Freedom to flourish? Really?

This is our new state motto. Really? “Freedom to flourish” for whom? Freedom to flourish if you counting on eminent domain to get your carbon pipelines buried where Iowans oppose them. Freedom to flourish if you are a parent whose children are receiving a private, religious education on moneys diverted from public education. Separation of church and state? No worries; parental rights trump the Constitution! Freedom to flourish if your legislator father-in-law sends an innocuous email to the DNR regarding your application for a CAFO in an environmentally sensitive location. Freedom to flourish if your political party aligns with the Governor’s.

The new state motto “Freedom to Flourish” makes a mockery of the restrictions imposed on LGBTQ+ Iowans, public school teachers and librarians, parents of trans children, pregnant women, and medical providers. The irony just keeps coming …

Carolyn Stephenson

Cedar Rapids