Democratic hypocrisy

Reader says image was stereotypical

Cityview publication’s recent cover story (“Where do they go?” by Eleni Upah) dealt with important issues faced by transgender individuals in Iowa and across the country. The cover photo, however, was stereotypical, trans-phobic and damaging to that community. You owe your readers, and every member of the transgender community, an apology for such degrading imagery.

Donna Red Wing
-Executive Director, One Iowa

Democratic hypocrisy

Kudos to Michael Gartner and Civic Skinny in the last issue for pointing out the hypocrisy of some self-proclaimed democrats. In 2007, (The Des Moines Register, Oct. 11, 2007) the then-professor and Chair of the University of Iowa’s history department, Colin Gordon, asserted that there was no evidence of political bias even though his own department had 27 democrats and no republicans. In 2014, Civic Skinny reminded us that the law school at the University of Iowa has 50 democratic faculty members and 1 republican. Also in 2014, University of Iowa President Sally Mason apologized for displaying a piece of art that were offended by. Last week, The Des Moines Register ran a story of the 50 most influential Democrats in our state. Only one (Michael Gartner) was more than 70 years of age, even though 11 percent of Iowans are more than 70 and 140,000 (5 percent) are over  80. Only one African American  (Ako Abdul-Samad) was recognized even though  this group makes up approximately 3.2 percent of the population. Democrats, the party of diversity? Now what Republican will stand up against their own hypocrisy?

Mike Rowley
-Clive