News & Commentary

Father, Grandfather, Protector, Best Friend, and Hero, John Shelor. My father was only 57 years old when he was diagnosed with HIV and dementia. It is hard for any daughter to become a caretaker for her dad. The fact that I had to deal with discrimination alongside health care issues is something no family should have to face.

Every year, speakers are invited to public schools around Nebraska to talk about subjects like rejecting drugs and alcohol. In 2010, many parents contacted the ACLU with concerns that some of the speakers included specific religious messages to the captive audience of K-12 students. One of those speakers was then-assistant Husker football coach Ron Brown. ACLU warned every school district they could not host religious presentations during school hours. Coach Brown said he was not willing to stop promoting his religion.  “…public school children are being required

Every so often, frequently in election years, there are public conversations about patriotism. There’s been no shortage of such conversations in recent weeks between Colin Kaepernick and the National Anthem or a proposal in Congress related to the American Flag.

Maria Marquez Hernandez, who was brought to the U.S. by her parents and raised here as an undocumented child, was an honors student and doing well in college. When Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) was introduced in 2012, Maria applied for it and received a Social Security number and a work authorization card. Even with this documentation, Maria was not allowed to receive a driver’s license because of a block put on DACA recipients by Governor Heineman. That’s when Hernandez decided to stand up and speak out. 

Many of the over 1,000 complaints we receive every year are about law enforcement agencies. Sometimes, they are a sign of an officer being rude, but not breaking any laws. Sometimes, they are much more serious. In all cases, these complaints should be going directly to the law enforcement agencies. 

For this week’s anniversary memory, we think the news coverage speaks for itself. In December of 2001, the Associated Press reported on a picket at the office of the ACLU. 

David Dell is a passionate reproductive freedom activist and volunteers with Planned Parenthood to guard patients from protesters at the South Street clinic in Lincoln.

I was 14 when I moved to the Elkhorn Public Schools district which had a small town feel and was just minutes away from Omaha. Elkhorn High was big enough for opportunities but small enough to where I could stand out. There was only one deterrent: I wondered how a school district with a 98% Caucasian population and a median income of over $75,000--the quintessential conservative community--would react to an openly gay youth.

The right to marry is a fundamental American right.  Something that no one should be denied – even prison inmates.