By Anne Stapleton, Iowa City As I swam in the pool at the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center (RAL) in March, an unexpected snowfall provided a stunning sight, framed by south-facing windows. Enjoying the view, pool users greeted each other cheerfully, engaged in healthy exercise. Unfortunately, a pattern of administrative cuts begun in 2022 […]
Letters
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: The Jerusalem Quartet should not be punished for the crimes of Israel
By Joseph Chonto, Davenport Re this letter advocating a boycott of The Jerusalem Quartet’s performance at Hancher: It struck me as reactionary, broad-brush guilt-by-association hysteria, reminding of contemporary rightwing propaganda: a few cherry-picked, contextless facts spun into a conspiracy theory. Labeling the quartet “ambassadors of an apartheid government, used to art-wash the genocide” and the implication they […]
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: The Jerusalem Quartet, set to perform in Iowa City, are ambassadors of Israel’s apartheid government
Submitted on behalf of Jewish Voice for Peace of Eastern Iowa The Israeli music group The Jerusalem Quartet is scheduled to play at Hancher Auditorium at the end of March. They are ambassadors of an apartheid government, used to art-wash the genocide of Palestinians. We are disappointed in Hancher. No one should go. “But… art?!” […]
Posted inOpinion
Letter to the editor: Erasure in Iowa
By Garry Klein, Iowa City Between the Iowa legislature taking transgender protections out in the state’s Civil Rights Act and the University of Iowa deleting cultural communities and programs that serve students, it is apparent that there is an attempt to erase progressive policy and law that protects and serves Iowans that historically have been […]
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: A stunning act of overreach and moral cowardice from the Iowa Legislature
By Dani E., Iowa City The Iowa Legislature’s push to remove gender identity from the Civil Rights Act is a stunning act of government overreach and moral cowardice. If passed, Iowa would be the first state to explicitly strip away civil rights from an entire group of people. And what justification do lawmakers have for […]
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: Trust Ross Nusser when he says he’ll ‘work with’ our MAGA state and federal government
By David Sterling, Iowa City Ross Nusser started this campaign season sounding like he aligned with Iowa City’s progressive values, but his push to “work with” the harmful Republican agenda should raise red flags. Our community values will never “go along with” the state’s Republican legislature, Trump’s federal administration and armed ICE agents marching into […]
Posted inLetters
Letter from Mazahir Salih: Why I’m voting for Oliver
By Mazahir Salih, Iowa City Mayor Pro Tem, At-Large City Council member I am voting for Oliver Weilein in the March 4 special election because he can represent all of Iowa City. He understands our community — not just as an observer, but as someone who lives and works alongside us. Many immigrants are his […]
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: Working folks deserve Oliver Weilein on council
By YueWon Lee, Iowa City The statements hereafter are my own and do not represent my workplace nor the union I am a part of. Oliver Weilein is the pro-labor working class councilor that Iowa City needs. As a City employee and member of AFSCME Local 183, I know that Iowa City puts in the […]
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: Oliver Weilein is the only choice for trans rights
By Dr. Emma Denney, Iowa City There have been unprecedented attacks on the civil rights of trans Iowans this week. HF 583 — a bill stripping civil rights protections for trans people from the Iowa code, legalizing discrimination against us, and legally erasing trans and intersex people — was forced through subcommittee and committee in less than […]
Posted inLetters
Letter from Laura Bergus: Weilein walks on the right side of history
By Laura Bergus, Iowa City Council member, District A We can expect the next few years to be increasingly difficult and dangerous for many among us. The time to stand up against bigotry and hate is now. Having served on City Council through the COVID pandemic and the protests of 2020, I know we require […]
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: Iowa’s SF 347/HF 558 is merely an attempt to intimidate librarians into censorship
By Kristin Watson, Coralville After reading Sam Helmick’s letter regarding SF 347/HF 558, I read the bill and am both alarmed and amazed by the absurdity. Sections b. and c. forbid librarians from providing obscene material or hardcore pornography to minors, under threat of substantial penalty. This might possibly seem reasonable until you realize it’s already […]
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: Enough about twitter already. There’s so much more to Oliver Weilein
By Riley Eynon-Lynch, Iowa City A recent op-ed claimed that Oliver Weilein “prefers violence against the government to thoughtful action.” The claim was based on social media posts, and broadcast publicly without nuance, investigation, or compassion. This particular letter was one of many that use a shallow analysis of some tweets to disqualify a candidate, […]
