The Public Pulse: 'My thought is that one colossus is enough for Omaha'

The Omaha Colossus

Kevin Penrod’s idea (“What Omaha needs — An over-the-top statue that inspires awe, draws people in,” Feb. 23) for a colossus is a little too late and way too small. I think Omaha already has a colossus. It is called the Streetcar Project. A miles-long project, dwarfing a 300-foot statue and costing many more millions than one statue ever would. A Streetcar Project, which was never approved by the voters, is a much more fitting tribute to the arrogance and misallocation of the resources by our civic leaders in Omaha than any 300-foot statue ever could be.

My thought is that one colossus is enough for Omaha.

Stan Fullner, Omaha

Anti-DEI bill

Since State Sen. Lippincott justifies his bill (“Nebraska senator’s proposals to ban DEI, end tenure draw strong opposition,” March 17) with retired Air Force buddy’s story about citing a female pilot who died because she was unqualified (not true), I also have a story. When I was in a Navy C-130 squadron we received a small group of female engine mechanics. The male mechanics displayed their displeasure by hiding tool carts forcing them to lug/drag them inside the hangar. It didn’t last long as the males stopped when they too had to drag them around. All the female mechanics performed with exceptional professionalism and maintenance actually improved. Sen. Lippincott needs to listen to others and represent all Nebraskans besides his “good old boys”.

Jeff Johnston, Elmwood, Neb.

LT, USN Retired

Protect public education

The U.S. Congress must reject President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s plans to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education and undermine the foundation of public education in this country. Do we want to become an even greater laughing stock of the entire world? What pros come from dismantling public education?

We have witnessed countless attacks on public education at the hands of this president and his administration since he took office. In this most recent attack, nearly 50% of Department of Education employees were unjustly fired in the name of government efficiency. With the significant reduction in staff, the Trump administration has effectively shuttered the agency and gutted its ability to support public schools, compromising our children’s legal right to quality and equitable public education and they are attempting to circumvent our U.S. Congress to do so!

Musk didn’t even know 8-year-olds could receive Social Security benefits as a survivor. Why is an unelected official, who does not do his research, able to hold so much decision making power? Why is Trump letting him do this to us? Is this really what you voted for? I thought we wanted to pay less not more.

As a concerned member of this community and a passionate advocate for equitable opportunities in education, I believe these attacks on public education will have devastating long-term consequences for our children, our schools, and our country’s future. I urge our members of Congress to invest in public schools and rein in the Trump administration’s attacks on our public education system. Our children’s future depends on it.

Lindsay Lee, Omaha

In the beginning ...

God Almighty completed the creation of the world in six days. He found everything good. Death and destruction were not in his plans. Then God created man. Since then, man has been declaring that his plan for the world is far more perfect. Really? Look at the world today. Who “bit” the apple? There are days where I wonder what life would have been like had Noah missed the boat?

Charlie Aliano, Omaha

LB 78 offers a way out

When we hear of individuals who spend years trapped in abusive relationships or sex trafficking situations, the instinct for many of us is to shake our heads with sympathy before inevitably asking, baffled, “Why won’t they just leave?” Surely the victims would want their suffering to end. So why would they choose to stay?

A multitude of reasons, as it turns out, but one of the most prominent ones is a lack of financial support for survivors when they leave. Many victims often feel unable to get help because they know they don’t have the money, resources, work experience, or other means to support themselves if they make it out. Space in emergency shelters is limited, leaving many survivors with nowhere to live if they leave. Without assistance, victims are left to weigh the devastating decision between homelessness and long-term financial ruin or staying with their abuser. As a result, an unimaginable number of people choose to endure violence and suffer silently.

However, we have a clear opportunity to change these circumstances. Legislative Bill 78, which was recently moved into voting and debate among our state senators, would create a state fund for sex trafficking and domestic violence survivors’ immediate housing needs. This bill would provide the crucial support and stability that survivors need in order to regain their financial independence, escape the cycle of violence, and rebuild their lives — in other words, this bill offers a way out. I urge you all to call your state senators and ask them to vote in favor of LB 78. With our support, we can help make sure survivors don’t have to choose shelter over their dignity or stability over their safety; together, we can give more people the ability to choose freedom instead.

Jenny Dong, Omaha

Stand up for your vote

In 1965, President Johnson said, “This right to vote is the basic right without which all others are meaningless. It gives people, people as individuals, control over their own destinies.” In the coming weeks, the Nebraska Legislature will debate Legislative Bill 3 and LR 19CA, which would disenfranchise us and our neighbors.

Nebraska’s “Blue Dot” energized the voters and brought international attention to Omaha. Our way of dividing the electoral votes is more representative of the will of the people. The rest of the United States should vote Nebraska’s way.

Don’t let out-of-state influences pressure you. Stand up for your vote and let your senators know how you feel about LB 3 and LR 19CA.

Cathy Richmond, Omaha

Questions for the Nebraska delegation

The judicial system is ruling against President Donald Trump’s initiatives right and left, and Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts himself has deemed it necessary to denounce the president’s call to impeach judges who are pushing against the administration’s illegal actions. It’s clear now that Republicans are in danger of being on the wrong side of history, not to mention their constituents’ best interests, and this history will note the complacency of our own Nebraska delegation in the face of what has become a serious authoritarian threat.

In light of these developments, I’d like to know if any member of our delegation is reconsidering their position now, especially after Trump’s firing of two Democratic commissioners on the Federal Trade Commission and the administration’s ongoing flaunting of the orders of a federal judge — both recent examples of Trump’s apparent disdain for our nation’s constitutionally enshrined separation of powers.

U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, will you join with like-minded Republicans and Democrats to act, or will you continue to offer only tepid criticism while our democracy burns? Sen. Deb Fischer, will you finally speak out against this mess, or will you continue with your business as usual approach while your president repeatedly breaks the law and reaches for more authoritarian power? And Sen. Pete Ricketts, will you risk bucking your own political interests long enough to take stock of what’s happening in our country, or will you continue to pose for pictures with Elon Musk and offer public praise for Trump?

These are not rhetorical questions. I hope you will all take them seriously and consider them thoughtfully. It will take courage to engage in this moral and political reckoning, but it’s not too late to reconsider your position, to pursue a historical legacy more aligned with the values and dreams on which our nation was built.

Anne Barker, Omaha