It’s Friday, Mar. 7, 2025.

Amie here. We here at Iowa Starting Line do a lot of spouting off.

Now, it’s your turn: It’s the Friday Reader Sound-off! 🗣️

💗 But first, some Positively Iowa news: 💗 

🎨 Painting it forward: For cash-strapped families and nonprofit organizations, a new coat of paint may be the last thing on their mind. That 1 Painter in Central Iowa takes nominations and, four times per year, gives someone deserving a fresh coat of paint. Their latest beneficiary:

Grimes Volunteer Support Services. (Submit a nomination here.)

A few quick ground rules you probably already know:

• Be reasonable. Disagreement is OK here, and I welcome it. I may hit you with a counterpoint or two myself, if warranted, but it’ll be fact-based and cited (feel free to cite your sources, too!). I think a forum like this is best when it builds up everyone’s critical thinking skills—ultimately a good thing for a well-functioning community. That is, so long as you can…

• Be fair. We’re all adults here, and can handle being called out on our bullshit. But keep your attacks to folks’ actions only—and, if you must call names, punch up at policymakers, not down at your neighbors. And when you do punch…

• Be genuine. You may have an off-the-wall point, but you need to sincerely believe it. Trolling and obviously disingenuous posts will be ignored. (And, yes, I am the judge of your genuineness.) 

Oh, one more thing: We need your first name and last initial to publish all letters. Including your city is a plus (and gives you extra cred), but it’s not required. And if you’re using a joint email address, please tell me which one of you is speaking.

Let’s get to it!

Question of the Week: What are your favorite cold weather activities?

• “Winter is indoor court time for tennis, which is nice to not have to deal with all the wind. I also have enjoyed snowshoeing, reading in the library, sitting in the hot tub outside, and sitting in front of the fireplace.” ~Abraham G.

• “I read a lot. I also write a bit. Politics. Economics. Some personal stuff. I have a Substack at https://markimerman.substack.com/ I am not a professional writer. Sometimes I write every day. Sometimes it is a week or two between. No one reads it, but I still do it.” ~Mark I.
  (NOTE: I read it Mark; you make some interesting points, particularly in this column!)

• “I like sitting inside and reading a book while watching the weather and the limited traffic on my street. Even the kids who usually bike the four blocks to school are getting chauffeured to school and picked up after school. This requires intervention by grandparents and other relatives who would not be involved in this activity if the weather was warmer.” ~Clare S.

This week’s question: Are you worried about Trump’s tariff threats?

What places we left off the best pizza in Iowa list:

• “PLEASE check out Dough Co. Pizza at Drake or in Ankeny. Best New York-style pizza. Customize a giant slice and enjoy the crispiest thin crust around. Vegan and gluten free options available. IT’S THE BEST. And the are great community supporters.” ~Cheryl R.

• “Pickles pizza in Kamrar.” ~Shirlee O. (NOTE: On the list!)

• “Pickles Pub in Kamrar!” ~Jodi P.

• “Zoey’s Pizza in Marion—best ‘Chicago-style’ outside of the Windy City!” ~Derek B. (NOTE: On the list!)

• “Giovanni’s, Newton, Iowa.” ~Fran H.

• “Big Tomato Pizza Co. in Des Moines.” ~Loretta M.

Suggested reading:

• “I love to read. Here are some faves that I have read this year: 

  Contemporary Romance: ‘Happy Place’ by Emily Henry

  WLW Contemporary Romance: ‘Those Who Wait’ by Haley Cass

  Non-fiction: Selling the Dream: ‘The Billion-Dollar Industry Bankrupting Americans’ by Jane Marie (about MLMs)

  Graphic Novel: ‘Homebody’ by Theo Parish (about a non-binary person)” ~Elliot H., Cedar Rapids

Letter of the Week: They won’t stop here

• “It is heartbreaking to see the standards that my colleagues with whom I served in the Legislature in the ’70s and early ’80s torn down and kicked aside as this current deplorable crowd—very much including the governor and our congressional delegation—seems mired in vile smallness while enjoying persecuting the ‘least among us.’

  I’m trying to think of an appropriate OREO-like term for ‘Christians’—on the outside all about loving God and going to church and, of course, believing in Jesus as their savior, whilst on the inside they are full of hatred for others who are not exactly like themselves. Makes me believe they never read Jesus’ teachings on the Sermon on the Mount.

   

  While the president and his deplorable crew seem also to be following the authoritarian handbook—among its principal points being at the beginning, start with the least-honored, valued and welcomed members of the community, and then expand who is not welcome!

   

  It appears that many, although not nearly enough, Iowans understand that the diminishing or extinguishing of anyone’s rights is, in fact, an assault on all citizens’ rights! And this is one of the messages I urge you to include in your messaging going forward.

   

  Point out that the next ‘logical’ target of these hatemongers will be gay people! (As it will also increasingly be ‘poor people’ and those who ‘just can’t keep up as required in a competitive economy.’)

   

  And while relatively few of us know trans people as members of our friends or family, a great many of us know gay people! I have a niece and nephew who are gay and throughout my long life have long known and worked with gay persons. Tying the fate of gay people to what is now happening to trans people may help wake some people up!  

   

  They will be coming for members of your family next!

   

  And this isn’t just a scare slogan! I believe it. It’s the kind of expanding network that took place under Hitler and is also part of the rhetoric of the far right across Europe.

   

  This is truly a dark time, and I take no solace in the fact that I saw it coming a long time ago. Our backs are clearly being pushed to the wall, and that leaves us with no choice but to confront and fight the evildoers. And they are “evildoers.”

   

  Let’s work to realize the truism that love can be successfully taught, too!” ~Greg C.

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