The Public Pulse: Honestly, it is for everyone; Parental control; Administration is failing us

I initially thought our state slogan, “Nebraska: Honestly It’s Not for Everyone,” was tongue-in-cheek funny and I was happy with the national attention it garnered for our great state. However, I did not believe it would continue to be our slogan for this many years. After reading Sara Gentzler’s article and the impact it has made since the introduction, I better understood the growing resistance to keeping it. I have an idea.

The billboards are amazingly creative (i.e., “Like Stonehenge but a new model”) so I don’t want them to be removed. Instead, I propose that we make a very slight change to the slogan and it seems it could be implemented fairly easily: “Nebraska: Honestly, it IS for everyone.” For current billboards, a seemingly simple fix could occur, without much cost compared to starting over, by painting a big white X through the word “Not.” This rebranding divulges the intended joke but perpetuates the theme that we are a great destination or at least a worthwhile stop on the way somewhere else. It would not require funds being spent on a new slogan and ad campaign. It seems like a win-win to me.

I hope someone will show this to Mr. John Ricks, executive director of the Nebraska Tourism Commission for consideration.

Vicky Vandervort, Omaha

Guns and kids

Growing up, we brought guns to school during the hunting season. I lived in the country and hunted on my way home. I was brought up with accessible loaded guns in the house. I was taught they were loaded and not to be handled. I was given my first .22 at the age of 7 and a shotgun two years later. Today’s problem is not guns and kids, it’s parents and kids. The answer is not gun control, it’s parent control.

Gary Tuma, Blair

Not a solid policy

Janet Yellen (June 8) said that she “Hoped inflation would be on the decline.” Although she “expects inflation to remain high,” she also “thinks it should be our number one priority.” I guess “transitory” is no longer the catch phrase for inflation. I do not think that “hope” is a good or solid policy. Energy drives our economic engine. High energy prices affect all sectors: from high gas, to the electric grid, to producing and transporting food, to heating and cooling our homes and business, and to vacations and travel. Depending on alternate energy may be noble and sound good, realistically we are not there yet. Throwing more money at the problem is not going to make it magically happen. The economic policies of this administration is causing undo harm to everyone. We have energy already available here in our country, but this administration is suppressing them for an idealistic dream which is not working.

Ginger Gosch, Omaha

Safeguards are essential

Weapons used during the American Revolution consisted of single-shot muskets, single-shot rifles and single-shot pistols. The framers of our Constitution enacted the Second Amendment providing for the right to keep and bear arms. The framers of our Constitution had no concept of the destructive power of current handguns and rifles. To suggest that the Second Amendment should allow individuals to have unfettered access to AK-47 and similar rifles, and rapid-fire high-capacity handguns is bizarre. The Supreme Court should only allow citizens to own single-shot rifles, muskets and pistols. In order to protect us, federal and state governments should have the authority to enact reasonable safeguards for the immensely destructive, more modern guns. Gun reform is an essential component (but certainly not the only component) of reducing violence in our society. My duty stations while in the Marine Corps included California and Okinawa, I was not permitted to keep arms. All weapons were kept in the armory.

Robert Gronstal, Omaha

Streetcar concerns

That was an interesting article on Thomas Rubin, an Omaha native who was the chief financial officer for the Los Angeles transit system (June 5). Mr. Rubin has a number of concerns with the proposed Omaha streetcar project, including that “rising inflation and interest rates may raise the cost of the system and reduce proposed private development.” Certainly legitimate concerns.

While the city has done a number of studies that seem to support the project, and cite Kansas City as a successful streetcar project; there have been failures, including St. Louis, Atlanta and Milwaukee.

The overall cost is quite significant, regardless of the funding sources. Omaha has a number of buses roaming around, most of them with few riders. One or two should be able to do the streetcar route at a fraction of the cost.

Vic Massara, Omaha

Dishonor will last

Liz Chaney had advice to the Republicans who are ardent defenders of Trump. She said to all Republicans who defend Trump’s involvement in the insurrection of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, there will be a day Trump will be gone, but your dishonor will last forever.

Ben Sasse, Deb Fischer, Don Bacon, and Adrian Smith are you listening?

Dale Rezac, Omaha

Protect the most vulnerable

Representative Kevin McCarthy was ranting, raving and yelling last week in the House of Representatives about the House not passing the bill to protect the Supreme Court Justices and their families as the Democrats are leaving for a long break. It seems like there is more concern for the life of a Justice rather than the lives of the children that are killed in schools from assault guns. Why are we not wanting to protect the must vulnerable?

Chris Feuerbach, Omaha