May 2025

Back in December I wrote a column on symbolism and substance in politics. At the time, I was especially struck by the problem of what it means to take political rhetoric—the constant, often bizarre social media statements flooding from the White House being a great example—“seriously but not literally.” As we continue, both in Kansas and across the country, to be caught up in a political environment filled with protests and proclamations that may or may not be meant to be taken seriously, a return to the topic is in order.

On Sunday, May 11, the U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said she is suspending import of live cattle, horses and bison “...through U.S. southern border ports of entry effective immediately” due to detection of the screwworm in Veracruz and Oaxaca in Mexico, nearly 700 miles south of the U.S. border as reported by Reuters. But Rollins wrongly stated “The last time this devastating pest invaded America, it took 30 years for our cattle industry to recover.”