Nebraskans for Peace

Juneteenth is both a celebration and a call to action.

It commemorates June 19, 1865, when the last enslaved African Americans in Texas learned they were free an event that reminds us freedom is not inevitable, and justice is never guaranteed. It must be protected, expanded, and shared.

At Nebraskans for Peace, we believe peace is more than the absence of violence. It is the presence of justice, equity, and dignity for all people. As we celebrate Juneteenth, we honor those who struggled for freedom and recommit ourselves to building communities where everyone can live safely, freely, and fully.

As Fannie Lou Hamer so powerfully said:

“Nobody’s free until everybody’s free.”

Those words remain as urgent today as they were decades ago. May we celebrate Black history, uplift Black voices, and continue the work of creating a more just and peaceful world.

Happy Juneteenth.

❤️🖤💚

not science fiction…

Fully autonomous drones have killed human soldiers for the first time A senior figure in the Ukrainian defence industry told New Scientist that a test took place two years ago involving fully autonomous drones set to destroy anything in a given area, with confirmed casualties

Why That Next Hamburger Is Going to Cost You - The American Prospect The domestic return of the New World screwworm, a parasite that can devastate cattle herds, happened while the Trump administration was focused on dismantling government.

Nebraskans for Peace vehemently opposes the recent, blatantly racist comments made by Governor Jim Pillen about Palestinian people. Demonizing one group (Palestinians) to garner support for another (Israelis) spreads ignorance, hate, and reinforces the violence we see in the Middle East — violence for which children pay the highest price. For over 70 years, Palestinians have faced and been forced into displacement, dispossession, and repeated cycles of violence, often with the support of governments around the world. Our own history of the genocide of Native Americans, slavery and immigrants should give us pause to think before we speak.

At a time when human rights and human dignity should be at the forefront of public comments, inflammatory statements only serve to deepen division and dehumanize an already vulnerable population. When the Governor of a state issues an Executive Order that is based on ignorance and demonization of the "other" that Executive Order reflects on every Nebraskan. With over 70,000 Palestinian people killed in the recent genocide, we call on Governor Pillen to retract his statements of hate and division. We stand in solidarity with all people seeking peace, justice, and self-determination, and we reject language that promotes prejudice or discrimination against any people.

NEWS: On Friday, Gov. Jim Pillen signed an executive order that requires Nebraska’s public schools, colleges and universities to make yearly reports on incidents of antisemitism and directs the state’s Education Department to provide schools with materials on the Holocaust, Israel and Jewish-American history.

At a press event, Pillen called for schools to be places of “mutual respect.” He then turned the conversation to Palestinians.

Nebraska Public Media quoted him saying "they want to kill every Jewish person on the planet. Anybody that wants to stand up and talk about Palestinians, they’ve got to understand that those people are born to kill Jews and Christians.” When a reporter asked if that was an overgeneralization, he said it wasn’t.

The governor's comments echo a dangerous strain of anti-Muslim and anti-Arab rhetoric. Many Nebraskans, not just those with Palestinian ties, know what it is like to face these kinds of dehumanizing accusations. This comes as advocates, such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations, are reporting record levels of anti-Arab and anti-Muslim discrimination.

Nebraskans deserved a far more serious conversation around antisemitism, one that didn’t pit people against each other. In recent years, we’ve seen headlines about antisemitic flyers and threats, prompting local synagogues and other community gathering places to heighten security. No one should feel unsafe going to a place of worship.

Nebraskans should oppose all discrimination on the basis of faith or nationality. That’s why we have worked in the courts, communities and the Capitol to address antisemitism, Islamophobia and other forms of discrimination while protecting free speech. We’ll be monitoring to make sure schools respect that line. Remember that Pillen has previously boasted about suppressing pro-Palestinian campus protests.

“Leveling an inflammatory accusation at an entire population is no way to discourage harassment in Nebraska’s classrooms. These false statements erase the humanity of millions of people. Just as antisemitism is a serious problem in our state, so is discrimination against other communities and faith groups. Fortunately, schools already have legal obligations to provide equal access to education and to shield students from harassment. In doing that important work, they must not unlawfully stifle protected speech that they or our governor disagrees with."
- Cassy Ross, ACLU of Nebraska Policy Director