Letter: Statehouse Republicans are not Big Brother

In 'Smaller, smarter? Not hardly” (April 19), guest columnist Steve Corbin says that Iowa's Republican lawmakers have turned the state into a version of George Orwell's '1984” dystopia, even adopting the persona of the novel's authoritarian 'Big Brother.” Really?! Did they enact a law requiring every Iowan to participate in the daily Two Minutes Hate or mandate privacy-invading telescreens in every home? Do they now send furtive Thought Police into our midst to ferret out people harboring unapproved opinions, to be arrested and sent to ghastly re-education centers?

Oh, no, they just betrayed Iowa's voters by enacting a long list of 'unpopular measures.”

'1984” better describes the hellish, absolutist regime of North Korea. It also tilts toward characterizing the antics of the American left, with its illiberal liberals and their rigid intolerance for anyone not fastidiously embracing its agenda. Their hyper-militant politically correct police are always at the ready, charging offenders from their assortment of thoughtcrimes, any of: denier, hater, racist, sexist, bigot, homophobe, xenophobe, bitter clinger and so forth.

Each of these long overdue legislative reforms is open to honest debate on its merits; rather than do that, Corbin resorts to smears and distortions, favorite tactics of the left.

I've also read '1984.” In fact, I'm currently on my third time through. The statehouse Republicans are not 'Big Brother” and Iowa is not the novel's fictional 'Oceania.”

Dale Fitzgibbons

Cedar Rapids