Southeast Nebraska speaks up: Letters to the editor for the week of Aug. 21, 2026
Our weekly round-up of letters published in the Lincoln Journal Star.
- Updated
I have lived with diabetes for 16 years, and insulin is essential to keeping me alive. Even with excellent health insurance, the cost remains significant. The last insulin prescription I filled cost $188.90, on top of the glucose monitors, supplies and two types of insulin I use daily.
Many people face even harder decisions. I frequently hear stories of people rationing insulin so they can also afford food, rent, utilities or other necessities. Taking less insulin than prescribed is not a sustainable way to manage budgets; insulin is non-negotiable and rationing it can have serious consequences
- Updated
As the November elections approach, we are reminded that democracy depends on active participation. Voting is one of the most important ways citizens can make their voices heard and help shape the future of our country. But civic engagement should not stop at casting of our own ballots. Each of us can play an important role in motivating others to vote as well.
An effective way to do this is by sending postcards out to registered voters who don’t always participate in elections. An easy way to do this is by using Activate America to send postcards to prospective voters.
- Updated
Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the Federal Legislative Summit in Ashland and hear directly from members of Nebraska’s congressional delegation about the issues facing our state. One issue that was central to the discussion surrounding the Farm Bill was the need to finally secure nationwide, year-round access to E15.
That matters for Nebraska families. E15, commonly sold as Unleaded 88, is often as much as 30 cents per gallon cheaper than traditional gasoline. For families driving to work, farmers operating equipment, and small businesses managing transportation costs, those savings add up quickly.
- Updated
As you settle in this fall to enjoy women’s volleyball, professional basketball and other competitive sports now common among the “gentler” sex, keep in mind a recent report by The Heritage Foundation. The report claims Title IX was pushed into law by the feminist movement, though few women actually want to do these types of physical activity. Rather, the report claims women prefer “broader, recreational, or less competitive activities.”
Stating the obvious, since Title IX, thousands of women have proven that women do indeed want to participate in physically challenging activities. If not true, there would be no Nebraska volleyball, softball, basketball or other female sports. Another obvious is the economic value women’s sports bring to this state. People will undeniably pay money to support female athletes.
- Updated
We have had our football tickets for 59 years. At the beginning we belonged to the Beef Club and when that ended we continued to financially donate to the football program. Yes, we went through the "glory years" but over the past 25 years we have been waiting for a winning season.
A few years ago they informed us that they were raising our seats up four rows so they could provide for handicapped seating. We were in row 52 and were moved to row 66. Ten rows higher than we were told.
- Updated
Every election year some political office seeker will brag about not being a politician and say government should be run as a "business." Other people say no.
The United States uses the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) to assign economic industry codes to American businesses. The system enables our governments to collect, analyze and publish statistical data related to the North American economy.
- Updated
Bible did not change. Politics did.
America has not merely lost its political center. We are losing our conscience. And I blame the church.
- Updated
America has not merely lost its political center. We are losing our conscience. And I blame the church.
There was a time when Christians stood against cruelty, defended the vulnerable and demanded character from their leaders.
- Updated
The GOP became the MAGA party because, over the last half-century, the principal villain of the left somehow morphed from the top-hatted capitalist tycoon to your average bowling league member.
Henry Eugene Brass, Lincoln
- Updated
Gov. Pillen could have avoided the flack he’s received with his putting Tom Osborne in the Nebraska Hall of Fame if he had followed protocol. The rules regarding eligibility were intended to promote fairness, and to honor people who truly represent Nebraska’s values. If a "special" person should be honored, there is a precedent for doing so.
When the Hall of Fame was created, John Neihardt had been Nebraska's poet laureate for several decades, and was certainly Hall of Fame material. However, he was still alive. The commission made Neihardt an "honorary" member, with a bust created by his wife, Mona, placed in the Capitol. When Neihardt died in the early 1970s, the word "honorary" was removed. John Neihardt was thus given full membership, and justifiably so. Gov. Pillen could have done the same thing for Tom Osborne, and I'm sure Osborne would have approved. Thus, there would have been no need for Gov. Pillen to hijack the Hall of Fame. Now, we the people must go back and have LB590 repealed, and restore fairness to the Hall of Fame.
- Updated
Small business confidence has been sliding nationwide, and across Nebraska — home to over 181,000 small businesses making up 99% of all employers in the state — the reason is not hard to find. Tariffs have turned an already tough operating environment into a guessing game.
I am proud to call myself a small business owner. My favorite part of the job is serving customers well while growing steadily and employing Nebraskans. But when input costs jump overnight and supply chains scramble, my job suddenly becomes harder. Unlike bigger companies, I can’t shrug off price hikes on key components or easily switch suppliers across continents. My only options are bad ones: eat the cost and stall growth, or raise prices and lose the customers whose trust I’ve earned.
- Updated
Recently, while traveling in Eastern Europe, I attended a lecture from one of the leaders in the overthrow of the Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. He simply described the actions of the Romanian dictator that led to the revolution (e.g., building expensive monuments to himself, raising prices, vast reductions in government services, control of the press and media, control of freedom of speech, retaliation of opposition, amassing tremendous wealth at the expense of the people, and neutering of the Parliament — sounding familiar?).
The future of this country is in peril; those on the outside see it clearly. I am amazed that most Nebraskans are not outraged at the actions of our president. He is immoral, incompetent and a reckless liar. And yet, most Nebraskans continue daily life as normal, despite an illegal war, death of thousands of people in Africa and Iran, including American soldiers, raging inflation, complete disregard for the Constitution and total corruption. Polls show that a large majority of people do not approve of the president’s actions. Yet where is the outrage? I encourage Nebraskans to step up, contact your representatives, vote in the coming elections and demonstrate your concerns at every opportunity. Remember that the only way evil triumphs is when good people do nothing. If you do not like what is happening, do something.
- Updated
Allow me to speak as an “awful adult” who has attended town halls, the kind referenced by Michael Henkenius in an Aug. 9 letter to the Journal Star.
I disagree with the accusation that we check our “rational brains at the door and enter with an emotional mob mentality." Yes, I have raised my voice at a town hall. I have held a sign (something no longer allowed, interestingly). There are absurdly few options left to any citizen trying mightily to be heard by those who were elected to represent us. How many times have you reached out to your representative only to receive the blandest-of-bland form letter in response? Questions go unanswered but we are treated to icky propaganda letters that don’t even acknowledge our concerns.
- Updated
In his political TV/social media deceptive attack ads it appears Pete Ricketts has literally resorted to putting words in Dan Osborn’s mouth with the computer to mix photos of Osborn with voiceovers: the glory of computers. Ricketts accuses Osborn of positions and policies that Osborn has never taken or supported. Without providing proof Ricketts accuses Osborn of siphoning off half a million dollars from his campaign for personal use. He makes unsupported claims about Osborn’s supporters awkwardly attempting to tie Osborn to Epstein. Ricketts gets down in the mud with his campaign.
Does Ricketts know Nebraskans, you? Has he ever managed a family’s food budget? Has he ever awoken on a morning having to choose between putting gas in his vehicle or paying a medical or utility bill? And working a second, or third job to pay the rent or mortgage, inconceivable! Which candidate has an actual idea of your Nebraska life?
- Updated
Congressman Flood deserves praise for the housing bill that he helped become law. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act includes numerous small changes to the federal approach to housing, like limiting institutional investors from driving up prices, making it easier to build standardized housing, allowing for energy efficiency and weatherization work, and reducing red tape.
Housing affordability affects practically every community in the country, and Lincoln is no exception. For young people like me, this bill makes the path toward homeownership a little bit more of a reality than a dream. Flood's approach of reaching across the aisle and working with Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Democrat from Missouri, to get a bipartisan bill across the finish line is an example for how the rest of Congress should function, as too much of our politics is paralyzed by partisan gridlock. When lawmakers focus on important issues rather than divisive culture-war topics, our communities grow stronger, not become further polarized.
- Updated
If you are one of those people who votes in presidential election years, congratulations on being a good citizen! But if you tend not to bother in the elections in between, this may be the year to put a new shine on your citizenship badge. This is a year when every vote can really count. And it matters who speaks for you in the House of Representatives.
Here in the 1st District, where we are represented by Rep. Mike Flood, I urge readers to look into Chris Backemeyer. He is a smart guy who is Nebraska born and raised and whose ancestors homesteaded in Cass County. When 9/11 hit, he left what he calls a conventional career path to serve his country in the U.S. State Department, and later the National Security Council and the executive office of the Vice President. He's worked in both Republican and Democratic administrations. He knows Nebraska, knows his way around Washington and will stand up for what matters to this state.
- Updated
The Journal Star article (Aug. 7) regarding the stalled Farm Bill lacks clarity. Nebraska’s two U.S. senators are deliberately misleading their constituents. Sens. Ricketts and Fischer blame Democrats.
Republicans are in control of all three branches of government. Democrats’ concerns with the Farm Bill are the additional cuts to nutrition programs that benefit our neighbors and fellow citizens across Nebraska. Republicans want deeper cuts in nutrition programs and are the reason the Farm Bill did not move out of committee.
- Updated
As July turned into August, conscientious reader (and letter writer) Fran Kaye put a spotlight on our government's gross mistreatment of law-abiding, until then "legal," residents of this supposedly Christian country. Immigrants who fled economic and governmental oppression but were legally welcomed temporarily into the USA.
Here, they began contributing to our communal life. They took demanding jobs at irregular hours, sent their kids to school and attended the church of their choice. However, they were unable to rid themselves of the skins with which they were born. Now, the government we Americans voted into office has declared these immigrants no longer welcome and legal. And we will deport them to Haiti, El Salvador or whatever gang-ridden society they came from. Nonetheless, there are some among us who persist in the claim that "we are a Christian nation!"
More like this...
I have lived with diabetes for 16 years, and insulin is essential to keeping me alive. Even with excellent health insurance, the cost remains significant. The last insulin prescription I filled cost $188.90, on top of the glucose monitors, supplies and two types of insulin I use daily.
Many people face even harder decisions. I frequently hear stories of people rationing insulin so they can also afford food, rent, utilities or other necessities. Taking less insulin than prescribed is not a sustainable way to manage budgets; insulin is non-negotiable and rationing it can have serious consequences
As the November elections approach, we are reminded that democracy depends on active participation. Voting is one of the most important ways citizens can make their voices heard and help shape the future of our country. But civic engagement should not stop at casting of our own ballots. Each of us can play an important role in motivating others to vote as well.
An effective way to do this is by sending postcards out to registered voters who don’t always participate in elections. An easy way to do this is by using Activate America to send postcards to prospective voters.
Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the Federal Legislative Summit in Ashland and hear directly from members of Nebraska’s congressional delegation about the issues facing our state. One issue that was central to the discussion surrounding the Farm Bill was the need to finally secure nationwide, year-round access to E15.
That matters for Nebraska families. E15, commonly sold as Unleaded 88, is often as much as 30 cents per gallon cheaper than traditional gasoline. For families driving to work, farmers operating equipment, and small businesses managing transportation costs, those savings add up quickly.
As you settle in this fall to enjoy women’s volleyball, professional basketball and other competitive sports now common among the “gentler” sex, keep in mind a recent report by The Heritage Foundation. The report claims Title IX was pushed into law by the feminist movement, though few women actually want to do these types of physical activity. Rather, the report claims women prefer “broader, recreational, or less competitive activities.”
Stating the obvious, since Title IX, thousands of women have proven that women do indeed want to participate in physically challenging activities. If not true, there would be no Nebraska volleyball, softball, basketball or other female sports. Another obvious is the economic value women’s sports bring to this state. People will undeniably pay money to support female athletes.
We have had our football tickets for 59 years. At the beginning we belonged to the Beef Club and when that ended we continued to financially donate to the football program. Yes, we went through the "glory years" but over the past 25 years we have been waiting for a winning season.
A few years ago they informed us that they were raising our seats up four rows so they could provide for handicapped seating. We were in row 52 and were moved to row 66. Ten rows higher than we were told.
Every election year some political office seeker will brag about not being a politician and say government should be run as a "business." Other people say no.
The United States uses the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) to assign economic industry codes to American businesses. The system enables our governments to collect, analyze and publish statistical data related to the North American economy.
Bible did not change. Politics did.
America has not merely lost its political center. We are losing our conscience. And I blame the church.
America has not merely lost its political center. We are losing our conscience. And I blame the church.
There was a time when Christians stood against cruelty, defended the vulnerable and demanded character from their leaders.
The GOP became the MAGA party because, over the last half-century, the principal villain of the left somehow morphed from the top-hatted capitalist tycoon to your average bowling league member.
Henry Eugene Brass, Lincoln
Gov. Pillen could have avoided the flack he’s received with his putting Tom Osborne in the Nebraska Hall of Fame if he had followed protocol. The rules regarding eligibility were intended to promote fairness, and to honor people who truly represent Nebraska’s values. If a "special" person should be honored, there is a precedent for doing so.
When the Hall of Fame was created, John Neihardt had been Nebraska's poet laureate for several decades, and was certainly Hall of Fame material. However, he was still alive. The commission made Neihardt an "honorary" member, with a bust created by his wife, Mona, placed in the Capitol. When Neihardt died in the early 1970s, the word "honorary" was removed. John Neihardt was thus given full membership, and justifiably so. Gov. Pillen could have done the same thing for Tom Osborne, and I'm sure Osborne would have approved. Thus, there would have been no need for Gov. Pillen to hijack the Hall of Fame. Now, we the people must go back and have LB590 repealed, and restore fairness to the Hall of Fame.
Small business confidence has been sliding nationwide, and across Nebraska — home to over 181,000 small businesses making up 99% of all employers in the state — the reason is not hard to find. Tariffs have turned an already tough operating environment into a guessing game.
I am proud to call myself a small business owner. My favorite part of the job is serving customers well while growing steadily and employing Nebraskans. But when input costs jump overnight and supply chains scramble, my job suddenly becomes harder. Unlike bigger companies, I can’t shrug off price hikes on key components or easily switch suppliers across continents. My only options are bad ones: eat the cost and stall growth, or raise prices and lose the customers whose trust I’ve earned.
Recently, while traveling in Eastern Europe, I attended a lecture from one of the leaders in the overthrow of the Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. He simply described the actions of the Romanian dictator that led to the revolution (e.g., building expensive monuments to himself, raising prices, vast reductions in government services, control of the press and media, control of freedom of speech, retaliation of opposition, amassing tremendous wealth at the expense of the people, and neutering of the Parliament — sounding familiar?).
The future of this country is in peril; those on the outside see it clearly. I am amazed that most Nebraskans are not outraged at the actions of our president. He is immoral, incompetent and a reckless liar. And yet, most Nebraskans continue daily life as normal, despite an illegal war, death of thousands of people in Africa and Iran, including American soldiers, raging inflation, complete disregard for the Constitution and total corruption. Polls show that a large majority of people do not approve of the president’s actions. Yet where is the outrage? I encourage Nebraskans to step up, contact your representatives, vote in the coming elections and demonstrate your concerns at every opportunity. Remember that the only way evil triumphs is when good people do nothing. If you do not like what is happening, do something.
Allow me to speak as an “awful adult” who has attended town halls, the kind referenced by Michael Henkenius in an Aug. 9 letter to the Journal Star.
I disagree with the accusation that we check our “rational brains at the door and enter with an emotional mob mentality." Yes, I have raised my voice at a town hall. I have held a sign (something no longer allowed, interestingly). There are absurdly few options left to any citizen trying mightily to be heard by those who were elected to represent us. How many times have you reached out to your representative only to receive the blandest-of-bland form letter in response? Questions go unanswered but we are treated to icky propaganda letters that don’t even acknowledge our concerns.
In his political TV/social media deceptive attack ads it appears Pete Ricketts has literally resorted to putting words in Dan Osborn’s mouth with the computer to mix photos of Osborn with voiceovers: the glory of computers. Ricketts accuses Osborn of positions and policies that Osborn has never taken or supported. Without providing proof Ricketts accuses Osborn of siphoning off half a million dollars from his campaign for personal use. He makes unsupported claims about Osborn’s supporters awkwardly attempting to tie Osborn to Epstein. Ricketts gets down in the mud with his campaign.
Does Ricketts know Nebraskans, you? Has he ever managed a family’s food budget? Has he ever awoken on a morning having to choose between putting gas in his vehicle or paying a medical or utility bill? And working a second, or third job to pay the rent or mortgage, inconceivable! Which candidate has an actual idea of your Nebraska life?
Congressman Flood deserves praise for the housing bill that he helped become law. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act includes numerous small changes to the federal approach to housing, like limiting institutional investors from driving up prices, making it easier to build standardized housing, allowing for energy efficiency and weatherization work, and reducing red tape.
Housing affordability affects practically every community in the country, and Lincoln is no exception. For young people like me, this bill makes the path toward homeownership a little bit more of a reality than a dream. Flood's approach of reaching across the aisle and working with Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Democrat from Missouri, to get a bipartisan bill across the finish line is an example for how the rest of Congress should function, as too much of our politics is paralyzed by partisan gridlock. When lawmakers focus on important issues rather than divisive culture-war topics, our communities grow stronger, not become further polarized.
If you are one of those people who votes in presidential election years, congratulations on being a good citizen! But if you tend not to bother in the elections in between, this may be the year to put a new shine on your citizenship badge. This is a year when every vote can really count. And it matters who speaks for you in the House of Representatives.
Here in the 1st District, where we are represented by Rep. Mike Flood, I urge readers to look into Chris Backemeyer. He is a smart guy who is Nebraska born and raised and whose ancestors homesteaded in Cass County. When 9/11 hit, he left what he calls a conventional career path to serve his country in the U.S. State Department, and later the National Security Council and the executive office of the Vice President. He's worked in both Republican and Democratic administrations. He knows Nebraska, knows his way around Washington and will stand up for what matters to this state.
The Journal Star article (Aug. 7) regarding the stalled Farm Bill lacks clarity. Nebraska’s two U.S. senators are deliberately misleading their constituents. Sens. Ricketts and Fischer blame Democrats.
Republicans are in control of all three branches of government. Democrats’ concerns with the Farm Bill are the additional cuts to nutrition programs that benefit our neighbors and fellow citizens across Nebraska. Republicans want deeper cuts in nutrition programs and are the reason the Farm Bill did not move out of committee.
As July turned into August, conscientious reader (and letter writer) Fran Kaye put a spotlight on our government's gross mistreatment of law-abiding, until then "legal," residents of this supposedly Christian country. Immigrants who fled economic and governmental oppression but were legally welcomed temporarily into the USA.
Here, they began contributing to our communal life. They took demanding jobs at irregular hours, sent their kids to school and attended the church of their choice. However, they were unable to rid themselves of the skins with which they were born. Now, the government we Americans voted into office has declared these immigrants no longer welcome and legal. And we will deport them to Haiti, El Salvador or whatever gang-ridden society they came from. Nonetheless, there are some among us who persist in the claim that "we are a Christian nation!"
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