Southeast Nebraska speaks up: Letters to the editor for the week of Sep. 4, 2026
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Our weekly round-up of letters published in the Lincoln Journal Star.
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The November election isn't just about the president, but about the Republicans in Congress who have enabled him, stayed silent and voted with him roughly 95% of the time.
There’s this and more:
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If Hilgers wants to vote in city elections, let him move into the city. But of course he wants it both ways: don't pay city taxes (property and wheel tax), but still have a say in city affairs. OK, so he does pay the city sales tax whenever he buys something in Lincoln, but so do other non-residents when they do business here.
Do you want to extend Lincoln voting rights to, let's say, all the out-of-town football and volleyball fans that attend games in Lincoln?
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For decades students have been taught the mnemonic device HOMES to remember the five Great Lakes. Now, thanks to our childish president, they can be taught SHAME instead.
Bill Richt, Lincoln
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Once, the world viewed America as great because we were not a country that executed people based on unproven suspicion. "Innocent until proven guilty" was not just a slogan; it was a principle we believed in and lived by, defining our commitment to basic human rights.
Now, we tally up the body count of suspects targeted simply for being in the wrong boat in the wrong area. This dangerous policy will inevitably backfire when foreign nations decide it is fair game to target and kill American citizens based on mere suspicion. If we intend to set global standards, we must be prepared for those same standards to be applied to our own people.
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I've noticed a lot of Journal space that has been dedicated to Deb Fischer and her band of Trump enablers. I have also noticed that she hasn't spent a lot of time before the midterms touching base here.
She and the rest of our so-called representatives, including the governor, have been spending most of their time pushing an authoritarian agenda for a failed businessman, cruel leader, prolific liar, grifter, mafia-esque boss wanting to use the power of the presidency to strong arm his way around the world. He has shown time and again that he does not care about any person in this country but himself.
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I dreamed I saw Ruth Thone last night,
Alive as you and me.
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Voting in November is more than civic responsibility. You can impact direction of U.S. policy and actions on global warming. Who we elect can make a difference, and counter consequences of "climate denial."
We must abandon our current path to disaster due to a status-quo approach to climate change, claiming these are natural cycles that will soon reverse. Misguided national policies encourage more fossil fuel use to "keep the economy afloat." Decisions that restrict rather than encourage development of cheaper renewable energy. Withdrawal from international agreements that embrace problems looming on the horizon, all indicators that ignore realities of global warming.
- Updated
Some people become cruel when they are given power and believe there will be no consequences.
That cruelty depends on spectators.
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In May 2025, the Department of Justice began requesting the full unredacted voter rolls from all states. These include our full names, home addresses, dates of birth and last four digits of our Social Security numbers. And if you have applied for a mail-in ballot, your driver's license number is also included. By law these lists are state property.
When 30 states declined to this request, DOJ began filing lawsuits against them. As of Aug. 17, 21 state suits have reached federal courts. All have been dismissed. States 21, DOJ 0.
- Updated
Congratulations to the boys from Lincoln East who earlier this month won the American Legion baseball national tournament held in Shelby, North Carolina.
They won by defeating a team from Portland, Oregon, 9-6. A number of teams from Nebraska have played in the Legion World Series but it's been since 1939 that a Nebraska team won it all.
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Becky Conners recently wrote about utilizing Activate America to get out the vote, noting that "higher voter participation strengthens our communities and ensures that a broader range of voices are represented." (Journal Star, Aug. 21).
The same argument is made in favor of vote by mail. And yet when Lincoln held its 2020 school bond vote entirely by mail, the response rate was a sad 34%.
- Updated
You can tell how desperate Ricketts is to keep his Senate seat by the outrageous lies and innuendos being hurled at Dan Osborn. A fundraiser was abruptly canceled when Osborn wanted nothing to do with it upon discovering a sponsor had a distant relationship to Epstein. That didn’t stop Ricketts from insinuating a darker connection. Ricketts, on the other hand, has no issue with his endorsement from Trump who was a frequent party buddy with Epstein and appears over a thousand times in the Epstein files! (Where are the rest of those files by the way?).
And the nearly $500,000 Ricketts claims Osborn pocketed was actually used for campaign expenses, was not illegal and is another headline-type campaign distraction. Oh, and let’s throw in that dreaded “liberal” label that Republicans have conditioned us to believe is something more sinister than seeking equal opportunities and respect for people along with assisting people in need. This while our “conservative” representatives work to protect their fortunes and sit idly by while our president bullies the Middle East, alienates allies, turns the presidency into grift central, smothers our White House with tacky gold and blows our national debt to a record $40 trillion, including pet building projects he can put his name on at our expense!
- Updated
Our climate keeps heating up with dire effects, but our governmental leaders seem incapable of finding solutions to get us out of this mess that we have caused. One possible way out is to find new technologies that reduce the emission of carbon dioxide that is driving climate change. Almost every day, there are new ideas that have the possibility of helping with this goal. Recently, two promising technologies caught my eye.
The first one was reported in an article in the Iowa Stater magazine about research to stop the venting of carbon dioxide from abandoned oil and gas wells. They would be plugged by injecting a newly developed bio-oil made from leftover harvest and forest waste products into them. Not only would this keep carbon dioxide from escaping, but by using plant-based materials, like corn stalks, it also would trap this carbon far underground. If the process is fully developed, it could have the additional benefit of generating a new revenue stream for farmers and foresters.
- Updated
As a parent and teacher, I’m worried about the future of education under Zach Lahn.
After graduating from public school here in Cedar Falls, I spent 11 years teaching Catholic school before becoming a principal. After my daughter was born with Down syndrome, I tried to enroll her in a local private school, but they didn’t even show up for a meeting.
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Have you heard it said "Freedom of speech for me, but not for thee?"
It is strange indeed that in this century we would have to actually defend freedom of speech, a right that has been hard won even to the point of bloodshed. If the Enlightenment taught us anything, it is that freedom of speech came about through a willingness of those who held opposing viewpoints to engage in argument, discussion, and heated debate. What have we seen? The radical left has changed its position from championing free speech to banning it and allowing only "oppressed" groups to speak. The argument is that minorities, such as those in the LGBTQ communities, have been discriminated against, and therefore, to level the playing field, we must curb the social power of the dominant group that for so long has used free speech to uphold their position of power. Racism and sexism must be attacked vigorously. The one way to do that is to deny certain groups the right to speak. They only have the right to remain silent.
- Updated
Had enough hate, crime, poor leaders? Then it is time to find honest, hardworking people that will lead. I know it is hard, that is one of the reasons Diogenes carried a lit lamp during the day when looking for an honest man, there were not many. We can find one or two. Keep looking. We have found them in the past and can do so now. Vote.
Bob Black, Waterloo
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I am so tired of the yearly Grout Historic District house tours! This is not the real Waterloo. Why don't the people spend time going to houses that are meant to be torn down, or just areas of the "great city" that need help with siding, sidewalks, you name it?
But no, as usual the only people (snobs) who get any attention are the rich. God bless people with money. You make me sick! Enjoy your big bucks while the rest of the city suffers. Have a great life!
- Updated
Defend free speech
Have you heard it said "Freedom of speech for me, but not for thee?"
More like this...
The November election isn't just about the president, but about the Republicans in Congress who have enabled him, stayed silent and voted with him roughly 95% of the time.
There’s this and more:
If Hilgers wants to vote in city elections, let him move into the city. But of course he wants it both ways: don't pay city taxes (property and wheel tax), but still have a say in city affairs. OK, so he does pay the city sales tax whenever he buys something in Lincoln, but so do other non-residents when they do business here.
Do you want to extend Lincoln voting rights to, let's say, all the out-of-town football and volleyball fans that attend games in Lincoln?
Once, the world viewed America as great because we were not a country that executed people based on unproven suspicion. "Innocent until proven guilty" was not just a slogan; it was a principle we believed in and lived by, defining our commitment to basic human rights.
Now, we tally up the body count of suspects targeted simply for being in the wrong boat in the wrong area. This dangerous policy will inevitably backfire when foreign nations decide it is fair game to target and kill American citizens based on mere suspicion. If we intend to set global standards, we must be prepared for those same standards to be applied to our own people.
I've noticed a lot of Journal space that has been dedicated to Deb Fischer and her band of Trump enablers. I have also noticed that she hasn't spent a lot of time before the midterms touching base here.
She and the rest of our so-called representatives, including the governor, have been spending most of their time pushing an authoritarian agenda for a failed businessman, cruel leader, prolific liar, grifter, mafia-esque boss wanting to use the power of the presidency to strong arm his way around the world. He has shown time and again that he does not care about any person in this country but himself.
I dreamed I saw Ruth Thone last night,
Alive as you and me.
Voting in November is more than civic responsibility. You can impact direction of U.S. policy and actions on global warming. Who we elect can make a difference, and counter consequences of "climate denial."
We must abandon our current path to disaster due to a status-quo approach to climate change, claiming these are natural cycles that will soon reverse. Misguided national policies encourage more fossil fuel use to "keep the economy afloat." Decisions that restrict rather than encourage development of cheaper renewable energy. Withdrawal from international agreements that embrace problems looming on the horizon, all indicators that ignore realities of global warming.
Some people become cruel when they are given power and believe there will be no consequences.
That cruelty depends on spectators.
In May 2025, the Department of Justice began requesting the full unredacted voter rolls from all states. These include our full names, home addresses, dates of birth and last four digits of our Social Security numbers. And if you have applied for a mail-in ballot, your driver's license number is also included. By law these lists are state property.
When 30 states declined to this request, DOJ began filing lawsuits against them. As of Aug. 17, 21 state suits have reached federal courts. All have been dismissed. States 21, DOJ 0.
Congratulations to the boys from Lincoln East who earlier this month won the American Legion baseball national tournament held in Shelby, North Carolina.
They won by defeating a team from Portland, Oregon, 9-6. A number of teams from Nebraska have played in the Legion World Series but it's been since 1939 that a Nebraska team won it all.
Becky Conners recently wrote about utilizing Activate America to get out the vote, noting that "higher voter participation strengthens our communities and ensures that a broader range of voices are represented." (Journal Star, Aug. 21).
The same argument is made in favor of vote by mail. And yet when Lincoln held its 2020 school bond vote entirely by mail, the response rate was a sad 34%.
You can tell how desperate Ricketts is to keep his Senate seat by the outrageous lies and innuendos being hurled at Dan Osborn. A fundraiser was abruptly canceled when Osborn wanted nothing to do with it upon discovering a sponsor had a distant relationship to Epstein. That didn’t stop Ricketts from insinuating a darker connection. Ricketts, on the other hand, has no issue with his endorsement from Trump who was a frequent party buddy with Epstein and appears over a thousand times in the Epstein files! (Where are the rest of those files by the way?).
And the nearly $500,000 Ricketts claims Osborn pocketed was actually used for campaign expenses, was not illegal and is another headline-type campaign distraction. Oh, and let’s throw in that dreaded “liberal” label that Republicans have conditioned us to believe is something more sinister than seeking equal opportunities and respect for people along with assisting people in need. This while our “conservative” representatives work to protect their fortunes and sit idly by while our president bullies the Middle East, alienates allies, turns the presidency into grift central, smothers our White House with tacky gold and blows our national debt to a record $40 trillion, including pet building projects he can put his name on at our expense!
Our climate keeps heating up with dire effects, but our governmental leaders seem incapable of finding solutions to get us out of this mess that we have caused. One possible way out is to find new technologies that reduce the emission of carbon dioxide that is driving climate change. Almost every day, there are new ideas that have the possibility of helping with this goal. Recently, two promising technologies caught my eye.
The first one was reported in an article in the Iowa Stater magazine about research to stop the venting of carbon dioxide from abandoned oil and gas wells. They would be plugged by injecting a newly developed bio-oil made from leftover harvest and forest waste products into them. Not only would this keep carbon dioxide from escaping, but by using plant-based materials, like corn stalks, it also would trap this carbon far underground. If the process is fully developed, it could have the additional benefit of generating a new revenue stream for farmers and foresters.
As a parent and teacher, I’m worried about the future of education under Zach Lahn.
After graduating from public school here in Cedar Falls, I spent 11 years teaching Catholic school before becoming a principal. After my daughter was born with Down syndrome, I tried to enroll her in a local private school, but they didn’t even show up for a meeting.
Have you heard it said "Freedom of speech for me, but not for thee?"
It is strange indeed that in this century we would have to actually defend freedom of speech, a right that has been hard won even to the point of bloodshed. If the Enlightenment taught us anything, it is that freedom of speech came about through a willingness of those who held opposing viewpoints to engage in argument, discussion, and heated debate. What have we seen? The radical left has changed its position from championing free speech to banning it and allowing only "oppressed" groups to speak. The argument is that minorities, such as those in the LGBTQ communities, have been discriminated against, and therefore, to level the playing field, we must curb the social power of the dominant group that for so long has used free speech to uphold their position of power. Racism and sexism must be attacked vigorously. The one way to do that is to deny certain groups the right to speak. They only have the right to remain silent.
Had enough hate, crime, poor leaders? Then it is time to find honest, hardworking people that will lead. I know it is hard, that is one of the reasons Diogenes carried a lit lamp during the day when looking for an honest man, there were not many. We can find one or two. Keep looking. We have found them in the past and can do so now. Vote.
Bob Black, Waterloo
I am so tired of the yearly Grout Historic District house tours! This is not the real Waterloo. Why don't the people spend time going to houses that are meant to be torn down, or just areas of the "great city" that need help with siding, sidewalks, you name it?
But no, as usual the only people (snobs) who get any attention are the rich. God bless people with money. You make me sick! Enjoy your big bucks while the rest of the city suffers. Have a great life!
Defend free speech
Have you heard it said "Freedom of speech for me, but not for thee?"
More like this...
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