Letters: Iowa is moving backward, and quickly

Iowa is moving backward, and quickly

Backward. That’s how I now describe Iowa. Backward. And it makes me cry. Iowa’s never felt like the easiest place to get to know people. Since I moved here for college in 1968, I’ve been asked a million times, “What are you doing in Iowa?” And now I’m wondering myself, “What AM I doing in Iowa?” With efforts to exclude people who don’t fit the mold of a stereotypical Iowan becoming the rule, Iowa’s provincialism is only getting worse.

Over the decades I’ve seen Iowa make life a little easier for women, and for my friends who are gay, and more welcoming to immigrants. And then sometime in the past decade we started going backward. Backward. Our government (and that means the voters) are making every effort to send the message that we aren’t welcome here. Unless we look like some notion of a wholesome, cornfed, rosy-cheeked lass or lad in gingham. Backward.

Now the Legislature has established a subcommittee, and scheduled hearings on House File 2082. This bill would remove protections for transgender people, and relegate them to the definition of “disabled.” Even as I write this, I am at a loss for words. Red flags are waving furiously in the prairie wind. This action signals that the Legislature, and of course the governor, may seriously consider this action during this session.

House File 2082 was another attempt to chip away at the rights and lives of trans people. Haven’t we done enough to signal that Iowa isn’t a friendly place for folks who are “different?” No more Iowa Nice. Iowa Backward.

Is that who we are? Is that how we want to be seen? Backward?

Martha McCormick, Des Moines

Guns don’t fire themselves

Regarding Walter Suza's Jan. 28 “Guns don’t care about children; killing is their job,” I believe he missed an important fact, creating that misleading headline. Only after a melodramatic essay on children and their growth did he finally make the point, "Only in America. The insanity of gun violence."

I'm sure Suza is aware giving the responsibility to the gun for killing is paramount to saying, "Your car is responsible for backing into my car in the parking lot."  Let's put the perspective correctly and place the responsibility where it rightfully belongs.  Improper use of a gun is equal to improper use of an auto, and is often with the same result.

I believe Suza will recognize the truth in the above comparison and should take responsibility for correcting his skewed line of thinking and writing.

Fred Johnson, Ames

Cartoon was a vile attack on Christians

If you wonder why the respect and trust in the media is declining, just refer to the editorial cartoon on page 2F of the Jan. 28 Register.

I find your decision to run this cartoon highly offensive and derogatory to the Christian religion.

Larry L. Jack, Grinnell

It’s beside the point whether Trump is Christ-like

A Jan. 25 letter writer chastised evangelical Christians for not being “Christ-like” in supporting Donald Trump. He also cited polls indicating 75% of Trump supporters feel that immigrants are more harmful than helpful to the US.

This is the same tired condemnation voiced in the past two presidential elections. I don’t believe the poll unless there was no option for clarifying the sentiment is about illegal immigration. Christians as individuals as well as through the church give millions of dollars to help immigrants here and in their home countries.

The only Christian I speak for is me. We do not live under a church-based government, and Jesus is not running for office. As a Christian I am allowed to weigh the attributes, flaws and imperfections of the candidates and through prayerful consideration make my choice. I can believe in compassion and still believe in the rule of law. In spite of Trump’s rhetoric and abrasive personality, he has a record as president that I find more appealing than the other candidates’ promises and the policies of the current administration.

Steve Lame, Des Moines

Choose leaders who exhibit character

As we decide who to choose for our leaders, from the president, the Congress, to our state and local candidates for office, the character of the people should be considered.

Gov. Robert Ray had the vision to enhance civility through ethical leadership and character development and introduced "Character Counts" to Iowa's schools in 1997. The program promotes six Pillars of Character: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship. CHARACTER COUNTS believes that character is at the core of one’s life experience. We were taught lessons of love and acceptance in churches. We learned rules and fairness in sports. There are rules and laws for becoming citizens, drivers, voters, and homeowners. Every aspect of living in a democratic nation requires us to follow rules and laws.

It is my hope that we can come together as "One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all" and elect people with character to represent us.

Please vote for people who believe that Character Counts, honor and follow the oaths and laws of our country, and can do their jobs with truth, knowledge, cooperation, respect, and kindness for all.

Bruce Anderson, West Des Moines

Legislature must push to feed kids in summer

The US Department of Agriculture is launching a Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer program for children, offering federal funds to low-income families with school-aged children when schools are closed in the summer, about $40 per month for kids who qualify. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds refuses to accept EBT funds even though these funds are earmarked for children who receive free and reduced-price lunches at school, for which around 40% of Iowa children qualify.

We urge Iowa legislators to support Senate File 2039, a bill that would require Iowa to participate in the Summer EBT program to support Iowa’s kids.

This program is clearly needed here. Providing families with summer grocery benefits reduces child hunger and supports healthier diets. Families headed by a woman are more than twice as likely to live in poverty than families headed by a man. School-age children who experience severe hunger are at increased risk for poor mental health and lower academic achievement. The grocery benefit program offered during the pandemic lifted millions out of hunger; children ate more vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and dairy and drank less pop.

If Iowa claims to feed the world, it should insist that its own children benefit from Summer EBT.

Karen Agee and Katherine Farris, co-presidents, AAUW of Iowa

Grassley, Vilsack can stand against evil

I am still hoping for a positive response after the initial mailing and emailing of the following letter in October 2023:

Dear Senator Grassley and Secretary Vilsack:

I urge you two disparate politicians to team up in a press conference and address our country’s lost Christian culture. I ask you to take a stand on behalf of your own grandchildren. Your time of political influence is quickly running out. It is time to go on the offense. Please speak up and out for your grandchildren. The corruption of our children must stop.

I am confident that our country was not founded to promote the drag queen lifestyle to youth. The grooming of children must be stopped. It was not founded to force validation of unhealthy lifestyles. It was not founded to uplift and promote unhealthy lifestyles. It was not founded to allow children to be bodily mutilated by doctors with or without parental permission. It was not founded to allow the “transing” of kids. It was not founded to shut down voices that speak truth. Go on the offense together and speak the truth.

Please, band together and stand up. Leave your grandchildren a legacy with a better present and future. Make them proud of your courageous stand. Stand together against evil. Take action now against the leftist madness.

Clint Luscombe, West Des Moines

Biofuel production contributes to global warming

I have written to Sen. Chuck Grassley several times about the disposal of CO2 created from the production of biofuels and the adverse impact of its release into the atmosphere.

He does not appear to be concerned about this issue, but all farmers should be.

The release of CO2 into the atmosphere is one of the major causes of global warming, which directly leads to the droughts in Iowa. The senator’s introduction of an act to introduce biofuels into aircraft fuel will only make this problem worse.

I would like to suggest that biofuel producers work with farmers and others to provide CO2 to be injected into the soil to increase productivity.

Until the disposal of CO2 is solved, I suggest all Iowans be against the Farm to Fly Act, for until then it would only harm all of us.

I know some farmers already do this and they should be congratulated. I would like to fine a way to inject it into my homes soil to improve my lawn and gardens.

Thomas Johnson, Ankeny

Where’s the property tax relief?

One of the best bills Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed is the one eliminating state taxes on retirement income. Now she wants to pass a flat tax bill. However, nothing is being done about the high property taxes. This is something that needs to be addressed.

Diana Rogers, Altoona

‘No Mow’ wasn’t, and isn’t, the only option

Well, our small No Mow May team sure has created quite a stir over "grass" and the "perfect lawn in the American culture"! The city got around 500 complaints the last week of May and June. Mathematically this is about a quarter of 1% of the Des Moines population.

If one looks at our brochure that we passed out with our No Mow May signs, we called it No Mow/Less Mow May and suggested that participants had options including planting a patch of their yard in "native plants."

Our team spoke at Des Moines City Council recently and said we would continue to promote "No Mow, Less Mow May." We are facing right now a climate crisis as well as a nature crisis. This is a no-cost action that all of us can do to not only make Des Moines more sustainable, but also create a healthier planet!

Carolyn Uhlenhake-Walker, Des Moines

More: Des Moines axes No Mow May, considers changes to its tall grass enforcement policy

Only let parents check out books with sexual content

As a solution with putting the controversial books back on the school shelves, I have a compromise for the radical left and teacher unions.

Let's put the books back on the shelves, but only under lock and key, just as pharmacies do for Sudafed.  A parent of kindergarten through sixth-grade student can come to the library and check out the book.  This way the parent can sit down with a first-grader to discuss depictions of sex including positions and body parts. There. Solved.

Roger Ranker, Urbandale

Children know it’s wrong to kill

I don't know Rebecca Hauser's family, but I most certainly support the way they feel. The perpetrators who killed her in 1994 are all now free.

This sends the message to any would-be juvenile murderer that you should be sure to commit your crime while you're under the age of 18 years, so that someday you can walk free, and the victim's family can get this type of slap in the face and have a terrible wound opened up once again.

Saying a life sentence for a juvenile is unconstitutional may be legal, but it's immoral. I'm not Catholic, but my understanding is that the Catholic Church says that children know the difference between right and wrong by age 7 years. That's when they have their First Communion.

Why did the Aplington-Parkersburg murderer go to jail, despite having a mental illness? Because when asked what he'd have done if police had been present, he said he'd have waited for a later time to murder the coach. How many other examples can we draw from to say this is wrong?

I think many of us in Iowa and in the U.S. are sick and tired of criminals having more rights than their victims and their victims' families. I wish with all my heart that the justice system would not unleash Rebecca's murderers out into society. It's unsafe for the rest of us, and it's unjust.

Lisa Boyes, Grinnell

Limit press passes to those who practice impartiality

I’ve been reading Bleeding Heartland for years, not because I support Laura Belin’s opinions based on her research (I don’t), but because she’s thorough. I thought the conservatives in the Statehouse were making a mistake in keeping her from the floor. We should move past the predictable reactions from the left that always comes down to “oppressors” (conservatives) vs noble, feisty fighting, well-off liberals living in West Des Moines and Johnson County.

What are the consequences of removing any pretense of objective journalism? The Atlantic magazine has described objectivity in reporting as an outdated model. Does anyone posting online qualify as a journalist? How many will flood the Capitol every day, who claim to be journalists but are really harsh advocates there to disrupt the process?

The press has been a conduit between legislators and the public. If legislators know they can’t expect impartiality, they will change their approach and I don’t blame them.

These are just a few concerns. More will come. We’re going off the rails. Our first concern should be to protect the democratic process, not disrupt it. Opening the Statehouse to every crackpot with an attitude is unknown territory. It’s not good people vs the ignorant evil. That’s just vanity.

Michael Devine, Fort Dodge

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Letters: Iowa is moving backward, and quickly