Sonny's Corner

By Willa Cather

All human history is a record of an emigration, an exodus from barbarism to civilization; from the very outset of this pilgrimage of humanity, superstition and investigation have been contending for mastery. Since investigation first led man forth on that great search for truth which has prompted all his progress, superstition, the stern Pharoah of his former bondage, has followed him, retarding every step of advancement.

By Laurel S. Marsh

Right around Christmas, ACLU Nebraska receives a spate of letters and cards. They are not bearing glad tidings. The writers generally assume that the claptrap about the ACLU being anti-religious is true.

By Jon Bailey and Virginia Wolking

Conventional wisdom holds that rural people are less supportive of health care reform. Whether it be the conservatism of rural areas, the affiliation of rural areas with the Republican party or rural distrust of government, it is assumed that rural people are not supportive of health reform and thus have less to offer. However, in our work on health reform in rural areas across the nation, including Nebraska, we find the conventional wisdom flat-out wrong and often oblivious to the unique issues faced by rural people and missing the insights they have into reform.

Most federal officials, whether they are elected or appointed, have an immediate swearing in so they can assume their office as quickly as possible after they have been elected, appointed or confirmed by the United States Senate. Shortly thereafter, a second more formal and ceremonial swearing in takes place. This was the case on Nov. 6, 2009, in Omaha, Neb., when United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg was sworn in before friends, officials and family at the United States Courthouse.

By Robert Egger

Throughout America, in urban and rural communities alike, an economic awakening is taking place.

Seemingly out of nowhere, America’s 1.4 million strong charity sector has begun to recognize that, far from being “non” profits, they are now, quite often, the major employer in communities leveled by our country’s economic downturn.

The play “Thurgood” ran on Broadway for over three months in 2008. On Aug. 7 of that year, the star of the play, the incomparable Laurence Fishburne, appeared on the Charlie Rose program broadcast by the Public Broadcasting System.

By W. Don Nelson

Given the amount of hyperventilation that is taking place by some participants in the health care and health insurance reform debate, we urge continued thoughtful and civil discussions. The rhetorical food fights replayed after numerous public meetings are a disappointment. Fear and anger are not satisfactory explanations of bad be­hav­ior. The U. S. health care system is far too complex for any of us to understand without hard examination of the facts and critical comparisons of the trade-offs that inevitably will occur as any component is adjusted.

By Stephen Vantassel

As webmaster for the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management, I educate people about identifying, preventing and responsibly resolving damage caused by wildlife. For instance, if raccoons are raiding your garden or squirrels have entered the attic, I will provide informational resources to help you stop those problems. People are generally intrigued by my line of work but become unsettled upon learning that I am also a minister with a Ph.D. in theology. They seem puzzled that a minister would be teaching the public about techniques that involve shooting, trapping and killing wildlife. After all, aren’t they God’s creatures? Shouldn’t ministers be about peace and love and harmony?

Contributed by Amber Jaynes

As the entire country observed the historic election of President Barack Obama amid one of the worst economic crises this nation has ever seen, these are the “best of times and the worst of times” for black America. The National Urban League released the State of Black America (SOBA) 2009 report, which shows that while the entire country is hurting during these tough economic times, black Americans are disproportionately hurting worse.

By Rev. Adrian George Edgar

It doesn’t matter what religion you are. They are all the same.” This is a quote found in our local paper a few years ago. I also heard it many times when I served as chaplain in a general hospital, as chaplain in a state psychiatric hospital and from others when they learned I was a minister. I also heard many tell me they didn’t go to a church or a synagogue or a mosque, but they believed in God and that was enough. There was a time when I wasn’t sure how to respond. I wasn’t as confident as I am now.

By Laurel S. Marsh

Many years ago I worked for the Girl Scouts. The job came with a camp attached, and one of my first tasks was to find a caretaker. I hired a recently retired farm couple, both 35 years my senior. As cell phones, calling cards and e-mail didn’t yet exist, staff that made long distance calls for their jobs kept track of them and were reimbursed accordingly. I asked for a copy of employees’ phone bills to verify the reimbursements. This is where I learned about the politics of privacy.

Lately, Ben Nelson has not just been Nebraska’s senator, but also a colleague of, good friend to and supporter of President Barack Obama.

After the release of information that points toward a lack of government funding, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund (LCCREF) held a press conference call to discuss the DTV converter box coupon program and steps consumers need to take to navigate the digital television transition that will occur on Feb. 17.

By Dick Herman

It has never happened before.

It almost certainly will never happen again.

Calling it a fluke is hardly unreasonable. Calling it a rare confluence of circumstances in 2008 would, however, be reasonable, and certainly accurate.

“It” was the unprecedented general election triumph in Nebraska’s Second Congressional District (Douglas County and roughly the northeast half of neighboring Sarpy County) by Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee. An unofficial final count had Obama winning the district by 3,325 votes.

By John Berge

During the late summer and fall of 2008, I had the honor of serving as the state director for the Obama for America campaign in Nebraska. From several different standpoints, the campaign in Nebraska was a historic one. History was made just by virtue of the ballots—it was an election that included a black American at the top of the ticket as my party’s nominee, and had a woman vice presidential nominee on the other side.

By Douglas K. German

Legal aid is one of the best-kept secrets in town. It can go a long way toward solving some of the challenges confronting communities. It can save us some money and make us some money. (For example, for every dollar Nebraskans invest in Legal Aid of Nebraska returns $4 to the local economy.)

By Rebecca Gould and Jennifer Carter

There may be no greater issue facing us as a country right now than health care reform. The health of our economy, the health of our families and the health of our democracy will be greatly affected by our ability, or inability, to improve our current health care system in America.

By John Krejci
Show me your prisons and jails and I will tell you what kind of a people you are! The classes of citizens we choose to incarcerate reveal volumes about our society.

By Linda M. Kalbach

“So what petition is going around town?” the express line clerk asked.

It was a moment a former social studies teacher could not ignore, a young person asking political questions, even as he rang up groceries.

“Hmm, I am guessing it is the one designed to eliminate affirmative action in the state of Nebraska,” I replied.

By Dick Fellman

I miss Sonny.

We were friends for 35 years or more, we had lunch or dinner together from time to time,; we went to Nebraska football games together and spent the day; but most of all, we talked; and the best of our conversations were not about football.

We talked politics.