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Page 4A OPINION East Oregonian Thursday, May 19, 2016 OTHER VIEWS Founded October 16, 1875 KATHRYN B. BROWN DANIEL WATTENBURGER Publisher Managing Editor JENNINE PERKINSON TIM TRAINOR Advertising Director Opinion Page Editor OUR VIEW Record returns can still improve Oregonians voted yesterday — or compared to national ones is another issue. We would argue a local city at least the government counted our councilor or judge will have a votes yesterday. greater effect on your life than most Thanks to vote by mail, many of us returned our ballot far in advance. presidents ever will. But we digress. In this editorial, It’s pretty fantastic that 96 percent or so of those votes can therefore be we are supporting an open primary system. counted within 15 minutes of polls It’s the best way to increase that closing. That sure makes it nice already solid voting rate. Better even for journalists scrambling to make than the motor voter law, which deadline for the next day’s paper. put ballots into the But the real proof hands of Oregonians in the pudding is voter they wanted turnout, and Oregon Unafiliated whether them or not. The did better than most voters returned jury is still out on this primary season. About 1.2 million that law was their ballots at whether Oregonians — 47 worth the time and percent of registered a clip of just effort. The 1.2 million voters — took part. cast could be a 18 percent. votes Compare that to record for an Oregon Kentucky, which held primary, but because their primary election of net migration, on the same day and saw around 20 it doesn’t mean much. The same percent of ballots returned. percentage of voters are doing their Here in Oregon, turnout varied duty, and the same percentage are dramatically depending on party not. afiliation, however. Registered Oregon’s voting laws are, Democrats returned their ballots thankfully, created with the thought at a 60 percent clip, while 55 of getting as many ballots to as percent of Republicans did the many people as possible. And also same. Registered members of the to give people the time to it a trip Independent Party returned 32 to the courthouse into their busy percent of their ballots. Unafiliated lives. Or, if their lives are too busy voters brought up the rear, however. or otherwise encumbered, they can Of 526,348 Oregonians who are not drop their ballots in the mail from afiliated with a political party, only the convenience of their own front 94,412 returned their ballot — about door. 18 percent. Those are Kentucky But in primary elections, the numbers! ability to choose which candidate But can you blame unafiliated you want to back this election in voters? In a closed primary, they each race — not requiring you receive a pretty empty ballot. In register before ballots are sent out Umatilla County, the unafiliated and then un-registering once you’ve had an important say in nonpartisan cast your vote — is another piece city council elections, a circuit of the electoral puzzle that Oregon court judge race and on local bond should be leading the nation in and levy issues. But they had no completing. say on partisan races that get much Opening the vote even more more media attention: president, for would siphon power from the instance, governor and state senators parties, especially the big two, and representatives. and re-enfranchise a whole lot of The importance of local races would-be voters. Unsigned editorials are the opinion of the East Oregonian editorial board of Publisher Kathryn Brown, Managing Editor Daniel Wattenburger, and Opinion Page Editor Tim Trainor. Other columns, letters and cartoons on this page express the opinions of the authors and not necessarily that of the East Oregonian. OUR VIEW If it weren’t so serious, bathroom bills would be a joke The Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader T he movement to ban students from using restrooms that conform to their gender identity is a solution in search of a problem. There is no evidence, no data that these young people present a threat to their fellow students or anyone else. However, it’s a solution that can cause lots of problems and a great deal of pain. Transgender people are much more likely to be victims of sexual violence. Forcing them to use restrooms set aside for them or for those of the gender with which they don’t identify is akin to placing a target on their backs. Henry Brousseau hated using the unisex bathroom in his public high school in Louisville before it adopted a policy allowing students to use the restroom of their gender identity. Born a girl, he had identiied as a male for three years when he spoke to a Kentucky Senate panel last year. “I was outing myself every time I had to go in there,” he said. Using that unisex bathroom put him in the crosshairs of potential harassers, marking him as something other than the “normal kid” he wanted to be. Henry’s concerns are at the heart of the U.S. Justice Department’s battle with North Carolina over HB2, the law just passed in a special session to overrule a fairness ordinance in Charlotte and compel public schools to make students use the bathrooms of the gender identity assigned to them at birth. The Justice Department sued North Carolina, saying HB2 violates civil rights. Friday, Justice joined the Department of Education in a joint letter to schools saying they must assure all students, including transgender students, “can attend school in an environment free from discrimination based on sex.” Implicit is that schools that violate this principle risk losing federal funding. This is not a departure from previous federal guidance, nor is it new to many schools. Atherton High in Louisville, where Henry attended, adopted a policy in 2014 allowing students to use the bathroom of their gender identity. Atherton principal Thomas Aberli told the Louisville Courier-Journal Friday that the new policy had been a “non-issue.” “Students feel safe and that we value the diversity in our school and see it as a strength rather than divisive.” Aberli acknowledged that changing mindsets about gender identity can be dificult but “as leaders we must do our research” to understand the issue and the impact of discrimination on students. Not feeling accepted takes a tremendous toll. Transgender kids attempt and commit suicide at a greater rate than their peers, and they miss school more often. If it weren’t so serious, these bathroom bills would be ridiculous. Politicians whine that a bullying federal government is trying to force its values on states while state legislatures try to force their values on their own cities. And of course these laws are unenforceable. Would a bathroom monitor stand outside every door, demanding a valid copy of a birth certiicate or inspecting genitalia before kids can enter? Or should students use their cellphones to spy on their peers inside stalls? But neither human dignity nor common sense is enough to stop those who want to raise money or bolster political careers by demonizing transgender students who just want to be themselves. While Bill Clinton rolls, George W. Bush unable, unwilling to help GOP B up in arms about it. And a few days ill Clinton has had his problems later, Trump won the South Carolina lately, but there’s no doubt the primary. former president is the best It was a concise lesson in the booster the Democratic Party has ambiguities of George W. Bush’s had since leaving ofice in January legacy for Republicans. 2001. Even now, although he’s clearly On the other hand, Bush could slowing down, Clinton is the party’s have helped his party by appearing at most effective surrogate for wife fundraisers and other events where an Hillary. Byron ex-president — even an ex-president Republicans haven’t had the same York with a troubling legacy — would still luck. The only two-term GOP president Comment be a big draw. His refusal to do so has in the last generation, George W. Bush, left some resentments. has stayed mostly out of politics in the Katon Dawson, a former chairman of seven years since he left the White House. the South Carolina Republican party, has no Bush’s absence has caused some hard complaints about Bush’s treatment of the state feeling among Republican politicos who wish while in the White House. But afterward has they had a popular ex-president to bring more been a different story. money and attention to GOP “He was gracious to candidates. On the other South Carolina — eight hand, they know Bush’s visits, raised us money, troubled time in ofice wonderful access to the permanently diminished his post-presidential status. White House,” said Dawson. And now, to top it off, Bush, “But then he went home and along with his father, former retired. We’ve asked him (to President George H.W. Bush, come), and the answer is no. has taken the extraordinary The irst time we saw him step of refusing to endorse was when he came to bail his the presidential candidate of brother Jeb out.” his own party. Now Bush is likely In short, facing a dificult to make relations with general election campaign Republicans around the and in need of all the country even more dificult help it can get, the GOP’s by refusing to support the ex-president situation is a mess. GOP nominee. Some anti-Trump conservatives George W. Bush left ofice with a job cheered the move, but state Republican parties approval rating of just 28 percent after 9/11, are coming around to the reality of a Trump two wars, and an economic collapse. He has nomination. since regained much of his popularity with But how could Bush support the candidate Republicans. But even within his own party, who slapped down his brother and trashed his Bush’s status is shaky. own White House record? That would be a On Feb. 15, Bush broke his rule against stretch even for a nimble politician. campaigning to travel to South Carolina to Still, the refusal to support Trump makes appear at a rally on behalf of his brother Jeb. Bush and his family look like they are putting The Jeb Bush campaign was already in its inal personal interests over the party. And in the days, and there was nothing W. could do to end, some Republicans wonder whether that save it. But W. still got a rousing reception. might end up helping Trump. Before the rally began, when the master of “The ruling class, the establishment ceremonies asked the crowd, “Are y’all ready folks, the Nantucket-Kennebunkport-Lake to see the president?” a huge roar went up. Winnipesaukee crowd is opposed to Trump,” They weren’t cheering for Jeb. The audience said Curt Anderson, a top strategist for the that W. attracted was by far the biggest of Jeb’s Bobby Jindal campaign who is not part of any campaign. campaign now. “Trump is from a lower caste, But at a Republican debate just a couple of he’s too loud at dinner parties. I would be days earlier, Donald Trump, who has criticized surprised to learn that their refusal to endorse is George W. Bush’s presidency throughout the based on ideological concerns of any kind.” campaign, slammed the war in Iraq as “a big, In the end, the Bush factor is too fat mistake.” Then Trump went further to say complicated to compute. A former president that George W. Bush “lied” the nation into war. who is unpopular with many voters but “They said there were weapons of mass popular with donors; who is pulled in different destruction, there were none,” Trump said. directions by family and party loyalty; who “And they knew there were none.” shies away from politics while his Democratic Jeb Bush stood haplessly by, unable to counterpart still draws crowds and moves defend either himself or his brother. voters. So were South Carolina Republicans Some Republicans like to send around a outraged by Trump — did they take offense photo of a smiling Bush with the caption “Miss on behalf of George W. Bush? Not really. me yet?” The problem is, there’s no clear Republicans I talked to at the W. rally were answer. evenly split on whether the war was a disaster, ■ and even though most didn’t agree with Byron York is chief political correspondent Trump’s assertion that Bush lied, they weren’t for The Washington Examiner. The refusal to support Trump makes Bush and his family look like they are putting personal interests over the party. The East Oregonian welcomes original letters of 400 words or less on public issues and public policies for publication in the newspaper and on our website. The newspaper reserves the right to withhold letters that address concerns about individual services and products or letters that infringe on the rights of private citizens. Submitted letters must be signed by the author and include the city of residence and a daytime phone number. The phone number will not be published. Unsigned letters will not be published. Send letters to 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com.
