Trump’s outbursts
The judges should hold Trump in contempt during his many outbursts during court. Maybe a night in jail might make him think twice before he opens his mouth.
Peter I. Giglia, Omaha
Disdain for the rule of law
I am a trial lawyer. When the judge enters or exits the courtroom, we stand. Not simply out of respect for the individual but because the judge represents the law. We don’t always agree with a particular judge’s rulings or decisions. But we don’t criticize the judge publicly or claim bias whenever we lose. We appeal if we think there are grounds for an appeal. Similarly, we stand when the jury enters and exits the courtroom. That shows respect for the individuals who have taken time out of their lives to serve the public. It shows respect for the system which depends on the involvement of citizens.
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Trump plays by different rules. He claims all the judges are crooked and against him. He employs incompetent lawyers and then blames the system for the results. He claims that a women that accuses him of sexual assault is lying when he does not have the fortitude to take the stand in his own defense. He walks out of the courtroom before the jury. His disdain for the rule of law does not seem to hurt him with the MAGA crowd. But the rest of us need to realize he is trying to bring down our civil society by showing lack of respect for free elections, the justice system and the other attributes of a free society. He will succeed if good men and women do nothing.
Patrick Barrett, Omaha
Zipper traffic issues
I agree with the Public Pulse comments on the zipper merge issues. The letter points out that the main issue is people believe drivers are being rude and “cutting” in line. It only works if everyone uses it.
Recently there was a lane closed on 90th Street, a block south of Pacific St. There was zero warning that this was coming. There was a lot of frustration and traffic was backed up south all the way to West Center Road. I have to take that street to get home. I always try to use the zipper, hoping to take turns and merge into traffic. It did not happen. Drivers will not let you merge. The next day, knowing it was coming, I stayed in the open lane. I was there for over 35 minutes. People were driving up fast in the soon-to-be-closed lane and trying to merge. The car ahead of me got in a screaming fight with a car that tried to merge, they were making obscene gestures and I thought one car was going to ram the other car. The car next to me almost hit me and rolled down the window and yelled obscenities. At this point, I was in no mood to be generous and let anyone in, even though I believe in this method.
This can all be avoided. There needs to be huge public service announcements going out on all the different mediums explaining how it works and that it is much more efficient. They have road signs in Minnesota educating the public and explaining how it works. There is no drama, no being flipped the bird, no being afraid someone is going to hit your car. We are in the process of fixing a lot of infrastructure so we either need to get the zipper concept understood or just be prepared for more extreme road rage. The world is stressful enough without getting yelled at just driving home.
Cherie Sadler, Omaha
A Swiftie’s dream
If Nikki Haley wants to win this darn election, she should name Taylor Swift as her running mate. There’s no doubt this will result in a landslide victory. Taylor can handle campaign rally appearances in between concert dates. Think of the untapped treasure trove of young voters who will jump on the Haley/Swift bandwagon. Kansas City Chiefs fans will turn out in droves. Taylor will make a great vice president too. Every visiting dignitary will want a selfie with her. Nikki’s campaign strategy requires her to act frowny and grumpy all the time. Taylor’s bubbly and smiley presence will provide a nice contrast. I think it’s a winner. I know they’ve got my vote.
Thomas Gruber, Omaha
Conserving electricity
I received an email and a phone call on Jan. 14 from the Omaha Public Power District asking me to conserve electricity because the extreme cold is “straining the system.” They have a lot of gall asking customers to reduce consumption after they spent billions to relicense the Fort Calhoun nuclear plant, then billions more to shut it down, and then raise everyone’s rates.
I believe that OPPD is the poster boy for mismanagement and generally poor decisions.
Neil Willer, Blair, Neb.
Blind support to Israel
The suffering of Palestinians is a deeply distressing reality that has garnered global attention. The situation is marked by the loss of innocent civilian lives, including children and women. The plight of Palestinians has become even more disheartening with the relentless actions of the Israeli state.
The number of Palestinian civilians killed, particularly women and children, tragically stands at over 25,000 lives lost, reflecting the severity of the humanitarian crisis in the region. The international community has expressed deep concern and has condemned the Zionist state of Israel over the escalating violence and the genocide and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.
Yet our administration keeps providing blind support to Israel against all international calls for ceasefire in Gaza. The administration’s unwavering backing of apartheid state of Israel has sparked criticism.
The recent speech by our president marking the 100th day of bombing in Gaza shows the bias and how disengaged he is. While expressing concern for the well-being of 100 hostages, there was obvious absence of any mention regarding the tragic loss of over 25,000 Palestinian lives. This omission has fueled discontent and condemnation as a failure to acknowledge the full extent of the human toll of the Palestinian people. It is time to end giving our tax dollars to Israel.
It is crucial to hold our administration accountable for its foreign policy decisions and their consequences. The suffering of the Palestinian people demands a comprehensive and compassionate response that goes beyond political alliances, fostering a commitment to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
Ayman Sharif, Omaha
Let them eat cake?
It is common knowledge that agribusiness, big business and large institutions receive generous government financial support — another name for “welfare” — in the form of grants, low-interest loans, debt forgiveness and federally-backed insurance.
Rank hypocrisy aside, it’s clear to me that what Gov. Pillen actually means is that he doesn’t believe in welfare for poor people. Perhaps his next suggestion will be that the hungry children of Nebraska should eat cake.
Alexandra McMullen, Stella, Neb.
On EV chargers
When I read in the “Digest” section of the OWH on Jan. 12 that the Biden administration announced that $623 million was being given in grants to fund 47 EV charging stations and related projects across the United States with 7,500 ports, I thought there might be a printing error so I wanted verification. The CNN website verified it was true.
The primary reason I was skeptical of the cost was my calculation of what the cost would be per station and port. The 47 charging stations have an average cost of $13.26 million and the average cost of a port is $83,067. Seems like an awful lot per station and port to me, but then I don’t own an EV.
Scott Darden, Omaha
OWH Public Pulse December 2023
Non-motorists should take responsibility for themselves and ensure that they can be seen by drivers, a Public Pulse writer says.
Public Pulse writers sound off on Gov. Jim Pillen's "whole-of government" strategy aimed at fighting antisemitism.
Gender-affirming care doesn't create an outsized health risk for transgender youth and shouldn't be subject to political regulation, a Public Pulse letter says.
A Public Pulse writer would like to see all three branches of government act ethically.
Public Pulse writers give their opinions on whether Social Security benefits should be cut and making everyone pay their fair share to support the retirement program.
Cyclists in Nebraska have been marginalized, a Public Pulse writer says.
A Public Pulse writer thanks State Sen. Merv Riepe for his abortion vote that resulted in a compromise.
A Public Pulse writer laments the changes in parking meters in downtown and midtown Omaha.
A Public Pulse writer does not think the College Football Playoff committee got it right.
A Public Pulse writer gives praise to Omaha's I Be Black Girl, a community-focused reproductive justice organization.
A Public Pulse writer urges Nebraskans to support the effort to get abortion rights on the ballot.
It is smart policing and smart public policy to have mental health co-responders routinely accompany police on certain 911 calls, a Public Pulse writer says.
A Public Pulse writer says established interests and state bureaucracy get in the way of helping underserved parts of Omaha.
A Public Pulse writer gives praise to the Grammy Award-nominated Salem Concert Choir for their production of "Joyful Noise: A Gospel Christmas."
Every woman deserves the choice to not continue a risky pregnancy, a Public Pulse writer says.
Public Pulse writers lament their property tax bills.
A Public Pulse writer offers tough suggestions for how to prevent opioid addiction in Nebraska.
A Public Pulse writer is not impressed with Congress.
