Email to School Superintendent in August - Nebraska - re Covid, sex ed, critical race theory

This email was sent to the local rural county school superintendent Thurs Aug 5th and received no response. As of 9/2 the school website says 6 staff and 6 students have covid and that masking is a personal choice. (small rural area). 

Greetings, X, 

    I don't currently have any family in the X County School system, but received a newsletter in my mailbox. As a member of the community, I wanted to mention some concerns/thoughts related to your letter. I'll try to be brief, or at least concise, as I know you are busy getting ready for the new school year! :) 

"Post-Covid" phrase/Masks & Vaccinations

    In your letter, you used the phrase "post-Covid" but, at the very least, that is inappropriate wording. I'm sure you know cases are rising in the state, the country, and the world. We're not out of it yet and it's unwise to indicate it's over.

    I'm very disappointed that masks are not required in the schools. I know masks can be a hassle, but it's a simple method of prevention. Especially when any child under age 12 is at a larger risk without a vaccine. 

    I'm very concerned that you didn't encourage people to get vaccines. I realize unfortunately covid and vaccines have morphed into a political issue, instead of basic science. I presume that science is still taught in schools and would hope that you and your staff encourage its use. :) As was mentioned elsewhere in the newsletter, the state requires certain vaccines for children, so this shouldn't be something unusual to encourage, especially in light of the statistics that show unvaccinated people bear the brunt of covid cases now.

    As I'm sure you're aware, the CDC is highly recommending every eligible person to get vaccinated AND for everyone to wear masks indoors, vaccinated or not. It should follow suit that schools, institutions of learning, would follow these recommendations from experts. 

     You mention safety as the school's top priority. Masks and vaccinations against this global virus is prevention that will keep the children, staff, families, and communities safe. I highly encourage you to reconsider the school's stance and focus on prevention, instead of being reactionary. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Department of Education Health and Safety Standards

    I also noticed mention of the Department of Education's revisions on Health and Physical Education Standards as an issue that came up in the past few months. I appreciate your simple update that the standards haven't been finalized, so nothing has been changed yet for X. 

    

    You mention that you will reach out to the community for input. Here is mine: After reading the proposed lessons, I reached out to the Department of Education and highly encouraged them to keep what they had, so I was very disappointed that the Governor encouraged fear-mongering in the general public and, as a result, crucial information about gender identity was removed. 

    I want to tell you how important it is that all people, children and adults, feel safe and respected, and I believe this is touted as a value in your schools. I have family and friends that are transgender, non-binary, LGBTQ+ and a fair number of them live in Nebraska or grew up in Nebraska, including small towns where they didn't feel safe or welcome. That can't continue.

    As an institution funded by taxpayer money, the schools cannot discriminate on the facts that are taught. I don't want to feel that fear-based religious teachings and misinformation seep into public schools and prevent students from learning about the real world. I'm sure there will be pressure from some families, but it's a matter of reality and more complete education. Pretending LGBTQ+ people don't exist is NOT a viable option. There are plenty of resources to help enlighten staff, students, and families, and I hope to hear about how they are being implemented.

    I sincerely hope that current teaching and future teaching provides students and families with fair, respectful, balanced information that includes and provides a safe/welcoming space for LGBTQ+ people. Whether or not you know it, there are people that are LGBTQ+ in your student body, on staff, and in families. If our school or county isn't welcoming for them, that is something that needs to be addressed. 

Critical Race Theory/History Classes

    Lastly, you mentioned Critical Race Theory and simply stated it hasn't been added to the curriculum and the district has not been asked to teach it. That's a pretty simple way to address it without delving into it, which seems like the best way to handle it! 

    

    My understanding is that Critical Race Theory 1) is a graduate collegiate level concept, 2) people have gotten upset about it without knowing what it is or trying to investigate/learn, and 3) some people that are upset are masking certain feelings or misconceptions that could be problematic. 

    I don't know what the current curriculum is, but I should hope that the history being taught is honest about the inequalities in the founding of this nation (and that still exist today). It can be VERY touchy territory, as I'm sure you know, but admitting a problem is the first step to fixing problems. And it often is uncomfortable, but that's growing pains, right? :) If and when it's deemed appropriate, I know there are resources and organizations that can help facilitate for these kinds of conversations. 

    Our county and state may lack diversity (98.7% White in X County, 88% in Nebraska), but that shouldn't prevent us from preparing children (and adults!) for meeting people from different backgrounds and having empathy and understanding. As you see every day, schools allow children to learn about the world outside of their home, and their own community. This encompasses both "LGBTQ+" and "race" and much more!

    As I said, I don't have family in the school system in this county at this time, but I do find the newsletters interesting for a variety of reasons. (For one, they helped give information that helped with my vote on construction! I'm excited to know there will be growth in the arts and resources for students!) 

    I hope that my concerns and comments are well-received and provide some insight and encouragement for moving people in this community out of fear of the unknown and into inclusiveness, growth, understanding, and fostering welcoming environments that encourage lifelong learning.

Wishing you and your staff well, 

Disgusted at Racist and Anti-Woman Nebraska Governor

Greetings, Governor P. Ricketts, 

I am a citizen of Nebraska and want to express my great disgust and displeasure with the laws you approve or deny. 

Lately you have approved LB 814 which unconstitutionally outlaws a form of abortion that is needed in some cases for late-term abortions (re: children wanted by the mother that cannot safely be born). This leads me to conclude you are anti-woman, anti-science, anti-doctor, and unfairly aligned with your religious base that wants to tell women what they can and cannot do with their bodies. You have endangered many women with this senseless, needless, baseless, unconstitutional law.

Secondly you vetoed LB 1060 which would protect against natural hair discrimination. I read your reasoning and if you believe that hairstyles can easily be changed, you have never sat in a black hair salon. Since you are a bald white man, let me inform you, it takes an entire day and hundreds of dollars to change hairstyles. You mention the creation of a new 'race', which is an absurd idea. You also mention safety protocols around machinery as an excuse for vetoing this bill. There is a difference between safety protocols and being able to fire someone because their hair is too "black" or "unprofessional" (ie racism). If you don't care to protect your citizens from discrimination, you are showing your ignorance and how you keep the door open for racism in the state of Nebraska. 

You also fail to understand basic science and that masks are a simple way Nebraskans could protect each other from a pandemic. You even want to take away financial protections for businesses that want to promote this safety measure. You are indeed anti-science and need to stop believing and protecting the ego-maniac Trump that is running this country into the ground while allowing for the deaths of hundreds of thousand due to his insane methods. For your own lack of action, I hold you responsible for every Nebraskan illness and death due to COVID-19.

Since you don't seem to care about human beings other than white, wealthy, male elites, I look forward to seeing your replaced when your term is up. If you would be so kind as to resign before then, I, and countless Nebraskans you belittle and endanger, would be so pleased. 

Letter to NE State Senator on ACLU action items in Support of Black Lives

Reference for Nebraskans:
https://www.aclunebraska.org/en/news/fighting-racism-nebraska

Greetings, Senator X, 

    I hope you and yours are staying safe during the pandemic. I wish Gov Ricketts was a better leader in regards to this disease, and that he was less ... how do I say... worshippy of Trump, who is an unfit leader, to say the least. 

    The past month or so has been gut-wrenching to see the continued danger black and brown people feel at the hands of police. It's so evident, after watching videos of police brutality towards peaceful protesters, elderly, pregnant, children, and journalists that we are in need of MAJOR reform. Our police are militarized and breaking the First Amendment, breaking laws. All that is being asked is that police do NOT brutalize citizens .... and now we see the police essentially demand what they view as a right to do just that.

    I definitely support defunding the police and redistributing those funds to many avenues that can do what the police can't, doing away with qualified immunity so police don't act out knowing they'll never suffer consequences, and banning the use of tear gas, rubber bullets and other projectiles. Tear gas has been banned in warfare, so there is no reason it should be used on civilians.

    I am aware, thanks to the ACLU, that there are some possible NE LB's that may be helpful for me to refer to. Hopefully this list will help you understand where I stand.

1. SUPPORT LB 924 - Require Anti-Bias Training for Law Enforcement - Although many police who have killed black people have undergone anti-bias training before their murders of civilians, any bit more we can do to require officers of the law to acknowledge their responsibilities towards others is a must.
2. SUPPORT LB 1060 - Ban Natural Hair Discrimination - By prohibiting hair discrimination in Nebraska, we come closer to ensuring that all Nebraskans of color, but specifically Black Nebraskans, can contribute to their communities and workplaces as their full selves. To begin to confront the long stigma that falsely associates the way a person’s hair naturally grows with a lack of professionalism, we need to state it clearly: this is racial discrimination and it’s illegal.
3. SUPPORT LB 918 - Establish a Commission on African American Affairs - Nebraska already has the Commission on Indian Affairs and the Latino American Commission. LB 918, introduced by Sen. Wayne, creates a long overdue Commission on African American Affairs and a study of disparities in government contract allocations. The Commission would center African American leadership and issues on the state level to foster consistent racial justice gains in legal, political, social, economic, and educational spheres.
4. SUPPORT LB 646 - End Cash Bail - LB 646 ends Nebraska’s current system of cash bail that lets the size of an individual’s wallet determine whether they are granted freedom or stay detained, disproportionately impacting Black Nebraskans and low-income households. 
5. SUPPORT LB 589 - Eliminate a Permanent Police Force in our Schools - A school-based arrest is the quickest route from the classroom to the courthouse and the data is clear that in Nebraska, Black and Brown children and children with disabilities are grossly overrepresented in extreme school discipline - including arrest rates and criminal system involvement due to disciplinary issues in school. The time is right to end these failed programs that are antithetical to an educational environment. We need to reinvest those resources in mental health family support and educational opportunity.
6. SUPPORT LB 176 - Mandatory Minimum Reform LB 176 gives local judges the discretion to impose an individualized sentence rather than an extreme mandatory minimum term of imprisonment. Mandatory minimums are used by prosecutors to pressure individuals into guilty pleas. Prosecutors often threaten mandatory minimums when the case against the defendant is weak or when police violated the citizen’s rights to garner the evidence. Often, Black defendants being held on an unreasonably high cash bail amount must choose between “pleading out” and going home or facing the prospect of an unjust mandatory minimum sentence if they exercise their rights. These extreme sentencing tools increase the likelihood of wrongful convictions and eliminate the judge’s discretion to impose a more just sentence. 
7. SUPPORT LB 1170 - Implicit Bias Training for Healthcare Workers - Across the nation, Black women are three to four times more likely to die during childbirth than white women. LB 1170 ensures more equitable delivery of healthcare in Nebraska by requiring anti-bias training to address the unacceptably high rates of maternal mortality specifically among women of color.
8. SUPPORT LB 89, LB 110 & LB 652 - Sensible Drug Policy -The failed war on drugs has been a key driver of racial injustice. The ACLU’s new report, “A Tale of Two Countries” shows overall in Nebraska, Black people are 3 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana. Black people were six times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than white people in Lancaster and Sarpy Counties and more than eight times more likely in Buffalo and Adams Counties.
9. SUPPORT LB 83 & LR 286CA - Restore the Right to Vote -Far too many Nebraskans of color have been disenfranchised due to criminal system involvement – both directly by Nebraska law and indirectly by the confusion and chaos surrounding application of this law. LB 83 introduced by Sen. Wayne would remove the arbitrary two year waiting period that prevents people from voting until two years after completing the terms of their sentence. LR 286 CA, introduced by Sen. Cavanugh, is a constitutional amendment to remove nearly all limitations on voting rights based on criminal system involvement. 
10. SUPPORT LB 986 - Ban the Box in Higher Education -People of color are disproportionately and negatively impacted when college applications ask about criminal system involvement because of unjust overrepresentation at every juncture of our criminal system. LB 986, introduced by Sen. Pansing Brooks, would prevent public colleges and universities from asking about or considering a person’s criminal record for purposes of admission.
11. SUPPORT LB 44 - Abolish the Death Penalty and Replace with Life in Prison -The death penalty in America is a broken process from start to finish. Death sentences are predicted not by the heinousness of the crime but by the poor quality of the defense of the accused and the race or ethnicity of the accused and the victim. A systemic racial bias in the application of the death penalty exists at both the state and federal level. More and more states are turning away from the death penalty and it’s time Nebraska rejoin that list to address this miscarriage of justice and pursue alternatives that put public safety first.
12. OPPOSE LB 147 - Physical Restraint in the Classroom - I know I've reached out to you on this one before, but still want to reiterate my opposition. LB 147 allows teachers or administrators to physically restrain students and provides immunity for teachers or administrators when using restraint. This is a key racial justice and disability rights issue. Black children and children with disabilities are grossly overrepresented among children who are physically restrained and who face harsh school discipline sometimes with lifetime consequences. 
13. SUPPORT - Racial Impact Statements - Nebraska needs to begin to include racial justice impact statements on legislation. An example is LR 217, introduced in 2019 by Sen. Vargas, which would have directed a study to determine the feasibility of these impact statements.

    On a personal note, I'd like to say that despite our rural area and lack of diversity in this district, it's imperative that we, in District XX, in Nebraska and in the whole country, take responsibility for the injustices that exist in a system that is completely unbalanced. It means a lot of uncomfortable conversations and a lot of introspection. I sincerely hope that if you find this difficult, you search out resources about anti-racism and police brutality and reform. I'm currently engaged in reading these books as well to deepen my understanding and find ways I can help bring about change. The time is always right to do what is right. 

    Statues may tumble, and people may not be able to spout hateful rhetoric to others, but it's about time. Our country has never been equitable for all and we hold it in our hands to admit that, fix it, and make it better for EVERYONE.

   

    I am currently leaving a job (a weekly newspaper based in KS) because a co-worker said she was a proud racist, and dropped the n-word in front of one of our bosses (the publisher of the paper), who did nothing to correct her, but actually added to her racist comments. My heart was pounding and I felt sick. I told her I don't approve of that word (I have black nephews and friends, but one shouldn't have to state that to point out it's wrong) and she used the n-word again. I told her she didn't have to stay a racist, that she could change, and she looked at me like I was crazy. When I left the room, our boss told her that I "take things too seriously". When I emailed the two bosses the next day to lodge an official complaint (small office), one wrote back and said that he would tell her that language isn't allowed, but he also tried to tell me that she isn't really a racist. 

    I cannot stand to be in a hostile work environment which is discriminatory and allows bad behavior. So many other places would fire a racist on the spot instead of defending them. Instead I'm losing a job, and she, who is also on the city council and a mother, and substitute teacher, no less, is not forced to address what she has done. She said she's a proud racist, and that's how she was raised. No doubt, that's how she's raising her children. She proudly stated her 4 year old son called the KS governor a dipshit. So you can imagine what else they learn, and the unfair and unsafe classrooms she will oversee. This is why change and introspection is imperative.

    I understand this occurred in Kansas, but it's just over the border from us here in Nebraska. The environments are so similar. The roots run deep. But they are roots to a poison. 
    I implore you to strongly consider how the above LBs can be utilized to bring about a little more equity in our state. I encourage you to check out books on anti-racism and police defunding so that we can acknowledge the difficult realities and change them for the better.

Thank you for your time.