The reader who sent this in titled his email: Three days, two stories, one existential chasm, same newspaper.

(The paper requires registration, btw)

Peter Singer spoke to an audience of 900

(See, that in itself is frightening to me. Singer can get 900 out in Nebraska at a talk sponsored by Unitarians?)

Singer’s 50-minute speech, followed by a question-and-answer session, marked the kickoff of the Holland Lecture Series sponsored by the First Unitarian Church of Omaha. Singer drew sustained applause at the evening’s conclusion.

Whether discussing the point where death occurs, stem-cell research, abortion or euthanasia, Singer painstakingly defended his views and contrasted them with what he called the traditionalist idea of "all life being sacred" no matter its quality.

"I believe the view I’m putting forward is more defensible than the traditional position," Singer said. "We need to have this debate and discussion so that we can work things out."

Quality of life, Singer said, is an important measuring stick when discussing when life begins and ends.

A father’s greatest gift: a man stays by his infant son’s side

Jake Lee Brethauer was born with Down syndrome on March 1 in North Platte. Eight weeks early, the red-haired, blue-eyed baby weighed 3 pounds, ¹/₂ ounce. Doctors had to resuscitate him twice.

Jake soon was on a plane to Omaha and the neonatal intensive care unit at the Nebraska Medical Center. Doctors inserted a feeding tube because his esophagus wasn’t attached to his stomach.

The infant has been in the NICU ever since. His mom stayed for the first month. As the family’s primary wage-earner, she had to return to her nursing job in North Platte.

Dad stayed behind. For the moment, he’s Jake’s primary parent, spending nine-hour days in the NICU among doctors and nurses more used to dealing with moms than dads.

Jack lives alone for five days each week at the Ronald McDonald House. By 8:30, he’s with Jake, where he remains unless he’s eating meals or taking a short break. He leaves about 9 each night after bath time.

This isn’t how Jack and his wife, Monica, saw parenthood when they married 13 years ago. They decided to wait several years to have children. They were getting established – Monica as a psych nurse, Jack as a machinist with Union Pacific.

But Jack hurt his back and hip joint in 2000, the year they planned to start their family. Four years of hospital stays and surgeries followed; Jack now is on permanent disability.

It made sense for him to stay with Jake.