It’s Bloom’s failure to fully understand Iowans that’s truly sad

By Molly Altorfer

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I have followed Stephen Bloom's journalistic career with much interest, especially “The Oxford Project,” which documented an Iowa town in photographs. I was less enthralled with Bloom's “Postville,” which offered conclusions that painted the Jewish Orthodox - and the native Iowans in that community - with

a sickeningly broad brush.

Now I feel the sting personally of Bloom's brush bristles. He paints a wide swath with his brushes, and his inaccuracy is insulting to the citizens of Iowa.

Bloom's tirade in “The Atlantic” has me wondering: Do we live in the same state? I was shocked and saddened to find that the University of Iowa professor painted a picture of an Iowa that is devoid of the realistic images that dot our landscape - he over-generalizes and oversimplifies our population into a twisted Norman Rockwell vision. To add insult to injury, he hides behind the veil of “journalism.”

Bloom whittled Iowa's citizens into a few distinct groups: the elderly waiting to die in small towns, meth addicts and junkies, those who are not intelligent enough or motivated enough to leave, and those who take a naive, cheery view of life despite their destitute condition. These four groups surely exist, but they are not the majority of Iowans.

Bloom is correct that Iowa is losing talent. Young people have been leaving in record numbers, but so, too, are many returning. My husband and I are examples of that increasing trend.

We chose to “come home” because of the opportunities that awaited us and, maybe more important, a sense of ownership of our city and our state. Some brilliant, committed and energetic Iowans are streaming back into Iowa. It's a shame that as an educator Bloom does not recognize or celebrate this and does not encourage talented Iowans (and non-Iowans) to stay.

After 20 years living in Iowa, Bloom fails to understand that Iowa is progressive and welcoming. As one of the first states to welcome women into the hallowed halls of higher education, the first to allow interracial marriages, and the first to legalize same-sex marriage, we have reason to be proud. Iowans are trailblazers.

We like our politics - it comes up at dinner parties, book clubs, state fairs and everywhere in between. What Bloom misses, however, is the fact that Iowans allow everyone to have their say, probably because we know that we are special.

Bloom's article was not written to detail Iowa's history, demographics or landscape. Rather, it was a thinly veiled attack designed to discredit the votes that Iowans will cast on Jan. 3 in the Iowa caucuses by depicting our citizens as stereotypical hillbillies and ne're-do-wells. Bloom's account of Iowans as mostly backwater hicks highlights his ignorance.

In his parting shot, Bloom decries his neighbors' good-natured compliments of his family's dog. I can only shake my head at Bloom's reaction - which is as wrongheaded as his inane and inaccurate observations about his fellow citizens. If someone took the time to offer a friendly comment about my dog's demeanor, you can bet I'd stand a bit taller and prouder.

It's just the way we're bred 'round these parts.

Molly Altorfer is a freelance writer living and working in Cedar Rapids. She has more than 10 years of experience leading communication and marketing initiatives for non-profit and higher education organizations in the Midwest. Comments: molly.g.altorfer@gmail.com