Follow up to Local NE Senator on Police Oversight bill re Omaha Protestor arrest July 2020

Greetings, X, 

In relation to 'police oversight', I would suppose you are aware that this past weekend peaceful protestors were kettled by Omaha police, and arrested, face masks were apprehended by police and they were placed in close-quarters in overcrowded rooms (Such as 14 person capacity and 40 people in the room without masks.) That shouldn't happen, and especially not during a pandemic. With a growing COVID-19 outbreak at Douglas County Corrections, these 140 protestors were needlessly exposed. 

Requests for air conditioning were laughed at, at least one toilets was overflowing or out of commission, bail was received but not processed for over 30 hours in some cases. 

I'd read several accounts that detail how police were physically brutal, how they tied zip ties too tight (as commented on by other police), and saw video of officers purposely knocking over a cyclist and then shooting rubber bullets for no reason - they shouldn't be shooting AT people because that is improper use. Protestors, who were dispersing before arrest, sat on the pavement for several hours.

I believe I read that police badges were also covered, but cannot be sure. 

THIS is a perfect example of why a citizens police oversight committee is needed. The police could have treated these people with dignity, since they were only exercising their constitutional right to peaceful protest. Citations could have been issued in lieu of needlessly arresting people. It seems like police forces are heavy on the 'force' these days. They need to be held accountable to the people they are paid to protect instead of finding excuses to abuse, coerce, threaten, and intimidate them. 

I urge you to support Senator Wayne's police oversight bill and any forthcoming bills that aim to defund/retrain police, remove qualified immunity and find better ways to address ills than what is being done. If we can't trust police to act with logic and deceny and follow protocol, we have serious issues. I know that didn't occur in your district, but the need for change and improvement is universal. 

Thank you for your time. 

Email to my local Nebraska State Senator Re Sen Wayne Bill Police Oversight

Reference: https://www.facebook.com/JaKeenFox/posts/10105655480683343

Greetings, Senator X, 

I'd like to thank you for voting to allow Senator Wayne to introduce a bill on police oversight. I don't know what your opinions may be so far, but I think it is of utmost importance to support Senator Wayne's bill and create a civilian committee for police oversight. If police are to serve and protect citizens, they need to be held accountable to citizens. 

It's disappointing to see tragedies unfold with officers of the law and then see that they had received multiple complaints against them with no action taken to improve their performance or remove them from a position of great power.

I know people toss around the 'a few bad apples' idea, but the rest of that phrase is "spoils the bunch". I've seen examples of "good cops" trying to be proactive in reporting misdeeds of fellow officers and then being punished or threatened for speaking up.

If a mob mentality exists in our police force, it's time to address it and do everything we can, such as remove qualified immunity so police are responsible and can't hide their aggression behind a badge.

As far as 'defunding', I doubt in the rural area you represent that police budgets are as unbalanced as in larger cities, but we have to take special care to focus on ways to financially support agencies that would alleviate the load set on police.

Again, thank you for voting to allow Sen Wayne's bill to be introduced. I do hope you support what can be a great bridge between officers of the law, and they people they are supposed to protect.

Thank you




Update: My Senator responded:

D, thank you for the email, and thanks for being engaged by watching the legislative process. Senator Wayne will have a hearing next week on the bill, probably thursday or friday, it will be streamed on NET, stay safe

Letter to NE State Senator in opposition to LB 814 Prohibit dismemberment abortion

July 19, 2020

Greetings, Senator X, 

I hope you received my previous email from June 20 on a variety of stances I hope you'll take on a number of bills when it comes to the fight for black lives. Although I had a lot in there, I hope I formatted it in a way that makes it clear what I find important.

Tonight I'm asking you to oppose LB 814. Medical decisions belong to patients and their doctors. Women already face unnecessary restrictions on their bodily autonomy and politicians need to respect women's decisions about their bodies and let medical professionals advise on the course of action. As a woman who doesn't have and won't have children, issues about abortion, reproductive rights, and women's health care are of utmost importance to me. Each woman has a right to decide what she wants for her life and her body, and it's not the job of politicians or employers to impede that.

Thank you

UPDATE: another email sent
July 29, 2020

Greetings Senator X,

I have been informed that LB 814 will be debated starting today. I again encourage you to vote NO to this bill that restricts women's autonomy.  There is a line that says a woman's husband can sue for the abortion which is disgusting as it is reminiscent of the 1950s when women did not legally have autonomy over their own bodies and reduces women to property.  It is also a violation of the constitutional right that says no one can make a decision about a woman's abortion except for the woman herself. 

With this vote in opposition, we need to officially make it clear in Nebraska that a woman gets to decide her future and stop accepting legislative bills that want to restrict women's freedoms. Someone else's religious ideas do not have precedence over my freedoms and a fetus does not get more rights than the woman who may choose to carry it.

Thank you for your time.

EMAIL AUGUST 7TH, 2020

Greetings, Senator X, 

I'm disappointed to see you voted in favor of LB 814, and encourage you to change your vote to oppose or abstain on this anti-abortion anti-choice bill and/or to oppose cloture so that there is no vote. 

Although it sounds gruesome to "dismember a child" there are many cases in which doctors recommend this form of abortion for children that were wanted but cannot safely be born. Women who have late term abortions wanted those children, but it was decided by their MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL AND THE WOMAN that it was not safe to proceed for the sake of the child. Politicians need to stop overstepping their boundaries and endangering women from receiving health care. 

Abortion is a complicated and heated issue, to be sure. I am entirely frustrated to live in a state that continues to protect the religious beliefs of certain people and disregard the lives of others (namely women) in an attempt to say that they are "protecting life". When women are forced into childbirth, her life is not protected. When a woman's options are taken away from her, her life is not protected. 

I saw a clip of Senator Clements musing about the number of children aborted in Nebraska and how they could have provided bodies for the worker shortage. While this may be an idea that appeals to anti-abortion crowd, it's absurd and faulty logic. If Nebraska cared about their residents, WHICH INCLUDES non-white, non-straight, or those that come here as immigrants, that would make moving out-of-state less likely and THAT would help immediately with the "worker shortage". A living wage would help. State health insurance would help. Addressing homelessness would help. Any number of things could help with a "worker shortage" including not seeing people as cogs in a machine to produce services or other humans. 

I know you are not responsible for what Senator Clements said, but I just wanted to point out how absurd that line of thinking is. That is NOT the logic that should be used in the unicameral to make decisions for the people of Nebraska. 

I know you represent an area that is probably filled with anti-choice people, but you must remember that your votes aren't supposed to appease certain sects of the population at the expense of others, but to ensure that ALL RIGHTS ARE PROTECTED. If a person doesn't want to have an abortion, no one can force them. That is law. But it is time to STOP punishing women with overzealous laws that take away their rights. 

Again, I please ask that you either abstain from a vote on LB 814 or move to oppose it so that women may have their full rights and they can decide on a course of action with their doctor without unwarranted input from politicians or anyone else.

Thank you for your time.