Nebraska Governor Fearful of Teaching Children About Their Bodies

Context: Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts (Republican) put out a press release against updates to Nebraska Health Education updates that aim to teach children about their bodies, gender identities, and how to identify unwanted touch etc. He included the instruction for parents to read the update proposals and contact about this issue, most likely with the assumption that fearful parents would be appalled by the idea of educating children. 

https://www.1011now.com/2021/03/12/gov-ricketts-wants-proposed-sex-education-standards-scrapped-calls-some-updates-age-inappropriate/ 

The new sex education and health standards can be viewed by clicking here. The public can submit formal comments by emailing nde.standardsinput@nebraska.gov.

I wrote a thank you to those who would update the standards:

To Whom It May Concern, 

I am not a parent, but I am a taxpayer and an aunt to 10 children, at least one of whom has told us of her transgender status. After being directed to your pdf of updates and given your email by our fear-mongering governor, I wanted to advise you I applaud the updates to Nebraska's Health Education Standards.

As you know, it is crucial to teach children at an early age about how to be aware of different genders and identifications as well as to have control over their bodies and understand what to do about inappropriate and unwanted touch or attention. It's never too early because abusers aren't waiting for a certain age, and our governor proves not all children are living with safe or well-informed adults. This kind of information can prevent children from abuse and even suicide and is well worth pursuing despite fearful attacks you may be receiving. 

It is disheartening that an elected public servant is trying to motivate people based upon fear, miseducation and hatred of others. This only proves the need for this instruction. I thank you for trying to advance Nebraska Health Education to be truthful, inclusive, proactive, and progressive. Children need to have actual facts and information as our own governor makes it evident there are people (parents/guardians) who are unwilling or unfit to have truthful conversations with youth that need answers. 

Again, thank you for your updates to the Health Education system for Nebraska. I wanted to reach out and be a positive voice to tell you that you are doing the right thing by being truthful, inclusive, and proactive. This is what is needed to protect and empower future generations.

Best of luck

Sincerely,

X

 I also wrote an email to PRicketts telling him that he is unfit, something I get to do way too often.

Greetings, Gov. P. Ricketts,

In regards to your press release on updating Nebraska Health Education Standards, I am disappointed that you want to deny essential education to young children. You rely on fear-mongering and your own miseducation and you put Nebraska children and families at risk from your ignorance. 

You claim this information is "age-inappropriate". If you are not aware, children of any age can be bullied or abused and it is essential that they are given the knowledge and tools to identify this and seek help. Abusers don't wait until children reach a certain age. Not giving children proper information can lead to abuse or even suicide. 

There is nothing "political" about children learning the proper terms for their genitalia, or learning about differing genders, or learning about adoption, or same sex parents, as shown in the lessons for the younger classes. You don't seem to grasp what science is since you claim this is non-scientific instruction. 

If you are unaware, as a public servant to Nebraskans, you answer to hundreds of thousands of LGBTQ+ people and the people who love and support them, including me and my family. If you are unwilling to serve ALL Nebraskans, I ask that you step down from your position. Your ignorance and misinformation is disruptive and dangerous to everyone in this state. 

Disappointed in you as always, 

X

Nebraska US Senators Oppose Covid Relief - May I Never Be Like Them

To Nebraska US Senators Fischer and Sasse, 

I write this with futility knowing you'll never read this and I send my apologies to your aides who will have to read my frustrations and select the appropriate generic letter for a response.  

If there is a god, I pray to it that I will never be like you. To take an oath to work for the benefit of Nebraskans, but to unironically lambast "the other side" for being "partisan" while you deny any benefits to struggling Nebraskans because it's too "progressive". Progress is not a dirty word. Progress is why a female such as yourself, Senator Fischer, can serve in a federal public office. 

I write this letter in futility knowing that my Senators have no sense of decency. I know they don't work for all Nebraskans. Just the ones that line their pockets. I know that my Senators will take hundreds of thousands of dollars from taxpayers as their salary every year and then continue to degrade and demean them. You don't work for the Nebraskans who have struggled with evictions during the pandemic. You don't work for the people who have lost their jobs, for the struggling small business owners. You don't work for the people that have died from this disease. You don't work for the Nebraskans who are mourning the loss of their loved ones. And I already know you don't work for women or my LGBTQ+ family and friends. 

You two Senators are the epitome of what disappoints me about Nebraska, about this country, this world. You'll take your benefits where you can and screw anybody over who can't do anything about it, help out your cronies and come up with pithy statements about "cuddly puppies" as if that helps anyone. 

I wish that you could be as ashamed of yourselves as I am of you. I want people in office who recognize the tragedy of what happens to us WITHOUT progress and empathy. I want people who don't just play a game with our lives called 'political tug of war'. 

You are people that don't make this world better for everyone in it, and I pray I don't end up like you. So yes, I'll continue to write enraged, futile letters knowing your aides will never pass them on and two or more months from now, I'll get a generic "As you know" letter that provides me no comfort, that provides no justification for your employment in a position of "public servant" that you fail to fulfill. I don't think there is anything either of you could say, but there is a hell of a lot you could do to turn this around. But I won't hold my breath. 

As Ever, Disappointed in You,

X

Below are screenshots of Sasse & Fischer Statements on why they opposed Covid Relief and text of the same in the caption box for those using screen readers.

Sasse Statement on COVID Relief Vote

March 6, 2021

U.S. Senator Ben Sasse issued the following statement regarding his vote against the Democrats' pork-filled $1.9 trillion COVID relief package.

“This weekend’s spending is bigger than the entire annual economy of Canada, yet only one percent of it is vaccine-related. Here’s how midnight spending bills go down: Senators hide a bunch of crap behind titles like ‘The Cuddly Puppies Act,’ and then say anybody voting against it hates puppies. This $1.9 trillion ‘emergency’ bill is overwhelmingly non-emergency — we should’ve just bought Canada too.”

Senator Fischer Opposes Biden’s $1.9 Trillion Stimulus

Bill is Strictly Partisan, Full of Wish-List Items, and Leaves Out Rural America

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) released the following statement after voting against President Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus package:

“I voted against President Biden’s stimulus because the bill represented a strictly partisan, progressive wish list filled with items unrelated to aiding our recovery from COVID-19. In the last year, $4 trillion has been provided for relief with about $1 trillion still unspent.”

More information:

Senator Fischer offered several amendments to try to make the legislation more equitable for rural America. This included an amendment to distribute transit funding using a formula Congress already approved. This would ensure the transit funding doesn’t primarily benefit a few select coastal cities but instead is proportionately distributed across the country, including in Nebraska. 

Senator Fischer also offered an amendment to ensure protections for rural community health centers are not being degraded and that these centers are allocated the aid they need, rather than granting D.C. bureaucrats sole discretion over those funds.

Watch Senator Fischer’s floor speech on the House-passed version of Biden’s stimulus package here.

Permalink: https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2021/3/senator-fischer-opposes-biden-s-1-9-trillion-stimulus

Nebraska Governor afraid of Science and "Radical Environmentalists"

Reference: https://nebraska.tv/news/local/energy 

Governor P.Ricketts,

In regards to your comments about "radical environmentalists", I'd just like to point out you sound ridiculous and are clearly pandering to your base, when in fact, since our state's economy depends on agriculture, you should be learning from "radical environmentalists" who are all about sustainability of renewable resources such as solar and wind, instead of non-renewable, non-sustainable sources such as natural gas, coal, and nuclear energy. 

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas said Tuesday that failures in natural gas, coal and nuclear energy systems were responsible for nearly twice as many outages as frozen wind turbines and solar panels. 

Solar panels actually work just fine in cold weather, as you'll note by their inclusion in the International Space Station. From what I understand, it's pretty cold in outer space. In fact, light reflecting off of snow is a good thing for solar panels. Research this stuff, even just a little bit, or you just seem ignorant, spitting out your party's ill-formed platitudes and prove you are not fit to lead.  

In the light of climate change, you should be rewarding innovation that would ensure that the state's farmers, the caretakers of the land and animals, and our energy production sites are forward-thinking and prepared for the challenges coming our way. 

Do you have a fear of science, or innovation, or is the use of non-sustainable, non-renewable energy sources tied to your pocketbook? 

Sincerely, 

A Scary Radical Environmentalist who picks up trash because we only have one planet 

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,