Iowa is not representative of the United States

Mr. Bloom:

I've read your inflammatory piece in The Atlantic and have determined that you know not of what you speak.

You are right. We are not representative of the entire United States. In fact, we have two of the lowest unemployment rates in U.S. metropolitan areas (BLS.gov). According to the CQ Press, Iowa is in the bottom 20 percent of states for crime. We have one of the lowest foreclosure rates in the nation (MBAA.org). We produce 19 percent of the nation's corn, 17 percent of the soybeans, 30 percent of the hogs, and 14 percent of the eggs (USDA.gov). We also are a top 10 leader in renewable energy (eia.gov). The latest data from the NCES shows that Iowa schools rank higher than the national average in every area. Further, we have almost five times the number of libraries than the national average.

Surely, our love of casseroles has made us unhealthy and prone to early death. The Harvard School of Public Health must not have read your opinion piece because they found that Iowa has the 7th highest life expectancy in the nation.

We trust our neighbors, we gather as a community, we educate our children, we have jobs for our residents, we buy homes we can afford and we help feed the nation. You are correct that we may not be representative of the United States, but when presented with the facts, wouldn't it be nice if we were?

Sarah Woods

North Liberty