Columbus Day should be replaced so that Americans might finally reckon with their tragic past.
Letters
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: An open letter to the new Iowa City school board
At your very first school board meeting, you voted to approve a laundry list of school construction expenses. One of them was $28,000 to pay for balancing and conditioning mechanical systems at the new Hoover Elementary school. You were told by the ICCSD facilities manager, Duane Van Hemert that the extra money was required because the work wasn’t written into the original construction contract that the district allowed the contractor to write, and that it was work required by law.
Posted inLetters
Letters to the editor: New Iowa and U.S. gun policies threaten public safety
The 2017 legislative session brought sweeping changes with the passage of what some have called the most comprehensive pro-gun bill in Iowa’s history. Although a number of these changes are concerning to public safety proponents, two fundamental pieces of regulation have been retained under the gun omnibus bill—background checks and permit to carry. These measures are critical to saving lives—data show that states that require background checks on all handgun sales have 47 percent fewer women shot to death by intimate partners, 47 percent fewer suicides by gun and 53 percent fewer law enforcement officers shot and killed in the line of duty. Similarly, research shows that states that weaken their permit systems and limit the ability of law enforcement to deny permits to dangerous individuals see a 13-15 percent increase in violent crime. In short, these two policies are a critical part of maintaining public safety and reducing gun violence.
Posted inLetters
Letters to the editor: Community letters speak out on the Iowa City school district bond
Little Village has received many letters about the Iowa City school district bond question that will be on the Sept. 12 ballot. Here is a compilation of the letters we have received.
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: I’m sick of talking about ‘13 Reasons Why’
After Netflix released ’13 Reasons Why,’ the show instantly produced record internet buzz — over 11 million Twitter mentions in the first month after its release. Increasing the visibility of suicide is important and, when done correctly, makes a difference. The show, with its millions of viewers, had potential to bring suicide prevention into public consciousness, bringing about positive change. Instead, the show produced a negative effect.
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: Corn kernels in hand, Johnson County Fair-goers expressed concerns about a livable future
The midway is cleared and still. The ice cream is gone. The barns and buildings are closed. It was another great year for the Johnson County Fair. And so it was for the ever popular annual Corn Poll of the People’s Coalition (Iowa Physicians for Social Responsibility, 100Grannies for a Livable Future, Veterans For Peace and PEACE Iowa) in Building B. This year’s fairgoers were questioned about their concerns for a livable future.
Posted inCommunity/News
Letter to the editor: Encourage local voting at Community Rocks! Rally
If you follow voting numbers, you’ll see that people come out in the largest numbers for presidential elections.
The next largest group of voters come out every couple years for state elections, and the smallest group of voters come out for local elections.
If you follow progress of any community, you’ll find that the higher the percentage of eligible voters traveling to the polls to assert their opinion, the more reflective the elected leaders are of the community they serve.
Posted inLetters
Op-Ed: Hawkeyes lineman’s toughest opponent is depression
By Sean Welsh My name is Sean Welsh and I’m an offensive lineman for the Iowa Hawkeyes. On Saturdays in the fall I live life in the trenches at Kinnick […]
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: Invitation to Iowa CCI Action convention
Seven hundred-fifty polluted waterbodies. No collective bargaining. Fewer mental health clinics. Poverty wages. Tax breaks for big corporations while our communities struggle. Something isn’t working. It’s time to do politics differently.
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: Call for submissions to ‘Word Thug’ magazine
Word Thug is a new, all-volunteer critical and literary multimedia magazine with an emancipatory call for creative expression by community artists, writers and educators. We are writers and artists, rappers and breakers, filmmakers and photographers, teachers and students.
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: School district’s use of seclusion rooms unacceptable
Months ago, I was shocked to read reports that the Iowa City Community School District has been using small, plywood boxes to seclude students as a form of discipline. But I am even more disheartened by the district’s refusal to put an immediate end to the practice. This is unacceptable.
Posted inCommunity/News, Letters
Letter to the editor: Acknowledging and combating local racism
By Audrey Keith Yes, racism happens in liberal Johnson County. On April 6, an employee of Coralville Petco used a racial slur against Chelsey Montgomery and then forced her to […]
