Recent editorials from Kentucky newspapers:
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Sept. 30
The Daily News on a recent event in Bowling Green, Kentucky that aimed to bridge gaps between law enforcement and local communities:
For months, marches and protests around the country have ignited discussions about civil rights and the role of law enforcement in our communities. On Saturday in Bowling Green, we witnessed an example of how that national dialogue inspired positive action locally.
The first Boys to Law Enforcement Day at Bowling Green Ballpark brought together area youths and local law enforcement representatives for a day of fun and relationship building. As news coverage shows images of tense interactions between protesters and police in various cities, it’s hard to imagine a better moment for the Bowling Green and Warren County community to foster an environment of trust and understanding between local officers and young people.
That was the whole idea. Tyreon Clark – director of the Boys to Men Leadership Group, a nonprofit organization that aims to boost young men’s academic, behavioral, emotional and social development – saw the demonstrations begin around the U.S. over the summer and approached local law enforcement leaders about creating what would ultimately become Boys to Law Enforcement Day.
The event came together with involvement from the Bowling Green and Western Kentucky University police departments, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office and the Bowling Green Hot Rods, among others. The gathering was anchored by activities on the ballpark’s field, such as base running and flag football, and there was a panel discussion about the role of police in the community.
The main objective of the event was to bridge any gaps that might exist between local neighborhoods and the law enforcement profession.
“It just makes everyone comfortable,” Clark told the Daily News. “For the officers, it gives them hope when they see our youth, and it gives our youth hope when they see these officers out of their uniform having a good time. It allows everyone to just see each other as people.”
An understanding of our shared humanity is an important factor that unfortunately seems absent from the debates about civil rights and police issues in America. That’s why it’s heartening to know there are people working in our community to establish a foundation of trust and cooperation between police and rising generations.
We would be thrilled if Boys to Law Enforcement Day becomes an annual event, and organizers have said they intend to do just that. We’re proud to see members of our community come together in an effort to effect positive change during a tumultuous time in America.
Online: https://www.bgdailynews.com
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Sept. 25
The Daily Independent on registering to vote:
No doubt you have been bombarded by messages urging you to vote on Nov. 3.
While you might get tired of hearing it, we hope you won’t get tired of voting.
It is your civic duty to take part in the process to choose our leaders. We often complain about their performance; that should be the catalyst to get us to the polls. If we have no complaints, that should be a catalyst, too, to make sure our officials retain office.
It’s also your privilege to vote. From the Revolutionary War, people have fought and died for all of us to have the right to vote. We should honor their sacrifices by helping decide who represents us in Washington, D.C., as well as at state and local levels.
Today, some of us are so hopeless about the state of the country that we don’t believe our vote counts. But we can look to our own history and see that it does.
Nationalgeographic.com points out: “In 2000, Al Gore narrowly lost the Electoral College vote to George W. Bush. The election came down to a recount in Florida, where Bush had won the popular vote by such a small margin that it triggered an automatic recount and a Supreme Court case. In the end, Bush won Florida by 0.009% of the votes cast in the state, or 537 votes. Had 600 more pro-Gore voters gone to the polls in Florida that November, there may have been an entirely different president from 2000 to 2008.”
True, you have only one vote, not 600. In the newspaper business, however, there is a rule of thumb to gauge public opinion: If one person feels strongly enough to write a letter to the editor about a subject, there are about 100 others who feel the same way. If you can apply that to voting, you can see why every vote matters.
If none of this information inspires you to vote, think about this: Our democracy functions because individuals have freedom, and with freedom comes responsibility, like voting. Sometimes we hear about voter turnout being low in the United States, as opposed to 98% turnout in many non-democratic countries. But many in those countries are compelled to vote. There often is only one party on the ballot - the controlling party. Sometimes ballots aren’t private, as those who vote against the ruling party may be punished.
Compared to those countries, voting in the United States is easy, fair and safe. It’s your chance to voice your opinion, and perhaps most importantly, it strengthens our democracy.
Vote. Please.
Online: https://www.dailyindependent.com
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Sept. 24
The State Journal on Frankfurt Mayor Bill May’s use of private accounts to conduct public business:
While many in the community are debating whether Mayor Bill May’s hiring of a public relations firm at $5,000 per month has been worth the expense, a somewhat buried but bigger concern is the mayor’s use of his private email account and text messages on a personal device to conduct city business.
A State Journal reporter discovered that some emails were missing in the city’s response to an open records request for correspondence between May and Boxcar PR last month and filed an appeal, which also failed to turn up the missing communication. It wasn’t until after a third request was submitted that the newspaper was able to obtain emails and texts from the mayor’s private accounts.
The error was a “mistake of oversight, plain and simple,” according to City Attorney Laura Ross, who reviewed the files. “In this instance, it appears that some of the email attachments to Mayor May’s two emails sent on Sept. 8 showed up in a strange format, and by pure accident, were not seen and thus not printed.”
The innocuous content of the missing emails supports Ross’ assertion. The mayor would have had no reason to conceal them from public view. But regardless of the reason for the omission, May - who has served an elected office in city government as either mayor or city commissioner for nearly a quarter-century - should have known better than to use his personal account for city business.
While the state’s open records law has been interpreted by courts to cover government-related communication on private devices, taxpayers’ access to that communication becomes an unnecessary honor system when governmental entities like the City of Frankfort respond to records requests.
“You can’t erase the fact that Bill conducted business on a private device,” said Amye Bensenhaver, a former assistant attorney general under six Kentucky attorneys general whose work focused primarily on open records and open meetings laws. “You don’t conduct public business on a private device, and here’s why.”
In this case, reporter Austin Horn’s dogged persistence uncovered the discrepancy after records were released for a third time. But, noted Bensenhaver, May’s personal emails and texts with Boxcar were omitted in the first two responses.
Using public email accounts guarantees that records are accurate and complete. The same can’t be said for searches on private devices, adds attorney Michael Abate, who advises Kentucky Press Association members on sunshine laws.
“If officials don’t use public email services, we are at their discretion when it comes to searching,” he said.
We hope all elected officials in Frankfort and Franklin County will learn from the mayor’s mistake.
Online: https://www.state-journal.com
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