I've Been to the Mountain Top (and didn't see Iowa)

Tomorrow the Board of Supervisors will remember Martin Luther King, Jr. and recognize Islam Awareness Week. It seems fitting the two things will happen at the same meeting. King would have certainly been on the front lines standing with our Muslim neighbors fighting the hatred, discrimination and violence.

Today, I participated in the Veterans for Peace public readings of King's speeches. I read from "I've Been to the Mountain Top." Reading from his words out loud is a moving experience.

King not only stood for racial justice, he also stood for economic justice. Fifty years after his murder, it seems we are facing the same challenges. In 2018, most people keep their racial discrimination a little less public than we saw in the 1960s. But it is still there and dominates many injustices in our society.

Yesterday, the Iowa House passed a anti-immigrant, racial profiling bill. Yesterday was the 9th anniversary of the Iowa marriage equality ruling. It felt like whiplash celebrating one part of social justice and watching them tearing down another. Today the Iowa Senate passed the same bill.

I've spent some time watching the Iowa Legislature the past two days and feeling a growing sadness about the direction and place our state is in. But, on the other hand, I have been highly encouraged by the Flip It Iowa events to take back the Iowa House. Flip It Iowa holds house parties in blue districts and raises money for good candidates that can win in other parts of Iowa.  There are a number of Flip It events coming up. Please consider getting involved.

https://www.facebook.com/FlipItIA/

I know we can make this a more caring place.