Opinions

Loren Lippincott, District 34 Senator With the rising concern over the mental and emotional health of today’s teenagers, I have introduced LB 549 into the Nebraska Legislature which would authorize individual school districts to utilize the services of a school chaplain to meet the emotional and spiritual needs of students and staff. These chaplains could be either paid or volunteer and would perform various duties at the school including providing academic, career, emotional and behavioral health support to everyone.

I staggered through the front door like a man who had seen things— things that can’t be unseen, things that leave a mark on your soul. My camera bag hung from one shoulder like an exhausted child, my pants defied physics, and my body swayed like a man who had just spent five straight days lost in the trenches of CHI Health Center.

I recently attended a function where a friend said, “We have returned to an age of common sense!” He was referring to a statement made by President Trump in signing the “No Men In Women’s Sports Executive Order.” Trump said men will play in male sports and women in women’s sports. This certainly sounds like common sense, but that can be a subjective and nebulous term to some.

I was but a boy when that first Facebook invite arrived in my inbox—The One. An invitation to a new world where status updates were sacred, where “poking” someone was the height of digital flirtation, and where your social standing was measured in the grand currency of “Likes.”

Loren Lippincott, District 34 Senator Years ago when I was a pilot for Delta Airlines I was on an NYC to LA flight. I was running the radios and while at cruise altitude flying through Air Traffic Control (ATC) Cleveland Center I checked in with the controller and had several routine exchanges with him.

There’s something poetic about watching kids grow up. One minute, they’re running around the gym in oversized jerseys, trying to dribble with two hands and shoot with the strength of a baby bird. The next minute, they’re cutting down nets, winning championships, and making you question if time is moving at double speed.

Earlier this month I joined thousands of others to participate in the Nebraska Walk for Life at our State Capitol in Lincoln. It was encouraging to join with many of my fellow state senators and our Washington delegation in this important event. We are truly blessed to have the majority of our elected officials standing boldly for protection of our unborn. However, much more is yet to be done.