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KANSAN.COM | THURSDAY, NOV.10, 2016
2016 has really put the NO in November.
It's so quiet on campus. Wednesday morning, Wednesday mourning
I was feeling bad for coming to class hungover today, but then I realized that the entire country is waking up with a massive headache and extreme regret, so at least I'm not alone.
To the vandals that broke the Chancellor's fountain everyone in the Schol Halls hated
There are two people in my class in physical visible tears because they are so scared of the election result. This is the America we live in now.Well f*cking
If you're feeling down and out, try a nap.
I think I'll just stay in bed all day. Yes, that seems right.
done.
I think we just bought ourselves four years of one bad hombre
Is this real life?
You know it's going to be a bad day when you wake up in your shower that's been on for three hours after you tried to take a drunk post-election
shower
We're at the point in the semester where you either avoid the grades tab of blackboard like a plague or make your computer automatically open up
Did you know that vodka is just fun water?
I think I'm getting an ulcer
Trump won because we never stopped memes when we had the chance
Canada's immigration website has crashed since the election
I'm regretting getting my flu shot this morning because death by virus sounds pretty damn good right now.
@KANSANNEWS
This year needs to end already.
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EDITORIAL: Defy the message Trump's election sends
▶ KANSAN EDITORIAL BOARD
@KansanNews
On Tuesday night, the Electoral College chose Donald Trump to be the 45th President of the United States. Our next president is a man who has condoned sexual assault, demonstrated substantial prejudice against minorities and mocked Americans with disabilities. In January, Trump will swear to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. Through his actions, though, he has demonstrated his willingness only to protect the freedoms of those who
This has already had a profound effect on our country. Some students have said they are afraid to attend classes, be seen with their partners, or wear clothing outside of western norms. Many, understandably, see the election as a message that they are unwelcome in their own country.
look and act like him.
Support each other. Do not be silent in the face of hate and prejudice."
It is our duty as Americans to defy that message. As a university, we must come together to condemn hatred and soothe the hurt this bigotry has caused. We must take it upon ourselves to change the environment created by this election and the rhetoric Trump touted, and shape an America where every person feels safe to attend class, practice religion and be with the person they love.
Trump claimed in his victory speech that he will be "[a] president for all Americans."
We need to hold him, and every elected official in this country, to that.
Lawrence, and
Douglas County, voted overwhelmingly against Trump and his racist, sexist and divisive message, and by doing that we made a statement about the kind of country we want to live in. Now it is time to act on that statement.
Reach out to your friends, your classmates, your co-workers. Be kind and understanding. During this divisive election, our nation's sense of empathy has been lost. The time has come to reclaim it.
This is a bleak moment in American history, but there is a path forward. We cannot change the results of the election, but we can change the climate in this country for the better. The responsibility lies with all of us to continue the march toward an America that not only prioritizes, but exemplifies, inclusion and diversity. That is what will make America truly great, and it starts here at KU.
Most importantly, support each other. Do not be silent in the face of hate and prejudice. It is silence that allows hate and prejudice to thrive.
The Kansan Editorial Board consists of Candice Tarver, Maddy Mikinski, Jesse Burbank and Gage Brock.
Letter to the editor:
▶ MACKENZIE SHEEHY
As a law student, I complain a lot. About the workload, the job prospects, the law itself.
To them and to me, a Trump presidency signals a woeful move backward in progress. After electing the first black president, we have just elected a president endorsed by the KKK.
The results of the presidential election have me counting my privileges like lucky stars. Never before have I felt so grateful for my law degree.
But we will not forget what he has said. We will not forget what he has done. We will stay angry.
He is not my President.
Friends of different races and religions called late Tuesday night as they discovered, in real time, what their nation really thought about them. I wept too.
Mackenzie Sheehy, University of Kansas School of Law, Class of 2018
Munoz: Election process should be more secure and transparent
This election cycle has pushed trust in our country's democratic institutions to the edge. There are enough scandals between the two major parties' nominees to make conspiracy theorists and informed voters alike question the system. Cyber attacks toward the DNC and Clinton campaign combined with Donald Trump's claims of a "rigged" election have stoked fears that the election could be stolen or otherwise tampered with.
In light of this, the next president and Congress should actively seek to implement reforms that will boost confidence in our election system. These reforms should include both presidential candidates disclosing
► VINCE MUNOZ
@vmunoz_18
The most obvious way to keep candidates more transparent would be to mandate the release of their tax returns. Though many voluntarily do so, it is not legally required.
potential conflicts of interest and strengthening security measures in election infrastructure
However, that will not be enough. Senior staff members from campaigns should also be subject to at least some of these rules as well. Both co-chairs of Clinton's campaign, John Podesta and Huma Abedin, have been dragged into her email scandal.
Trump, of course, has also hired sketchy individuals. One of his former campaign
in light of this the next president and Congress should actively seek to implement reforms that will boost confidence in our election system."
managers, Corey Lewandowski, resigned after forcibly grabbing a reporter. Another, Paul Manafort, left after it was reported that the former president of Ukraine paid him an undisclosed $12.7 million for consulting prior to the 2014 civil unrest. The Trump campaign's current CEO, Stephen Bannon, was charged with domestic violence in 1996.
Beyond keeping candidates accountable, the security of our election has also been called into question. Given that early voting takes place in most states, it is too late to implement any major changes to election administration. However, there are several things that can be done for future elections. Congress should update the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to help states pay for more secure election machines.
Currently, nearly all election officials use some form of electronic voting equipment. One such system is direct-recording electronic (DRE) voting machines, which is just a fancy way of saying a paperless system. However,
some officials worry that DREs could be hacked or programmed to "rig" an election. To prevent this, the federal government should provide grants to states to add voter-verified paper audit trails. Essentially, this means that voters would be given a printed receipt to confirm their vote. This can also be used if a recount is necessary.
These steps alone will not solve everything, but they are good starting points. Other ideas could include implementing automatic voter registration to prevent fraudulent registrations as well as more interstate cooperation on voting rules. But regardless of the specifics, something must be done to address voters' fears and preserve the integrity of the world's longest consecutive democracy.
Vince Munoz is a junior from Topeka studying political science and strategic communications.
- Edited by Cody Schmitz
"Now I know how Squidward felt"