Iowans share something fundamental

Jessica Wiskus | Iowa Senate District 42

Voters may already recognize my name from local and national newspaper articles, webinars, or TV, film, and radio interviews. I am the Jessica from rural Lisbon who has been working with her neighbors to stand against eminent domain for the CO2 pipelines. I believe in protecting the integrity of our land, the safety of our communities, and the future of our planet.

But, my campaign for State Senate is about something more.

When I was a student at the University of Iowa, I came home one autumn evening to discover that my dad, who had always farmed alone, had had an accident. It was a neighbor who happened by, luckily, and drove him to the hospital. (This was in the days before cellphones.) Our family was so thankful that he was OK, though he lost most of his thumb. But what were we going to do about the harvest that remained in the field? He couldn’t work, for risk of infection.

A day later, our neighbors came. They came with combines; they came with tractors; they came with grain wagons. And they brought food, too — fried chicken and baked beans and pies. (So many pies!) The entire harvest was completed in one day, and through their generous hearts our neighbors transformed a difficult situation into a celebration.

And so, when I learned that my neighbors were being targeted for eminent domain, how could I fail to take action? Because I know — I have lived to learn — that what matters in life is not each possession that we acquire but each gift that we share: our time, our effort, our faith, our trust, our vulnerability, and our deep respect for one another.

We may disagree with each other on the issues that we face as a state. We may choose to stand on opposite sides of the fence. But we can set aside those differences when something important is at stake, because we share something fundamental — we share respect. Respect without judgment. Respect without malice or suspicion. Respect for the unique gift of each other as beings.

Des Moines, embroiled in bitter partisanship, has lost sight of this. But I still see it working in the hearts of the thousands of people I have met on the campaign trail. This is the Iowa that I will carry with me to the state Senate. Thank you for your support!

Jessica Wiskus is the Democratic candidate in Senate District 42.