-blooming. See&nbsp;<a href="https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/422/422-761/422-761.html">https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/422/422-761/422-761.html</a>for more info.​Peaches are next on the list for being likely to be caught by a late frost. With peaches, two characteristics become important when considering whether they will be damaged. Like apricots, bloom time is very important but fruit bud hardiness should also be considered. In this case, fruit bud hardiness refers to hardiness to late frosts rather than the ability to survive extremely low temperatures during the winter. Late bloomers included ‘China Pearl’, ‘Encore’, ‘Intrepid’, and ‘Risingstar.’ See&nbsp;<a href="http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/research/horticulture/RR782.pdf">http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/research/horticulture/RR782.pdf</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;. The ‘Intrepid’ cultivar also has shown excellent cold hardiness when in flower. See&nbsp;<a href="http://www.google.com/patents/USPP12357">http://www.google.com/patents/USPP12357</a><a href="http://www.google.com/patents/USPP12357"></a> So, are there other considerations when looking at frost damage? Location can be very important. Planting on a hill that allows cold air to drain to lower elevations can help. &nbsp;Also, a location in town will be more likely to have a warmer micro-climate than an exposed location. Some gardeners will add a heat source under a tree during cold nights if they are close to a building. Heat lamps and charcoal briquettes are sometimes used but safety should be the first consideration. Lauren Fick is the Horticulture Extension Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District. If you have questions, she can be contacted by e-mail at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:lfick@k-state.edu">lfick@k-state.edu</a>&nbsp;or by phone at 785-628-9430 or 620-793-1910.&nbsp;

FICK: Fruit trees and frost

Joyce and I don’t normally hunt for trophy deer; we’re happy with a nice buck or a plump doe that puts good meat in the freezer. Last year we each shot deer and still have plenty of meat in our freezer, so this year I decided to wait for a big buck. The first morning of rifle season, I watched a bruiser buck walk past our blind in the early morning shadows before legal shooting time. Then another big buck came along with a group of does and fawns and was so entertaining I decided to let him go too, thinking “Certainly I’ll see them both again before season is done. I never saw either of them again; … that’s what I get for thinkin’!&nbsp;

The last Saturday morning of deer rifle season, I watched the usual group of does begin their trek toward our blind, followed by a dandy buck. “He’ll certainly follow his harem,” I surmised. He disappeared like a ghost never to be seen again; … that’s what I get for thinkin’.

I should have known better. It seems my record for being correct on important decisions is subpar lately; it all seems to have begun with my choices to win the TV show “The Voice.” We followed The Voice off-and-on this season, then tuned-in to see who won. Five contestants were in the finale; I chose the three I knew absolutely, unequivocally, would rank first, second and third. My choices ranked third, fourth and dead last...that’s what I get for thinkin’.

When I’m setting coyote traps, I watch the weather very closely for precipitation. Rain is bad because it makes a muddy mess of things, rendering the traps which are covered with a half inch or so of dirt, ineffective. Then if it freezes after the rain, the dirt over the traps becomes a frozen muddy mess, making the traps completely inoperable. On top of it all, it becomes impossible to drive over crop fields to get to the traps. Snow on the other hand is OK in small amounts as long as the weather stays cold enough so as not to melt the snow, which again would make for a muddy mess. When I set traps last week, the weather prediction was for a small amount of snow 2 days later, about a 60% chance. Now, all summer long, a 60% chance of precipitation had usually gotten us no precipitation at all, so “I’m good-to-go,” I thought. We got about an inch of snow, which promptly melted the next day, freezing all the traps in place and causing me a boat-load of extra work… that’s what I get for thinkin.’&nbsp;

I have a love-hate relationship with the local squirrels; they’re fun to watch as they chase each other around-and-around the two oak trees in our front lawn, but when they riddle my lawn with holes, dug to bury their “prizes,” I take it personally. This fall, I built one of those squirrel feeders that employs a one-gallon glass jar to hold the corn, peanuts etc. “This will be fun to watch the little beggars crawl around and sit in the jar like in all the pictures,” I thought. Our squirrels lean in about half-way, pull entire ears of corn out of the jar, and about anything else they can do to keep from crawling into the jar like “in all the pictures” …once again, that’s what I get for thinkin.’&nbsp;

It seems the phrase “that’s what I get for thinkin’” completely sums up the year 2020. I don’t think I could have done much personally to make 2020 any better, and I’m not sure what I can do to make 2021 any better either, but I just know I’m not gonna’ stop thinkin’.” Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574696211722.png" alt="Steve&nbsp;Gilliland" />
 <figcaption>Steve&nbsp;Gilliland</figcaption>
 </figure>Joyce and I don’t normally hunt for trophy deer; we’re happy with a nice buck or a plump doe that puts good meat in the freezer. Last year we each shot deer and still have plenty of meat in our freezer, so this year I decided to wait for a big buck. The first morning of rifle season, I watched a bruiser buck walk past our blind in the early morning shadows before legal shooting time. Then another big buck came along with a group of does and fawns and was so entertaining I decided to let him go too, thinking “Certainly I’ll see them both again before season is done. I never saw either of them again; … that’s what I get for thinkin’!&nbsp;The last Saturday morning of deer rifle season, I watched the usual group of does begin their trek toward our blind, followed by a dandy buck. “He’ll certainly follow his harem,” I surmised. He disappeared like a ghost never to be seen again; … that’s what I get for thinkin’.I should have known better. It seems my record for being correct on important decisions is subpar lately; it all seems to have begun with my choices to win the TV show “The Voice.” We followed The Voice off-and-on this season, then tuned-in to see who won. Five contestants were in the finale; I chose the three I knew absolutely, unequivocally, would rank first, second and third. My choices ranked third, fourth and dead last...that’s what I get for thinkin’.When I’m setting coyote traps, I watch the weather very closely for precipitation. Rain is bad because it makes a muddy mess of things, rendering the traps which are covered with a half inch or so of dirt, ineffective. Then if it freezes after the rain, the dirt over the traps becomes a frozen muddy mess, making the traps completely inoperable. On top of it all, it becomes impossible to drive over crop fields to get to the traps. Snow on the other hand is OK in small amounts as long as the weather stays cold enough so as not to melt the snow, which again would make for a muddy mess. When I set traps last week, the weather prediction was for a small amount of snow 2 days later, about a 60% chance. Now, all summer long, a 60% chance of precipitation had usually gotten us no precipitation at all, so “I’m good-to-go,” I thought. We got about an inch of snow, which promptly melted the next day, freezing all the traps in place and causing me a boat-load of extra work… that’s what I get for thinkin.’&nbsp;I have a love-hate relationship with the local squirrels; they’re fun to watch as they chase each other around-and-around the two oak trees in our front lawn, but when they riddle my lawn with holes, dug to bury their “prizes,” I take it personally. This fall, I built one of those squirrel feeders that employs a one-gallon glass jar to hold the corn, peanuts etc. “This will be fun to watch the little beggars crawl around and sit in the jar like in all the pictures,” I thought. Our squirrels lean in about half-way, pull entire ears of corn out of the jar, and about anything else they can do to keep from crawling into the jar like “in all the pictures” …once again, that’s what I get for thinkin.’&nbsp;It seems the phrase “that’s what I get for thinkin’” completely sums up the year 2020. I don’t think I could have done much personally to make 2020 any better, and I’m not sure what I can do to make 2021 any better either, but I just know I’m not gonna’ stop thinkin’.” Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

Exploring Outdoors Kansas: Well, that’s what I get for thinkin’

Despite being native to the Great Plains, eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) escapes from shelterbelt and ornamental plantings have resulted in widespread infestation of range and pasture that often require management. It is thought that the tree was originally confined to ridges and bluffs, but is now found in diverse sites, ranging from rocky uplands to swampy bottomlands. Eastern redcedars do provide food and shelter for many wild animals, but consuming leaves may be harmful to pregnant cows.&nbsp;

Eastern redcedar can be recognized by its opposite, evergreen leaves. Each leaf is actually a small (0.05-inch-long) triangle that pressed tightly over the margins of neighboring leaves. Younger leaves are not pressed together and are actually longer than more mature leaves. The canopy is pyramid-shaped, comprised of slender gray branches. It is a relatively slow-growing species with mature trees reaching heights of up to 65 feet. Bark is reddish brown and shreds into long, narrow strips.&nbsp;

Eastern redcedar is a dioecious species, meaning some plants only produce male reproductive structures while others only female structures. Eastern redcedar ‘berries’ are actually female cones. Cones are small (1/10 to 1/3-inch diameter), blue to purple colored spheres covered with a white wax. Each cone contains one to three small, egg-shaped seeds. Pollen cones are found at the end of branches.&nbsp;

Eastern redcedar can be managed with prescribed fire, especially trees that are less than 3 feet tall. For larger trees, cutting below the lowest branches is effective because eastern redcedar does not resprout. Grazon P+D, Surmount, and Tordon 22K are among the more effective herbicides; however, control by broadcast applications decreases rapidly as trees height increases. Soil-applied herbicides that can control eastern redcedar include Velpar L and Prononone Power Pellets.&nbsp;&nbsp;In addition, grazing management that promotes a health grass sward is important to preventing the spread of eastern redcedar.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573141354634.png" alt="Alicia Boor is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District." />
 <figcaption>Alicia Boor is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District.</figcaption>
 </figure>Despite being native to the Great Plains, eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) escapes from shelterbelt and ornamental plantings have resulted in widespread infestation of range and pasture that often require management. It is thought that the tree was originally confined to ridges and bluffs, but is now found in diverse sites, ranging from rocky uplands to swampy bottomlands. Eastern redcedars do provide food and shelter for many wild animals, but consuming leaves may be harmful to pregnant cows.&nbsp;Identification&nbsp;Eastern redcedar can be recognized by its opposite, evergreen leaves. Each leaf is actually a small (0.05-inch-long) triangle that pressed tightly over the margins of neighboring leaves. Younger leaves are not pressed together and are actually longer than more mature leaves. The canopy is pyramid-shaped, comprised of slender gray branches. It is a relatively slow-growing species with mature trees reaching heights of up to 65 feet. Bark is reddish brown and shreds into long, narrow strips.&nbsp;Eastern redcedar is a dioecious species, meaning some plants only produce male reproductive structures while others only female structures. Eastern redcedar ‘berries’ are actually female cones. Cones are small (1/10 to 1/3-inch diameter), blue to purple colored spheres covered with a white wax. Each cone contains one to three small, egg-shaped seeds. Pollen cones are found at the end of branches.&nbsp;Management&nbsp;Eastern redcedar can be managed with prescribed fire, especially trees that are less than 3 feet tall. For larger trees, cutting below the lowest branches is effective because eastern redcedar does not resprout. Grazon P+D, Surmount, and Tordon 22K are among the more effective herbicides; however, control by broadcast applications decreases rapidly as trees height increases. Soil-applied herbicides that can control eastern redcedar include Velpar L and Prononone Power Pellets.&nbsp;&nbsp;In addition, grazing management that promotes a health grass sward is important to preventing the spread of eastern redcedar.&nbsp;Alicia Boor is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact her by e-mail at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:aboor@ksu.edu">aboor@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;or calling 620-793-1910&nbsp;

BOOR: Ecology of eastern redcedar 

Bear with me readers as I make my case that we are not the "United States of America," but the "divided states" of America."&nbsp; We are a divided country in many ways, but there's an issue within this division that is very troublesome to me and has been for some time.&nbsp;&nbsp; In the past month or so, I have written that we have become a lawless third world country.&nbsp; In a second letter to the editor, I make the point we have a political party that is allowed to do most anything without accountability.&nbsp; &nbsp;In this letter to the editor, I claim we have basically become a country of "unequal justice."&nbsp;&nbsp; There appears to be one set of rules for Democrats and a different set for Republicans.&nbsp; I'm referring to our laws especially, but not exclusively.&nbsp; Call it "inequality of justice" that appears completely out of whack as if we have two different Americas. Since when does one political party have the right to be lawless while the other party is required to hold the line?&nbsp; The word that comes to mind is "hypocrisy."&nbsp; Are we headed for a socialistic one party rule of this country?&nbsp; Unless something dramatic happens between now and January 20 that could happen as I see it.&nbsp; Socialist government is one party rule no different than in Russia or China. Democrat Hillary broke some twelve laws with her email server when Secretary of State.&nbsp; Her emails were scattered all over the world endangering our national security.&nbsp; So what?&nbsp; Did she pay a price?&nbsp; Nope!&nbsp; No accountability whatsoever.&nbsp; The Clinton Foundation, raking in millions upon millions from foreign adversaries for charitable purposes, was a farce.&nbsp; Pay to play by Hillary was the name of the game as was the case with Joe Biden when he was Vice President.&nbsp; The Biden family, including Joe, were getting millions from Russia and China. How can an American official, without breaking the law, say to a foreign country, if you fill my pockets I will return the favor with taxpayer monies?&nbsp; &nbsp; Even Trump's Attorney General Barr wouldn't touch the Biden scandal and ran for the hills as he sheepishly resigned.&nbsp; The humongous scandal could have made a difference in the election, but the "deep state" of Democrat forces intervened as usual.&nbsp; Barr couldn't take the heat and it appears our Supreme Court is being cowardly as well.&nbsp; &nbsp;God help us if they are!&nbsp; The most telling issue that we are a third world country, where people can do anything, and not worry about justice is the coup to destroy a Trump presidency by former president Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary, which I mention in all of my writings.&nbsp; Why wouldn't I when it is one of the worst possible scandals in all of American history.&nbsp; To date nobody is held accountable and, of course, that's why Trump must be destroyed.&nbsp; Reverse these scenarios with Republicans involved in such corruption and you can bet the farm all hell would break loose.&nbsp; Many ending up in orange jump suits.&nbsp; During the infamous Mueller investigation and coup to destroy Trump the FBI in bed with Dems engaged in the worst prosecutorial misconduct in recent American history.&nbsp; When they couldn't get Trump associates Michael Flynn, George Papadopolous, Roger Stone and many others to nail Trump on Russia collusion they prosecuted everybody on superfluous stuff and threw the book at them anyway ruining their lives in the process.&nbsp;&nbsp; On a different note, not in our wildest dreams, looking at more inequality,&nbsp; could conservative Republicans get away with supporting groups that engage in violent protests, maiming police, burning buildings after stealing TV sets, etc.&nbsp; The Democrat controlled states and cities look the other way and threaten law enforcement if they don't stand down.&nbsp; Defund the police is obvious lawlessness and insanity, and will only get worse.&nbsp; Democrat governors and mayors in states and cities are trampling the constitutional rights (right and left) of its people and business owners with lockdowns.&nbsp; So what? Interesting!&nbsp; Voter fraud by Republicans is unheard of, but off the charts by Democrats.&nbsp; Hundreds, maybe thousands, of Biden voters committed voter fraud which is a felony.&nbsp; I haven't seen one case of anybody getting prosecuted so what's to prevent the same countless irregularities the next time?&nbsp; At this rate, there will never be another Republican occupying the White House. America's media took sides with one political party.&nbsp; Media protected a terribly poor candidate to be president who hung out in his basement and didn't even campaign for the job.&nbsp; If Joe Biden is inaugurated January 20 he owes it all to media which no longer reports news instead perpetuates Democrat's ideology, even censoring reports they don't like.&nbsp; That's no different than the media in socialist countries like Russia and China.&nbsp;&nbsp; If Democrats have already put in place no rules for themselves, but only for Republicans, one can only imagine what's to come should there be a Biden presidency.&nbsp; Let's hope there's a miracle on its way.&nbsp;&nbsp; If Democrats pretty much have their own way now without control of our Senate, what makes one think that Democrats won't be able to do just about anything anyway even if Republicans retain control of the Senate following the Georgia runoff?&nbsp; In as much as we do not have equality of justice, Dems will continue to operate under the radar of any kind of meaningful justice.&nbsp; We conservatives better be prepared to fight (figuratively speaking) by speaking out this is not the kind of America we want.&nbsp; I for one will never accept that the election wasn't stolen, nor give up hope that God fearing conservative Americans can still make a difference by supporting a man called Donald J. Trump whether president or not.&nbsp;

Les Knoll lives in Victoria and Gilbert, Ariz.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By LES KNOLLBear with me readers as I make my case that we are not the "United States of America," but the "divided states" of America."&nbsp; We are a divided country in many ways, but there's an issue within this division that is very troublesome to me and has been for some time.&nbsp;&nbsp; In the past month or so, I have written that we have become a lawless third world country.&nbsp; In a second letter to the editor, I make the point we have a political party that is allowed to do most anything without accountability.&nbsp; &nbsp;In this letter to the editor, I claim we have basically become a country of "unequal justice."&nbsp;&nbsp; There appears to be one set of rules for Democrats and a different set for Republicans.&nbsp; I'm referring to our laws especially, but not exclusively.&nbsp; Call it "inequality of justice" that appears completely out of whack as if we have two different Americas. Since when does one political party have the right to be lawless while the other party is required to hold the line?&nbsp; The word that comes to mind is "hypocrisy."&nbsp; Are we headed for a socialistic one party rule of this country?&nbsp; Unless something dramatic happens between now and January 20 that could happen as I see it.&nbsp; Socialist government is one party rule no different than in Russia or China. Democrat Hillary broke some twelve laws with her email server when Secretary of State.&nbsp; Her emails were scattered all over the world endangering our national security.&nbsp; So what?&nbsp; Did she pay a price?&nbsp; Nope!&nbsp; No accountability whatsoever.&nbsp; The Clinton Foundation, raking in millions upon millions from foreign adversaries for charitable purposes, was a farce.&nbsp; Pay to play by Hillary was the name of the game as was the case with Joe Biden when he was Vice President.&nbsp; The Biden family, including Joe, were getting millions from Russia and China. How can an American official, without breaking the law, say to a foreign country, if you fill my pockets I will return the favor with taxpayer monies?&nbsp; &nbsp; Even Trump's Attorney General Barr wouldn't touch the Biden scandal and ran for the hills as he sheepishly resigned.&nbsp; The humongous scandal could have made a difference in the election, but the "deep state" of Democrat forces intervened as usual.&nbsp; Barr couldn't take the heat and it appears our Supreme Court is being cowardly as well.&nbsp; &nbsp;God help us if they are!&nbsp; The most telling issue that we are a third world country, where people can do anything, and not worry about justice is the coup to destroy a Trump presidency by former president Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary, which I mention in all of my writings.&nbsp; Why wouldn't I when it is one of the worst possible scandals in all of American history.&nbsp; To date nobody is held accountable and, of course, that's why Trump must be destroyed.&nbsp; Reverse these scenarios with Republicans involved in such corruption and you can bet the farm all hell would break loose.&nbsp; Many ending up in orange jump suits.&nbsp; During the infamous Mueller investigation and coup to destroy Trump the FBI in bed with Dems engaged in the worst prosecutorial misconduct in recent American history.&nbsp; When they couldn't get Trump associates Michael Flynn, George Papadopolous, Roger Stone and many others to nail Trump on Russia collusion they prosecuted everybody on superfluous stuff and threw the book at them anyway ruining their lives in the process.&nbsp;&nbsp; On a different note, not in our wildest dreams, looking at more inequality,&nbsp; could conservative Republicans get away with supporting groups that engage in violent protests, maiming police, burning buildings after stealing TV sets, etc.&nbsp; The Democrat controlled states and cities look the other way and threaten law enforcement if they don't stand down.&nbsp; Defund the police is obvious lawlessness and insanity, and will only get worse.&nbsp; Democrat governors and mayors in states and cities are trampling the constitutional rights (right and left) of its people and business owners with lockdowns.&nbsp; So what? Interesting!&nbsp; Voter fraud by Republicans is unheard of, but off the charts by Democrats.&nbsp; Hundreds, maybe thousands, of Biden voters committed voter fraud which is a felony.&nbsp; I haven't seen one case of anybody getting prosecuted so what's to prevent the same countless irregularities the next time?&nbsp; At this rate, there will never be another Republican occupying the White House. America's media took sides with one political party.&nbsp; Media protected a terribly poor candidate to be president who hung out in his basement and didn't even campaign for the job.&nbsp; If Joe Biden is inaugurated January 20 he owes it all to media which no longer reports news instead perpetuates Democrat's ideology, even censoring reports they don't like.&nbsp; That's no different than the media in socialist countries like Russia and China.&nbsp;&nbsp; If Democrats have already put in place no rules for themselves, but only for Republicans, one can only imagine what's to come should there be a Biden presidency.&nbsp; Let's hope there's a miracle on its way.&nbsp;&nbsp; If Democrats pretty much have their own way now without control of our Senate, what makes one think that Democrats won't be able to do just about anything anyway even if Republicans retain control of the Senate following the Georgia runoff?&nbsp; In as much as we do not have equality of justice, Dems will continue to operate under the radar of any kind of meaningful justice.&nbsp; We conservatives better be prepared to fight (figuratively speaking) by speaking out this is not the kind of America we want.&nbsp; I for one will never accept that the election wasn't stolen, nor give up hope that God fearing conservative Americans can still make a difference by supporting a man called Donald J. Trump whether president or not.&nbsp;Les Knoll lives in Victoria and Gilbert, Ariz.

LETTER: America's justice or injustice?

To avoid energy costs, some homeowners are turning to wood for heat. &nbsp;Plant species is an important consideration as not all trees have the same density and therefore, heat value. The greater the dry weight, the better. The highest value for trees commonly found in Kansas is Osage orange (hedgeball tree) at 4,800 pounds per cord. Osage orange has a gnarly growth habit and a nasty set of thorns. This species also sparks which isn’t a problem in a wood-fired boiler but certainly would be in an open fireplace.Black locust is next with 4,200 pounds per cord. Black locust is a fast grower and has excellent burning qualities and makes a nice bed of coals. However, it is hard to split, suckers, and has some small thorns, especially on young trees. Bur oak and red oak come in at 3,800 and 3,500 pounds per cord respectively but are not fast growers. Mulberry, however, has the same weight as red oak but grows more quickly. Silver maple has less heat value (3,000 pounds per cord) but is a very fast-growing tree. Black locust is a tempting choice for this purpose due to its heat value and fast growth. &nbsp; However, black locust suckers and is invasive and can spread to areas you don’t want and so be careful if you choose this species. &nbsp;Another species, such as mulberry may work better for you. Or consider planting several different species in rows. So, how do you set out your plantation? Dr. Wayne Geyer, our late forestry professor, did many woody biomass studies over a period of 35 years. Following are some recommendations that have come out of his studies.&nbsp; &nbsp; - Plant on a close spacing, 4 to 6 feet apart. This maximizes yield and reduces side branching.&nbsp; &nbsp; - Control weeds for the first two years.&nbsp; &nbsp; - Harvest every 5 years though slower growing trees will take longer. &nbsp;Most trees will resprout and can be re-harvested.&nbsp; &nbsp; - Plant about 1 acre per year for 5 years if you wish to supply most of the firewood needed to heat your home.​

The trees mentioned above and available from the Kansas Forest Service include mulberry, Osage orange, bur oak, red oak, and silver maple. Lauren Fick is the Horticulture Extension Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District. If you have questions, she can be contacted by e-mail at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:lfick@k-state.edu">lfick@k-state.edu</a>&nbsp;or by phone at 785-628-9430 or 620-793-1910.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1580750915301.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>To avoid energy costs, some homeowners are turning to wood for heat. &nbsp;Plant species is an important consideration as not all trees have the same density and therefore, heat value. The greater the dry weight, the better. The highest value for trees commonly found in Kansas is Osage orange (hedgeball tree) at 4,800 pounds per cord. Osage orange has a gnarly growth habit and a nasty set of thorns. This species also sparks which isn’t a problem in a wood-fired boiler but certainly would be in an open fireplace.Black locust is next with 4,200 pounds per cord. Black locust is a fast grower and has excellent burning qualities and makes a nice bed of coals. However, it is hard to split, suckers, and has some small thorns, especially on young trees. Bur oak and red oak come in at 3,800 and 3,500 pounds per cord respectively but are not fast growers. Mulberry, however, has the same weight as red oak but grows more quickly. Silver maple has less heat value (3,000 pounds per cord) but is a very fast-growing tree. Black locust is a tempting choice for this purpose due to its heat value and fast growth. &nbsp; However, black locust suckers and is invasive and can spread to areas you don’t want and so be careful if you choose this species. &nbsp;Another species, such as mulberry may work better for you. Or consider planting several different species in rows. So, how do you set out your plantation? Dr. Wayne Geyer, our late forestry professor, did many woody biomass studies over a period of 35 years. Following are some recommendations that have come out of his studies.&nbsp; &nbsp; - Plant on a close spacing, 4 to 6 feet apart. This maximizes yield and reduces side branching.&nbsp; &nbsp; - Control weeds for the first two years.&nbsp; &nbsp; - Harvest every 5 years though slower growing trees will take longer. &nbsp;Most trees will resprout and can be re-harvested.&nbsp; &nbsp; - Plant about 1 acre per year for 5 years if you wish to supply most of the firewood needed to heat your home.​The trees mentioned above and available from the Kansas Forest Service include mulberry, Osage orange, bur oak, red oak, and silver maple. Lauren Fick is the Horticulture Extension Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District. If you have questions, she can be contacted by e-mail at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:lfick@k-state.edu">lfick@k-state.edu</a>&nbsp;or by phone at 785-628-9430 or 620-793-1910.&nbsp;

FICK: Growing your own firewood 

By MAX MCCOY <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/12/27/this-story-of-a-famous-photograph-taken-at-the-end-of-a-horrific-year-starts-and-ends-in-kansas/">For the Kansas Reflector</a>

Fifty-two years ago today, Apollo 8 splashed down in the Pacific after taking humanity’s first swing around the moon.

The mission was a triumph 
of science, discovery and American determination. But in an undeveloped 
roll of film in the capsule was an image that might be the mission’s 
most lasting achievement, a self-portrait that continues to inspire hope
 that we just might transcend our worst impulses as a species.

As a kid I would sprawl in
 the grass in the big yard beside my parents’ house in Baxter Springs 
and stare into the night sky. I remember the hazy summer nights, the 
sharp glitter of the stars in winter, and the whine of trucks on nearby 
Highway 66. And I remember during the long months of 1968 being 
frightened, because my parents were frightened.

Then, like now, we were nearing the end of what had been a horrific year.

It had started with the 
bloody Tet Offensive, which rocked the American military back on its 
heels in Vietnam. At home, there were assassinations — King in April, 
Kennedy (Bobby) in June. The chaos surrounding the Democratic National 
Convention in August was a violent burlesque that shook the very core of
 American democracy. Outrage piled upon outrage, leaving average folks 
staring slack-jawed in horror and disbelief at the flickering nightmare 
thrown into their living rooms from the only screen in the house — a 
television.

The Cold War was 
accelerating, and the American and Soviet space programs were 
neck-and-neck for the shining prize that floated in the night sky: the 
moon. Despite consumer kitsch like Tang in kitchen cabinets and 
antigravity space pens that wrote upside down, the colorful trappings of
 a civilian agency called NASA and the dreams of millions of science 
fiction fans, the primary aim of the American space program was 
political. The goal was not just to reach the moon before the end of the
 decade, as John F. Kennedy had promised in 1962, but to beat the 
Russians there. And the project built to get us there was named Apollo, 
after the Greek god of the sun.

But in 1968, the goal seemed as distant as the inconstant moon.

The year before, a flash 
fire had swept through the Apollo 1 command module while it sat on the 
launch pad during a test, killing its three astronauts. It was a tragedy
 that seemed to presage the dark days to come. The moon was a quarter of
 a million miles away, but the farthest Americans had ventured beyond 
the Earth was less than a thousand nautical miles, during the Gemini 
project. The 363-foot Saturn V rocket, the biggest and most powerful 
ever made, had yet to be used in a manned flight. The lunar module, the 
spider-like spacecraft designed to actually touch down on the moon, was 
far behind schedule, plagued with technical and production problems.

But in spite of all this, 
NASA made the decision to launch three men into space, sending them 
farther and faster than human beings had ever gone, put them into lunar 
orbit for Christmas, and bring them back before the New Year.

I remember watching 
television coverage of the space program obsessively, following every 
detail as Walter Cronkite would patiently explain, sometimes with models
 of the spacecraft, each phase of the flights. My space mania had taken 
hold earlier in the year, when my parents had taken me to see Stanley 
Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” at the drive-in. This was on the 
advice of my brother, who was an <a href="https://armyhistory.org/army-reserve-officers-training-corps-hundred-years-old-still-going-strong/">ROTC</a> cadet at the state college in a nearby county.

I did not know then, of 
course, that the American space program was largely built on technology 
developed by the Nazis. At the end of World War II, in a secret 
operation called <a href="https://www.archives.gov/atlanta/exhibits/item452-exh.html">Paperclip</a>, the U.S. government had seized truckloads of V2 rocket technology and the teams of scientists and engineers behind it. <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/history/vonbraun/bio.html">Wernher von Braun</a>,
 the architect of the Saturn V, had also been the chief rocket scientist
 for the Nazis, and his contributions — including gyroscopes for 
guidance and engines that used liquid fuel — would be the foundation for
 the U.S. space program. But what most Americans did not know at the 
time of the Apollo program was that under von Braun’s direction, the 
German V2s that were hurtled at London and other cities had been 
assembled <a href="https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/wonder-weapons-and-slave-labor">with slave labor</a> from concentration camps.

It’s unlikely that any of 
this was even known to the crew of Apollo 8, which blasted off on Dec. 
21, 1968. In the command module were Frank Borman, James Lovell and Bill
 Anders. Their primary mission was a there-and-back proof of concept, to
 do a photo reconnaissance of the lunar surface and to scout likely 
locations for a landing. The risks were considerable, including the 
chance of being stuck in lunar orbit for the rest of their short lives 
should the engine of their service module fail to fire.

It took nearly three days 
to reach the moon, and when they entered lunar orbit they were the first
 human beings to see its far side, which always faces away from Earth. 
Traveling at 5,000 mph, 60 miles above the lunar surface, their 
attention was first drawn to the dawning sunlight illuminating the 
ancient craters below them. But then, as the angles changed as they 
whipped around the moon, they saw the Earth hanging in space beyond the 
lunar horizon.

The moment was recalled in September 2018 by Lovell, the command module pilot, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCvW0kS3zdc&amp;t=23s">at a special event</a> for the 50th anniversary of Apollo 8 at the <a href="https://cosmo.org/">Cosmosphere</a> in Hutchinson.

Surrounded by a couple of dozen fellow Apollo-era astronauts and Mission Control crew members, and gently questioned by <a href="https://www.robertkurson.com/about">Robert Kurson</a>,
 author of “Rocket Men,” the 90-year-old Lovell recalled with impressive
 clarity the moment leading up to the taking of what may be the most 
iconic photo in human history.

“Then suddenly I looked up
 and I saw the Earth come up,” Lovell said. “And I realized what I was 
looking at was something that was 240,000 miles away. … I put my thumb 
up to the window and (discovered) I could hide the Earth behind my 
thumb. Which meant that over five billion people and everything I ever 
knew was behind my thumb. And it sort of gave me a different feeling of 
where we are, how we existed.”

“I looked down at the 
Earth,” he said, “and it was only one of nine planets in our solar 
system, it was a mere speck in our galaxy, and of course it was lost to 
oblivion in the universe. So it got you to start thinking.”

The crew realized it would make a good photograph, even though they joked it wasn’t on the event schedule.

Anders grabbed a 
Hasselblad camera and quickly loaded a magazine of Kodak Ektachrome 
slide film. He took a few photos of the view from the cabin window. Even
 though television coverage was beaming live from the spacecraft — 
including the famous <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToHhQUhdyBY">Christmas Eve reading from Genesis</a>
 — it was fuzzy. There was no way to know the power of the image Anders 
had captured on the Hasselblad. It would be days after splashdown before
 the film could be processed. The image that would eventually go up in 
millions of dorm rooms and inspire generations of environmentalists was 
not released to the world until it ran in “Life” magazine, which had an 
exclusive contract with NASA for first use of its moonshot images.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1609168874436.png" alt="On Dec. 24, 1968, astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and William Anders held a live broadcast from lunar orbit in which they showed pictures of the Earth and moon as seen from their spacecraft. (NASA)" />
 <figcaption>On Dec. 24, 1968, astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and William Anders held a live broadcast from lunar orbit in which they showed pictures of the Earth and moon as seen from their spacecraft. (NASA)</figcaption>
 </figure>By MAX MCCOY <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/12/27/this-story-of-a-famous-photograph-taken-at-the-end-of-a-horrific-year-starts-and-ends-in-kansas/">For the Kansas Reflector</a>Fifty-two years ago today, Apollo 8 splashed down in the Pacific after taking humanity’s first swing around the moon.The mission was a triumph 
of science, discovery and American determination. But in an undeveloped 
roll of film in the capsule was an image that might be the mission’s 
most lasting achievement, a self-portrait that continues to inspire hope
 that we just might transcend our worst impulses as a species.That image is “Earthrise.”As a kid I would sprawl in
 the grass in the big yard beside my parents’ house in Baxter Springs 
and stare into the night sky. I remember the hazy summer nights, the 
sharp glitter of the stars in winter, and the whine of trucks on nearby 
Highway 66. And I remember during the long months of 1968 being 
frightened, because my parents were frightened.Then, like now, we were nearing the end of what had been a horrific year.It had started with the 
bloody Tet Offensive, which rocked the American military back on its 
heels in Vietnam. At home, there were assassinations — King in April, 
Kennedy (Bobby) in June. The chaos surrounding the Democratic National 
Convention in August was a violent burlesque that shook the very core of
 American democracy. Outrage piled upon outrage, leaving average folks 
staring slack-jawed in horror and disbelief at the flickering nightmare 
thrown into their living rooms from the only screen in the house — a 
television.The Cold War was 
accelerating, and the American and Soviet space programs were 
neck-and-neck for the shining prize that floated in the night sky: the 
moon. Despite consumer kitsch like Tang in kitchen cabinets and 
antigravity space pens that wrote upside down, the colorful trappings of
 a civilian agency called NASA and the dreams of millions of science 
fiction fans, the primary aim of the American space program was 
political. The goal was not just to reach the moon before the end of the
 decade, as John F. Kennedy had promised in 1962, but to beat the 
Russians there. And the project built to get us there was named Apollo, 
after the Greek god of the sun.But in 1968, the goal seemed as distant as the inconstant moon.The year before, a flash 
fire had swept through the Apollo 1 command module while it sat on the 
launch pad during a test, killing its three astronauts. It was a tragedy
 that seemed to presage the dark days to come. The moon was a quarter of
 a million miles away, but the farthest Americans had ventured beyond 
the Earth was less than a thousand nautical miles, during the Gemini 
project. The 363-foot Saturn V rocket, the biggest and most powerful 
ever made, had yet to be used in a manned flight. The lunar module, the 
spider-like spacecraft designed to actually touch down on the moon, was 
far behind schedule, plagued with technical and production problems.But in spite of all this, 
NASA made the decision to launch three men into space, sending them 
farther and faster than human beings had ever gone, put them into lunar 
orbit for Christmas, and bring them back before the New Year.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1609168951803.png" alt="The Apollo 8 survival kit was a rucksack that contained two radio battery packs, one knife and water containers. Each Apollo spacecraft was equipped with two survival rucksacks. The contents were to be used in the event of an emergency landing in remote areas of the world. (Cosmosphere, Hutchinson, Kansas, cosmo.org)" />
 <figcaption>The Apollo 8 survival kit was a rucksack that contained two radio battery packs, one knife and water containers. Each Apollo spacecraft was equipped with two survival rucksacks. The contents were to be used in the event of an emergency landing in remote areas of the world. (Cosmosphere, Hutchinson, Kansas, cosmo.org)</figcaption>
 </figure>I remember watching 
television coverage of the space program obsessively, following every 
detail as Walter Cronkite would patiently explain, sometimes with models
 of the spacecraft, each phase of the flights. My space mania had taken 
hold earlier in the year, when my parents had taken me to see Stanley 
Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” at the drive-in. This was on the 
advice of my brother, who was an <a href="https://armyhistory.org/army-reserve-officers-training-corps-hundred-years-old-still-going-strong/">ROTC</a> cadet at the state college in a nearby county.I did not know then, of 
course, that the American space program was largely built on technology 
developed by the Nazis. At the end of World War II, in a secret 
operation called <a href="https://www.archives.gov/atlanta/exhibits/item452-exh.html">Paperclip</a>, the U.S. government had seized truckloads of V2 rocket technology and the teams of scientists and engineers behind it. <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/history/vonbraun/bio.html">Wernher von Braun</a>,
 the architect of the Saturn V, had also been the chief rocket scientist
 for the Nazis, and his contributions — including gyroscopes for 
guidance and engines that used liquid fuel — would be the foundation for
 the U.S. space program. But what most Americans did not know at the 
time of the Apollo program was that under von Braun’s direction, the 
German V2s that were hurtled at London and other cities had been 
assembled <a href="https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/wonder-weapons-and-slave-labor">with slave labor</a> from concentration camps.It’s unlikely that any of 
this was even known to the crew of Apollo 8, which blasted off on Dec. 
21, 1968. In the command module were Frank Borman, James Lovell and Bill
 Anders. Their primary mission was a there-and-back proof of concept, to
 do a photo reconnaissance of the lunar surface and to scout likely 
locations for a landing. The risks were considerable, including the 
chance of being stuck in lunar orbit for the rest of their short lives 
should the engine of their service module fail to fire.It took nearly three days 
to reach the moon, and when they entered lunar orbit they were the first
 human beings to see its far side, which always faces away from Earth. 
Traveling at 5,000 mph, 60 miles above the lunar surface, their 
attention was first drawn to the dawning sunlight illuminating the 
ancient craters below them. But then, as the angles changed as they 
whipped around the moon, they saw the Earth hanging in space beyond the 
lunar horizon.The moment was recalled in September 2018 by Lovell, the command module pilot, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCvW0kS3zdc&amp;t=23s">at a special event</a> for the 50th anniversary of Apollo 8 at the <a href="https://cosmo.org/">Cosmosphere</a> in Hutchinson.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1609168984362.png" alt="Apollo 8 command module pilot Jim Lovell at a special event for the 50th anniversary of Apollo 8 at the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson. (Cosmosphere, Hutchinson, Kansas, cosmo.org)" />
 <figcaption>Apollo 8 command module pilot Jim Lovell at a special event for the 50th anniversary of Apollo 8 at the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson. (Cosmosphere, Hutchinson, Kansas, cosmo.org)</figcaption>
 </figure>Surrounded by a couple of dozen fellow Apollo-era astronauts and Mission Control crew members, and gently questioned by <a href="https://www.robertkurson.com/about">Robert Kurson</a>,
 author of “Rocket Men,” the 90-year-old Lovell recalled with impressive
 clarity the moment leading up to the taking of what may be the most 
iconic photo in human history.“Then suddenly I looked up
 and I saw the Earth come up,” Lovell said. “And I realized what I was 
looking at was something that was 240,000 miles away. … I put my thumb 
up to the window and (discovered) I could hide the Earth behind my 
thumb. Which meant that over five billion people and everything I ever 
knew was behind my thumb. And it sort of gave me a different feeling of 
where we are, how we existed.”Then Lovell grew even more philosophic.“I looked down at the 
Earth,” he said, “and it was only one of nine planets in our solar 
system, it was a mere speck in our galaxy, and of course it was lost to 
oblivion in the universe. So it got you to start thinking.”The crew realized it would make a good photograph, even though they joked it wasn’t on the event schedule.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1609169022510.png" alt="Astronaut Bill Anders, Apollo 8 lunar module pilot, used this camera to take the famous Earthrise photograph on December 24, 1968. (Cosmosphere, Hutchinson, Kansas, cosmo.org)" />
 <figcaption>Astronaut Bill Anders, Apollo 8 lunar module pilot, used this camera to take the famous Earthrise photograph on December 24, 1968. (Cosmosphere, Hutchinson, Kansas, cosmo.org)</figcaption>
 </figure>Anders grabbed a 
Hasselblad camera and quickly loaded a magazine of Kodak Ektachrome 
slide film. He took a few photos of the view from the cabin window. Even
 though television coverage was beaming live from the spacecraft — 
including the famous <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToHhQUhdyBY">Christmas Eve reading from Genesis</a>
 — it was fuzzy. There was no way to know the power of the image Anders 
had captured on the Hasselblad. It would be days after splashdown before
 the film could be processed. The image that would eventually go up in 
millions of dorm rooms and inspire generations of environmentalists was 
not released to the world until it ran in “Life” magazine, which had an 
exclusive contract with NASA for first use of its moonshot images.The original “Earthrise” 
was square, but the version most of us are familiar with has been 
cropped and rotated, giving it a familiar horizon. It is a beautiful 
photograph, with our living planet of swirling blue-and-white poised 
above the barren moonscape. It was the first time human beings had 
voyaged to another celestial body and looked back at home, a fragile 
speck in the oblivion of space.All human beings who had 
ever lived, except for three, had spent their entire lives down there on
 that tiny blue planet. We are all essentially in a lifeboat floating on
 a starry sea. National boundaries appeared as they were in the cosmic 
scheme of things — meaningless.Apollo 8 returned to Earth
 as planned on Dec. 27. Borman, the mission commander, had spent most of
 the early flight sick. Lovell would return to the moon in 1970 as 
commander of Apollo 13, but would not get a chance to walk on its 
surface because of an explosion that damaged the service module and 
aborted the mission. The crew was forced to use the lunar module as an 
actual lifeboat to return to Earth.The Cosmosphere has the <a href="https://cosmo.org/exhibitions/hall-of-space">Apollo 13 capsule</a> on display. It also has several Apollo 8 artifacts, including the camera Anders used for “Earthrise.”All three Apollo 8 astronauts are still living, men in their late 80s or early 90s.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1609169055056.png" alt="In this official NASA portrait, William Anders poses with a Gemini, rather than an Apollo, spacecraft. (NASA)" />
 <figcaption>In this official NASA portrait, William Anders poses with a Gemini, rather than an Apollo, spacecraft. (NASA)</figcaption>
 </figure>For Anders, Apollo 8 was 
his first and only spaceflight. He continued to work for NASA, but his 
lasting contribution to the space program — and to photography, popular 
culture, the environmental movement and world peace — continues to be 
“Earthrise.”I have often stared at the
 photograph and thought about Christmas 1968, and the months that 
followed. In July 1969 Apollo 11 landed on the moon, and Neil Armstrong 
was the first person to walk on the lunar surface. I was again in the 
yard beside my house in Baxter Springs, at my brother’s side, staring up
 at the full moon floating against the night sky. The world still seemed
 a dangerous place. My brother was bound for Vietnam, as an Army 
lieutenant, in just a couple of years.A decade and a half later,
 I was an applicant for the journalist-in-space project, and I remember 
returning to the newsroom at the Pittsburg Morning Sun one day in 
January and finding the staff clustered around a small television. The 
space shuttle Challenger had exploded, killing all seven crew members, 
including teacher-in-space Christa McAuliffe. Spaceflight, which 
Americans had become bored with, was still risky. The journalist program
 was soon canceled.Now, at the end of this 
year of unexpected risk and challenge, let us trust in science to bring 
us safely home to normal. This generation’s moonshot are the vaccines 
that have now properly been distributed to many frontline workers and 
may reach the rest of us before too many weeks or months. Let us reflect
 on how technology, whether it is a rocket or a social media platform, 
are merely tools that can be used to build or destroy.And let us take advantage 
of those unexpected moments which present themselves to capture a moment
 of beauty and wonder, moments which might transcend our limited event 
schedules and serve to inspire and give hope to generations yet unborn.Max McCoy is an award-winning author and journalist. A native Kansan, he started his career at the Pittsburg Morning Sun and was soon writing for national magazines. His investigative stories on unsolved murders, serial killers and hate groups earned him first-place awards from the Associated Press Managing Editors and other organizations. McCoy has also written more than twenty books, the most recent of which is "Elevations: A Personal Exploration of the Arkansas River," named a Kansas Notable Book by the state library. "Elevations" also won the National Outdoor Book Award, in the history/biography category. Max teaches journalism at Emporia State University.

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