Editorial: Gorilla lovers, Harambe is back; jeez, get a room, not a gondola

In this weekly feature, the editorial board celebrates successes across our region and calls out those who stand in the way of progress.

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• If you thought people had forgotten about Harambe, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden's beloved gorilla, or his popularity had waned, guess again. Harambe is back in the headlines courtesy of new song released Saturday on SoundCloud by Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, titled RIP Harambe. The bouncey, two-minute track pays tribute to Harambe with some quirky lyrics such as "RIP Harambe, smoking on some strong hay, in the gorilla zoo and we thinking about you." Harambe was killed on May 28, 2016 after a 3-year-old boy fell into the gorilla enclosure. The gorilla reached meme status almost immediately and was memorialized in countless ways. It remains to be seen if Musk's Auto-Tune rap song will revive years-old Harambe memes, but it's a definite earworm as evidenced by the 500,000 plays it received by Sunday evening. Wonder if Musk is bumping this tune in his Tesla?

• In an era of divided politics in America, it's good to know that Cincinnati is home to one of the top bridge builders in Congress. For the second year in a row, Sen. Rob Portman was ranked as the second-most bipartisan senator, according to the latest Bipartisan Index conducted by Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy and The Lugar Center. The rankings measure bipartisanship by the frequency a member co-sponsors a bill introduced by someone from another party and the frequency bills introduced by that member attract sponsors from another party. For example, Portman along with Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) introduced legislation on Tuesday to make permanent a tax credit that encourages employers to hire individuals who face significant barriers to employment. Considering the rest of Ohio's congressional delegation didn't crack the top 50, this is quite the accomplishment. Here's hoping Portman can use his skill at reaching across the aisle to not only pass meaningful legislation for Ohio and the country, but to mend some the divisions crippling our nation right now.

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• The Northern Kentucky Health Department did the responsible thing by barring Assumption Academy students without vaccination or medical proof of immunity from attending classes during a recent outbreak of chickenpox at the Catholic school in Walton, Ky. Bill and Karen Kunkel have sued the health department because their son, Jerome, an athlete and straight-A student who has not had chickenpox, couldn't go to Assumption Academy or finish the basketball season. The family claims the department's ruling violates their constitutionally protected freedom of religion, with Bill Kunkel going so far as to call the health department a "tyrant." Jerome, 18, says the chickenpox vaccine "violates his conscience" because it was derived from aborted fetal cells. While the editorial board respects the Kunkels' religious convictions, the health department is obligated to protect residents from the spread of infectious diseases. Given how quickly the highly contagious virus was spreading (32 cases) and that it's impossible to predict how chickenpox might affect a person, it would have been irresponsible for the health department not to act. In fact, there have only been two new cases of chickenpox since the ban. The Kunkels should be free to practice their religious beliefs, but not at the expense of the health and safety of other students at Assumption Academy.

• Riders who went to the SkyStar Wheel at The Banks on Thursday looking for a thrill got a cheap one instead. Michael Mathisen, 30, of Florence, and Lauren Wilder, 31, of North College Hill, were charged with having sex in front of children and adults while riding the 150-foot-tall observation wheel. That's certainly not the kind of riverfront view or family-friendly environment city officials or ride operators want to promote. Turns out Mathisen and Wilder are accused of getting high that evening in more ways than one. Court documents indicated both were intoxicated at the time of the incident. Fortunately, staff quickly noticed the sex act – which "was over in just an instant," according to Todd Schneider, a SkyStar managing partner – and were able to quickly stop the ride and get police involved. Unfortunately, this type of indecency is not uncommon. "People do weird stuff in a closed space," Schneider said. Well, this couple's quest to join the 150-foot-high club took them from one closed space - a gondola - to another - the Hamilton County Jail cell. Let's hope the judge in this case gives Mathisen and Wilder more than just a slap on the wrist – starting with banning them from the SkyStar Wheel for its duration – to send a clear message this type of lewd, not to mention unsanitary, behavior won't be tolerated.

It must be said

• A push in the Ohio General Assembly to keep the state on daylight savings time is a great idea so long as other states around us do the same. Otherwise, the switch could create unnecessary confusion and frustration. The "Ohio Sunshine Protection Act" introduced by Sen. Kristina Roegner, R-Hudson, would eliminate twice yearly time changes and keep the state on daylight saving time, which takes effect in March through early November, year-round. The change would result in later sunrises at certain times of the year, but more sunlight at the end of the day. If it becomes law, Cincinnati could be on different time than Northern Kentucky – a move sure to cause some confusion and some missed flights at the region’s major airport. Not having to worry about setting clocks back and forth would be a relief, but that could be offset by the inconvenience the time difference would make for those living, working and doing business in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.

Opinion Editor Kevin S. Aldridge writes this on behalf of the editorial board,  which includes President Eddie Tyner, Vice President/News and Editor Beryl Love, Senior News Director for Content Michael Perry, Consumer Marketing Director Denette McCloskey, Editorial Board member Byron McCauley, and Video Coach and Photojournalist Amanda Rossmann.