Mary Sanchez

By Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

Green with envy I was, upon receiving the text message a friend sent me from an exclusive reserved section during Barack Obama’s post-election gathering at Chicago’s Grant Park.

Come Nov. 5, John McCain supporters might just rue the day they made all those wisecracks about community organizers.

Approaches central to community organizing -- building grassroots support, harnessing volunteer labor, directing coalitions toward one goal -- are paying off big time for Barack Obama. Want proof?

By Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star columnist

In years past, people would say economic times like these called for “buckling down.” That is, facing difficult responsibilities. Making sacrifices, with the faith that doing so would get us through a tough spot.

By Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star columnist

You remember critical thinking, don’t you? That skill you were supposed to pick up in civics class?

It’s conspicuously absent from political discourse these days. Instead, we get the “you hate America” kind of talk. Accusations that the other guy, or gal, is “elitist,” “sexist,” “racist,” or simply “disrespectful.” Often the same epithets are applied to people in the media who question a candidate too deeply.

By Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star

But for the grace of God go many women when the subject is Sarah Palin.

No, most women will never be considered for vice president. Palin should never have faced that challenge either. As many have pointed out, she doesn’t exactly have the heartiest resume of political experience.

By Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star columnist

Once upon a time, during my gullible childhood years, I believed a person had to be well reasoned to be an author. That it took unique qualifications — a special calling, even — to write books. But I’ve matured, and have slagheap of chick lit as evidence to the contrary.

By Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star

To all those who fear the invasion of our shores by foreign languages — I’m speaking to you, stalwarts of the "English Only" movement — seriously, you need to travel more.

Perhaps they simply have not experienced signage such as these doozies from China:

By Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist

CHICAGO-Barack Obama strides on stage and I imagine kids calling him “beanpole.”

Sadly, that’s not too far below the level of depth the candidate provided for the next hour. Like his God-given proportions, this was not all Obama’s fault.

By Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

America, this Bud should have been for you.

But many of us were too busy grousing about the sale of another national icon to a foreign firm to heed the wake-up call.

By Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

Search Google for Dara Torres and two pictures will pop up. One portrays the Olympics-bound swimmer in a beguiling pose, her breasts strategically and barely covered with flimsy cloth. Think J-Lo’s gaping green dress.

By Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

As if getting a downpayment together isn't tough enough these days..... A proposal by HUD to eliminate charitable down payment assistance is angering the nation's mayors, Congressional leaders and those in the home loan industry. Details below:

By Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

Barack Obama is channeling JFK these days. Oddly, he’s doing it through one of George W. Bush’s more controversial policies.

By Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

In the language of newspapers, some stories are “briefs.”

Short reports, not considered significant enough to warrant full-length treatment, except they almost always could if a reporter had the time, and the paper the space.

By Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

Kansas City in a league with Beijing, Calgary, Barcelona and Seattle?
According to FastCompany.com -- Yes!

KC -- illustrated with a beautiful photo of the Nelson-Atkins Museum expansion -- is touted by the magazine as among the most innovative. The redevelopment of downtown, the Sprint Center, and growth in the field of bioscience are also cited.

By Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

Conspiracy theorists are usually a little too willing to intertwine what suits them in my book. However, there are real connections between some of the constant purveyors of anti-immigrant sentiment in the U.S.

By Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

Think Barbie ever lusted after anyone but Ken?
What if Ward had cheated on June, or — gasp! — the Beav was openly gay and wanted to marry Lumpy?

By Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

One observer who would rather remain undercover made this astute observation about efforts to redistrict the KC School Board's election boundaries post slicing seven schools off for the Independence School District: "There seems to be more interest in the lines than people who ran for the seats."

By Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

At first, the reception was light and cheerful. Hors d’oeuvres and drinks were served. Journalists from Pakistan, visiting the United States in a program administered by the U.S. State Department, were making a stop in Kansas City.

By Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

Kansas City played a big role in last week’s North America's SuperCorridor Coalition, Inc. (NASCO) conference in Guanajuato, Mexico.

By Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

I wish Barack and Michelle Obama had a teenage son. If they did, it might just shake up the twisted image so many Americans have of young black men as gang-banging, misogynistic thugs.

By Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

A few weeks ago, I ticked off loyal Hillary Clinton supporters by daring to suggest that a true lady would know when to exit the presidential race gracefully.

By Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

...or so argues a new study by the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism and the Joan Shorenstein Center on Press, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard University.

By Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

The federal government has been hard at work in Iowa lately.

In May, federal officials quietly leased a huge cattle complex in Waterloo, Iowa. Soon citizens were speculating about what might possibly be coming to the National Cattle Congress fairgrounds. A simulation exercise for federal officials to practice responding to an incident of mass terrorism?

By Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

The June edition of "Playboy" has a snippet called "Ask Some Hookers" where a few high-priced L.A. call girls were asked to rank the nation's governors on "doability."

By Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star Editorial Board

Or; "Your great grandfather was as slow, actually slower to learn English, and "become American" than many immigrants today.

An assertion often heard in immigration conversations; some people are understandably so far removed their own immigrant ancestors they confuse their own family history; believing their ancestors arrived speaking perfect English, ready to completely separate from the customs and culture of their native lands.

By Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star Editorial Board

Both men proclaim a reverence to God. Both avow that faith is their guiding principle and stress the duty to follow the tenets of religion.

By Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star Editorial Board

Let’s agree to quit walloping the free trade piñata. Really, this is bordering on ridiculous.

Many Americans — those in the middle and on the lower end of the economic spectrum — are feeling vulnerable right now.

By Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star Editorial Board

BET's website has a quick quiz on some basic facts about the life of Martin Luther King Jr.

Go here.

By Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star Editorial Board

Forgive me for saying so, but the ranting of Barack Obama’s former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., did not horrify me.

By Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star Editorial Board

Conspiracy theories abound revolving Sept. 11 and the World Trade Center collapse. Here's some information on an upcoming local event:

Uptown Theater at 2 p.m., Saturday, April 5.