Nebraska Governor will allow guns at upcoming "protests" - endangers Nebraskans

Governor P. Ricketts,

I am disgusted that you continue to share baseless lies about voter and election fraud. Just because the election didn't have the result you wanted, doesn't mean there was fraud. With this continued lie, you are one of many Republicans responsible for the incitement of violence that led to reprehensible actions by Trump supporters at the Capitol and the unknown outcomes of those that will "protest" at the Nebraska Capitol. If you have not stood against him, you stand with him in his undemocratic, unconstitutional, and corrupt behavior.

Your decision to NOT prohibit guns at the upcoming "protests" is blood on your hands. Part of the reason more Capitol Police were not killed is because guns were prohibited in DC that day. Because you continue to cater to your gun-obsessed base and have ambitions that do NOT keep the well-being of every Nebraskan in mind, you open the potential for harm to the senators and employees in the Unicameral and the general public. I will hold you responsible. 

It's clear that Trump supporters have very clouded judgement, due in part to Republican lies about 'election fraud', and this includes permission to murder, commit federal crimes, and destroy federal property. For you to turn a blind eye and pretend otherwise shows your lack of decency and moral code. You are unfit to govern, serve, or protect the people of Nebraska. 

Disappointed in you as always, 


refer: https://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/ricketts-says-he-will-not-restrict-weapons-at-state-capitol/article_d6c684e4-a694-59ed-bbc6-561d7bec0460.html 

Rural County lacks Separation of Church and State

 Dear X County Sheriff, and X County Courthouse,

Sheriff Z, although I appreciate your calls for unity and respect in a post on the X County Sheriff Facebook page, I oppose your calls to “be more Christian” or “be Americans with Christian values”. As a government employee, you should uphold the Separation of Church and State and refrain from putting your religion forward on that forum. You are more than able to share your personal beliefs on your personal Facebook page. The same restraint goes for any government-related social media or community correspondence. 

To the X County Courthouse, I am opposed to the Nativity Scene I finally noticed on the Courthouse lawn. (I live out of town and have been staying safe at home during the pandemic.)  County/taxpayer/government property should be free of religious paraphernalia and iconography. Since it’s too difficult to encompass all faith/belief systems, you should promote none. Please do not use these or similar decorations in the future. There are plenty of secular seasonal decorations that can be utilized. 

Again, all government institutions must uphold Separation of Church and State and show no preference for any religious belief system over another. The promotion of any religion from a government organization is biased, unconstitutional, and at the very least polarizing to those of differing viewpoints. 

I hope you take this feedback into account, re-evaluate, and implement these requests for a more appropriate display of non-religious preference or promotion from government sources. If you want all to feel welcome in this community, sometimes that takes a bit of introspection to understand what you take for granted as “the norm” is not the experience of everyone else. 

The idea that we are a “Christian nation” is false and detrimental to the freedoms and respect that we mutually desire. I encourage similar re-evaluation and learning for other concepts and people that don’t seem to be “the norm” in this area. 

Thank you for re-evaluating and working to respect and welcome all.

Sincerely,

A X County Resident Who Believes in the Separation of Church & State

UPDATE 1/13/2021

Greetings, Recipients of my email calling for a renewed approach to Separation of Church and State from X County government sources, re, mention of Christianity and a Nativity Scene on the Courthouse lawn. 

I hope you are doing well. I regret to bother you as I know you have important work to do but, I did receive a response from M, and wanted to share my thoughts on his response with all of you.

M

Wed, Jan 13 at 7:56 AM

So then what do you think Christmas is all about?  We have contemporary displays on the court house lawn also like a big snowman etc.

I hope that most of you reading this can immediately identify M’s response as unprofessional and unhelpful. It actually reinforces everything from my email: the need for introspection on bias and the importance of honoring the Separation of Church and State. 

Although I do not know M, I am aware that he was just sworn in as a Commissioner, and has been serving as a Vets Affairs Administrator (and still will?) and I would assume as a government and elected official, part of the oath is to uphold the law AND to serve the residents of X County, both of which I find lacking in his response. I assume he is aware his response carries weight due to his position(s) and will put more thought into these interactions from now on. 

When I received his flippant two sentence response that challenges my presumed beliefs about Christmas and disregards the legal matter I initiated, I have to wonder what is motivating M and how can I trust him in office if he cannot respond thoughtfully and professionally to my assertion of a well known legal duty of Separation of Church and State?

From M’s response to me, I’m presuming that:

• M can tell the difference between a religious display (Nativity) and secular display (snowman)

• M assumes that because I invoke Separation of Church and State, I must not celebrate Christmas like he does or must not understand the holiday.

• (This is a false concept - people of faith can and should want BOTH freedom of religion AND Separation of Church and State to be protected and upheld) 

• M asserts that his way of celebrating (re: Christianity, Nativity) is the correct answer which belittles and doesn’t protect freedom of religion of his constituents. 

M’s rhetorical question to me is not appropriate, no matter his intent. Separation of Church and State is not merely an opinion of mine that can be dismissed because M might interpret it as a challenge to his concept of Christmas. It is a tenet, a foundation of our government that must be upheld, so no, faith-based decorations should not be on government property. This is not an attack on religion, but a neutral protection of it per the law.

While I don’t know M, and I don’t bear ill will, I don’t want to be stuck in an email loop forever (as I’m sure none of you do). My desire is to use this moment to reiterate that anyone in a government position, whether elected or not, has a unique challenge to be introspective in how one’s own belief systems may prevent one from being unbiased in one’s duties. 

If one is raised in a certain religion and finds many people in one’s immediate circle are the same, it can be easy to blur the lines of what is “normal” or “common” or even “correct”. This most definitely extends to other areas such as sexual preference, gender orientation, or any other number of ways humans get divided. We need to constantly reassess and grow for the better. I assume there is some sort of training within the government for these matters. Please note it is a valuable practice in a world more divided all the time.

To reiterate, and hopefully not have to do so again (ie, no contrary response is necessary, but an action-oriented 'this is how we're addressing it' email would of course be welcomed), I’m reminding members of the X County government how the freedom of religion is best protected by Separation of Church and State, hence calling for zero religious displays on the Courthouse lawn, and keeping this neutrality in mind in any meetings or government forums. Paired with introspection on bias, this allows the government, and its individuals, to remain impartial and to find ways in which our community can be more welcoming of others. 

Thank you for doing your part in re-evaluating how Separation of Church and State is upheld in government spaces in X County and how to be more welcoming to your constituents and any visitors to the area. 

Sincerely, 

A X County Resident Who Believes in the Separation of Church and State

UPDATE 2 ON 1/13/2021

RESPONSE FROM 2ND COMMISSIONER:

I would like to thank you for your email.  We can all use a little constructive criticism.  It keeps us from being complacent in our duties.

In response to the comment that we are not a Christian Nation; that is correct, we are not just a Christian Nation.  Our nation is made up of many faiths not just the Christian Faith.  We are, however, a Nation that was founded on religious principles.  I’m reminded of that every time I recite the Pledge of Allegiance. [ONE NATION UNDER GOD], and whenever I take currency from my pocket [IN GOD WE TRUST].

To answer your concern of separation of church and state, there was an article in the NEW YORK TIMES dated January 16th 2018 that addresses the misconception of Church and State.

Quoting the article, “the text of the 1786 Virginia Statutes for religious freedom gives insight into our nation’s First Amendment Right. It reads “no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinion in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities.’

In short, the act affirmed what we should recognize in every era: the right to practice any faith, or to have no faith, is a foundational freedom for all Americans.  This right is also behind what Jefferson meant when he spoke of the ‘wall of separation’ between the church and the state.

In its day, a constitutional prohibition that the state would not establish or restrain personal faith was truly revolutionary.  Sadly, in many countries today, religious freedom is still revolutionary.  America has the obligation to live this truth and demonstrate the depth of this powerful human right.

Unlike many places in the world, our government is not prohibited from referencing or accommodating religion, nor is the government compelled to scrub all religious references from the public square.  Rather, the First Amendment ensures both that the government does not show preference to a certain religion and that the government does not take away an individual’s ability to exercise religion.  In other words, the church should not rule over the state, and the state cannot rule over the church.  Religion is too important to be a government program or a political pageant.

Thankfully the courts have affirmed this time and time again.

In the case of Town of Greece v. Galloway, the court was clear that the government cannot coerce someone to participate in a particular religion, but it also should not attempt to restrict all acts of faith from the public square.  The concept of a ‘separation of church and state’ reinforces the legal right of a free people to freely live their faith, even in public; without fear of government coercion.  Free exercise means you may have a faith and you may live it.”

This should explain the existence of the Nativity Scene on the courthouse lawn. I would add that the Nativity does not belong to the county, nor is it stored on county property, and is not erected by county employees on county time.

The county has put up secular holiday displays and would consider other secular and non-secular tasteful displays to be erected if requested.

Hope this answers your concerns

Thank-you 

D
K
M

Commissioner

MY RESPONSE TO D:

D

Thank you for your well thought-out response. I appreciate your openness to hearing from constituents and responding respectfully. I appreciate the inclusion of information about legislature which tells me this was a researched response. 

I do want to point out that "Under God" and "In God We Trust" were added to the pledge and money in the 1950's as a fear-based reaction to Communism and Atheism aka "The Red Scare". The daughter of the author of the pledge (originally penned in the 1890s) voiced opposition to "under God" being added to the pledge in the 1950's. I do find that the inclusion of God in these places does muddy the idea of freedom of belief for our country; and fear is not a reliable rationalization for legislature :) 

I appreciate the information that the Nativity scene is not county property, nor stored on county property, nor erected by county employees. This information is good to know, but visually, the Nativity scene causes concern I had originally expressed. I still prefer government property to be free of religious decoration, but again, I appreciate the information and time put into your response. 

Thank you

X County Resident Who Believes in the Separation of Church and State :) 

Gov. P. Ricketts - My uterus is Pro-choice

Governor, P. Ricketts, 

I'm exhausted that you keep saying you are pro-life when you try to control women's lives with your absurd and useless waste of taxpayer time and money to create biased and unnecessary Days of Prayer to end abortion. Stop virtue-signaling and putting your religion into law. It's not cute. 

Get a clue. Abortion has always been around and will always be around and women deserve 100% safe access to it without your input. Women are not baby-making machines meant to do the bidding of bald-headed, clueless men such as yourself or anyone else who wants to create antiquated and draconian restrictions against us. 

As a person in this country, and in this world, I have freedoms and liberties which include being able to make decisions about my life, my family, my body. The fact that this upsets you and you want to outlaw abortion shows me that you overstep your boundaries and infringe upon those of others. Back off.

With a Sincerely Pro-Choice Uterus,

Governor P. Ricketts - Xenophobia, the Covid Vaccine and You

Governor, P. Ricketts, 

I write to exclaim my disgust at your depraved and abhorrent proclamation that undocumented workers will NOT receive the coronavirus vaccine. In case you don't understand, a person's humanity or worth is not linked to their immigration status. 

Covid-19 doesn't discriminate and you shouldn't either. Your insistence that you are pro-life is a ghastly, hypocritical statement when you can't even protect people in your state because of your misguided xenophobia. 

The undocumented workers make up a large part of the workforce, especially in meat-packing plants. Your assistance to them has been awful during the pandemic and you have proven you do not value their lives or safety. I'd like to remind you, you are not better or more worthy of medical assistance than a person working in a meatpacking plant. 

You lack leadership, ethics, humanity, and foresight in protecting residents of Nebraska and you should be ashamed of yourself. I know I am ashamed you "govern" my state. 

I insist you freely distribute the covid vaccine to EVERY PERSON IN NEBRASKA, regardless of any factor such as immigration status, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, gender, gender presentation, marital status, disability status etc. 

Sincerely Disgusted as Usual, 

IN FAVOR OF $2000/MONTH/PERSON COVID RELIEF

As your constituent, I demand you vote in favor of the bill that will give covid relief to Americans in the form of $2000/month, administered to take into account all months that the pandemic has been affecting us since the previous stimulus check in April 2020. The American people, including Nebraskans, are facing a crisis that you're not financially feeling due to your uninterrupted pay and health insurance provided to you by "we the people". 

Smaller countries like New Zealand have been providing $600/person EVERY WEEK since the start of the pandemic. For the "richest" country in the world to not do the same is absolutely pathetic, disgusting, and cruel. I accept zero excuses of 'we can't pay for it' because our "defense" fund doesn't need to be more than the next 7 countries combined. The American people need defense from the economic disaster that is related to the pandemic. 

I hope that you have enough morals and ethics to provide this much needed relief to the people of this country and I await your vote in favor of $2000/person/month (including retroactively). 

Disappointed,

To Unicameral State Senator: Make Medical Marijuana Legal in Nebraska in January

Greetings, Senator X, 

I have heard that in January, you will be introduced to a bill legalizing Medical Marijuana in Nebraska. I plead that you vote to make medical marijuana legal in Nebraska. 

This issue is important to me because I have a close friend with a radical neurological disease who was told she needs access to medical marijuana or she should move out of Nebraska so she can partake. Another alternative that doesn't comfort her or others is highly addictive opioids. 

While learning of the variety of people that could benefit from medical marijuana, as you can do on the Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana site, one must be touched by their stories: children facing seizures, people with cancer, and those like my friend with awful painful diseases. I think that compassion is needed and that medical marijuana can be safely produced to be a medical relief to so many people. 

This summer, during the last week of the petition to get the issue before Nebraskans on the ballot, I drove from X to Lincoln to pick up petition sheets. I had wanted to sign and hoped someone would come near enough to me so I could sign. But as I discovered, I was the someone I was waiting for.

Since you represent the people in my area, I think you will be interested to know the passion and interest that drove people to sign the petition, often times surprising me. 

Of course, since there is a pandemic going on, I made sure to wear a mask and at times, like at a dentist's office in X, I would stand outside and every single person in that building came out to sign. One women even called her daughter, a nurse, to drive into town to sign and she did so happily, noting how much we needed it. 

At the grocery store in X, I asked a person at the check-out if I could be in the store, or they'd like to sign. From behind me, I heard two voices insisting they wanted to sign. I hadn't even known they were there. Without prying, it looked to me as if those people had physical difficulties, perhaps MS or something that would have made them candidates for the relief medical marijuana offers.

I walked into an auto parts store in X, thinking I'd probably get shooed out by the two men there. Quite the opposite. The older, in his 50s maybe, said "I wish this had been around two years ago". His wife had died of cancer and could have used medical marijuana to alleviate her pain and suffering. His co-worker gladly signed and said he'd register to vote so the signature would be valid.

In my town of X, I had husband and in-laws and neighbors gladly sign, saying they don't want others to suffer. Every one at the bank signed and the bank manager said his daughter had done a school presentation on it and it sounded like a great thing to help people. He even allowed me to come to his home, so his daughter and wife could sign, as well as his son, who we encouraged to register to vote for his first election. 

Also in X, I had a couple come outside to sign safely. The man said "I'll sign for all the good it'll do me; it probably won't help me in time. I have terminal cancer." 

There were so many instances where people mentioned they were in pain or knew someone who would benefit from medical marijuana or that they figured if it helped somebody, it was a good thing to do. 

From Wednesday afternoon to Monday morning when I had to mail back the petition sheets, I collected nearly 70 signatures! I received 62 signatures from people in X county, 3 in X, 1 in X, 2 in Xand 1 in X. I visited X, X, and X, and interacted with people I wouldn't have otherwise (especially during a pandemic). 

I got a sense that people in Nebraska don't see this as a partisan issue. They see this as a health issue. They want Nebraskans to have the option to safely and legally use medical marijuana for their betterment. We never know when we will need it.

I only participated for less than a week, but I was filled with a sense that it was possible for enough people in Nebraska to say 'We want to see this on the ballot'. AND THEY DID. Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana was able to get 182,000 signatures, 110% of the required signatures, and people from ALL 93 COUNTIES! It was amazing and exciting, because I wasn't sure we had the numbers, even that week!

But then came a challenge - and whew - passed because the Sec of State said 'okay'. 

And then, what I consider an example of deceit and corruption that is present in Nebraska. A lawsuit saying that the wording of 'medical marijuana should be legal and the legislature will figure out details'... violated the 'single issue' concept. HOW? Is it so strange to say that if something is legal, WHO is responsible for the details? 

The Lancaster Sheriff who was part of what amounted to a special interest lawsuit admitted he didn't even know who was paying for the lawsuit. I don't understand why he couldn't just vote on it like everyone else was supposed to do.

And the Nebraska Supreme Court let us down big time by an improper siding with the lawsuit 5-2. Why didn't they raise an issue when they approved the petition before it circulated? Who got to them?

I view this as an example of dark money and special interests blocking progress and health care. It infuriates me. There are likely groups in the state who benefit from health insurance and pharmaceuticals who saw medical marijuana as a challenge to their pocketbooks. Because of them, Nebraskans did NOT get a chance to make their voice heard. Our voice, in the form of a constitutional petition, was stolen from us. We could have been among the states that just voted to legalize marijuana, if only for medical use. We could have been working on bettering the lives of people who are in pain before they die. But there are people promoting their own interests above those they are to serve. That is abhorrent to me. 

You, Senator X, have a chance to help these people, to listen to the people in our area who were so willing to sign. You have a chance to help my friend, my neighbors, your family and friends, your neighbors. I implore you, vote to make Medical Marijuana legal in Nebraska. Because if you do, and if you speak to your fellow senators about this and alert them it's in the best interest for those suffering in Nebraska, you can provide hope and change and relief to people you represent.

Please, don't make me go back out to get signatures again! LOL. I've already signed up to do it, but am waiting and hoping that you and other senators use compassion and do the correct thing and make Medical Marijuana legal and accessible for Nebraskans.

Sincerely, 

X

POSITIVE RESPONSE FROM MY LEGISLATOR NEXT MORNING :) 

X, thank you for the email, I can feel your passion. I agree that Nebraskan's should have been allowed to vote on the issue and I personally believe it would have passed. Unfortunately the petition got tossed on a technicality by the courts, one of two things must happen now. First the petitioners can start collecting signatures on a new petition that will be on the ballot two years from now (which is already happening). Second the legislature can pass a medical marijuania bill that the Governor can sign into law. I know Senator Wishart had a very good bill LB 110 that got filibustered in 2019, I will be talking to her this week to see if she is going to reintroduce it in 2021, you can also contact her office and ask them what they plan to do. You should be encouraged that our neighboring state of South Dakota passed a Medical Marijuana bill. I believe we can do this in the legislature if we write a tight well regulated bill, and if we fail, then the people will have the right to petition to put it on the ballot in 2022. Stay safe and I think it is great that you took the initiative to collect signatures in x County, it shows that you are a person that is willing to get involved to make a change.

Letter to Nebraska Supreme Court Judges re: Incorrect Ruling on Medical Marijuana Petition

Context: Nebraska had successfully petitioned to get Medical Marijuana on the November Ballot but was shut down by the Supreme Court due to a lawsuit from a sheriff and special interest groups. 

NOTE: It was tempting to use the Woodstock stamps on these letters about Medical Marijuana ;) But I went with Earth, because cannabis is of the Earth Man 

Dear Nebraska Supreme Court Judges,

When I gathered signatures for the Medical Marijuana petition in my rural area, I got signatures from many caring people, people who thought that Nebraskans should get a vote, those with chronic pain or knew those who need this, a man with terminal cancer, and another man who surprised me when he said “I wish this was around two years ago” when his wife died from cancer. The people of Nebraska DESERVE the right to vote on this issue.     I’m trying to understand why the Nebraska Supreme Court approved the petition for Medical Marijuana and, after the signature effort proved 110% successful in all 93 counties, the Supreme Court found fault with the wording of the petition and stripped Nebraskans of our constitutional right to change the laws of our state.     In order for medical marijuana to be legal, there has to be a process by which to regulate it. The petition simply said it’s up to the legislature to figure that out. That is all a single issue, therefore I find the ruling incorrect and unacceptable. I don’t know why the special interest groups and sheriff who unfairly sued couldn’t have waited until it was on the ballot and voted like the rest of us were ready to do, except it seems they don’t play by the same rules as everyone else.

    This about-face feels wrong. It feels corrupt. It feels like special interest groups and people in power are denying Nebraskans rights allowed to us in our constitution. It feels like a slap in the face. It feels like a death sentence for those suffering who could have better health with access to this natural medicine. It feels like justice isn’t blind but is looking the other way.

    I don’t know how deep this corruption runs, but I recognize it’s there. And I recognize that the people in power do NOT have the best interests of ALL Nebraskans in mind. And I will continue to do anything within my rights to follow my morals and ethics to care about my fellow human beings and work for a more equitable and just world than we have before us.

To put it lightly, I am very disappointed in the political and judicial systems. To those of you who took this away from us, who stifled our voice, Judges Heavican, Freudenberg, Stacy, Cassel, Funke: what stopped you from doing the right thing? What caused you to rule against the people of Nebraska?     

    To those who dissented and wanted to fulfill the constitutional agreement and the will of the people to have this appear on the ballot, Judge Miller-Lerman and Judge Papik, I THANK YOU.

    I do wish there was something that could be done immediately to restore this measure to the ballot because two years is a long time to ask suffering and dying people to wait until we collectively can be disappointed again by seemingly-corrupt people who don’t play fair. Where is OUR Nebraska? Sincerely, XX Volunteer Petition Gatherer, in honor of a friend in need of Medical Marijuana Z County, NE

updates: Letters Received 9/25 & 9/26