Small-mindedness and HSB 542, HSB 664, and SSB 3115: An open letter to my state legislators

Blogger's note: I decided that I am done just shaking my head when I read the news. I am going shake my head and make my disgust known to the people who need to hear it.

 

This is the email I sent to my state legislators on February 12. 

 

Senator McClintock and Representative Golding:

Jeff Anderson used the term "small minds" at the public comment period for House Study Bill 542 the other day. ("As United Methodists, we want students to have big brains, not small minds, and we don’t think students are that fragile," he said, per the Cedar Rapids Gazette.) It stuck with me. After reading about HSB 542, HSB 664, and SSB 3115, I think "small minds" perfectly describes what a lot of people in your party have.

A couple other words come to mind regarding your party and its agenda as well: bullying, hateful, disrespectful, dismissive, controlling, blind. They apply to HSB 542, HSB 664, and SSB 3115. I think that these are proposals that come from small, closed minds and hurt Iowans.

For HSB 542, I agree with Jeff Anderson that this bill ignores the reality that racism, sexism and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender exist in our country. Students should know that Americans, despite our founding conviction that we are all equal, have been and still are treated differently.

HSB 664 is a good example of that. I don't understand why you are so mean to transgender people. Let them be free and enjoy the same rights as I, a heterosexual man, enjoy. It is small-minded, dismissive, disrespectful, bullying, and hateful for you to target them and leave them open to discrimination. Places like Iowa City and Coralville have the courage to treat them as equal, and I think it is obvious that the elephant of your party is trying to hide its blatant discrimination and dislike of trans people behind the single dandelion of statewide consistency. Treating people like that is wrong and you know it. Representative Golding: I wrote to you last year about House Study Bill 242 and asked you to think of my children—as well as your children, grandchildren, and future descendants—and not vote to remove gender identity as a protected class in the Iowa Civil Rights Act. You voted to do so, which was disappointing. At some point, for both of you, someone you love will be disenfranchised for being themself and you will have no one to blame but yourselves.

I think SSB 3115 blindly ignores Iowans' apparent need and desire for medication abortions. I am not a fan of abortion, either, but I don't speak for everyone. Obviously, there are people who don't want to get pregnant and have a kid. Part of me sympathizes given your party's meanness and dismissiveness toward people's needs and reality. While I understand and agree with a need to know a medication's effects, I feel like this bill ignores the fact that it will restrict access to the drugs and medical abortion only for the poor. The rich in Iowa will always have access to abortion.

HSB 669 also made me sick to my stomach. While I agree that someone's religious convictions should not exclude them from fostering or adopting a child, it should not give them the ability to abuse children because of who they are. I feel like this bill enables hatred and cruelty.

Thank you for your time and for reading my thoughts.