Comments on: Iowa as “God’s country”

by: Eric Stoller

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:29:10 +0000

@Lance - Thanks for commenting. I do feel that the rhetoric about New Orleans has been wrongfully negative while most of the press about Iowa has been inaccurately positive.

Residents in both New Orleans and in Southeast Iowa have complained about the government. They have also shown the power that a community can generate when people come together to help each other.

Iowa is definitely not bereft of “good ole boy networks”. They just operate at the edge of awareness or on the periphery of those who are in the dominant majority.

I think it’s pretty sad that you are essentially saying that folks in New Orleans didn’t care about each other during Katrina. I’m guessing you didn’t interview everyone.

Iowa farmers have been “bailed out” several time by the federal government. It’s called subsidies. Folks in Iowa are on welfare, receive subsidies, etc. They just happen to forget about those things when they are talking about another community.

Why do you feel threatened when you’re walking down a street outside of Iowa? I’ve lived in Chicago, Illinois and now in Corvallis, Oregon and I’ve never felt threatened walking down the street.

by: Lance

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:10:35 +0000

Well, I live in Iowa, and Cedar Rapids to be exact, and have for 31 years, since moving from the New Orleans area. To compare Iowa to the Katrina disaster is not fair. Katrina took out mutliple communities, leaving nothing in its wake. Entire infrastructures were lost.
Although the devistation in Iowa and surrounding states is monumental, and historic, the one thing I can say is this. Iowans, and midwesterners will work together to assist their neighbors and communities. Unfortunaltely, many of the residents in New Orleans only complained about what the gov’t didn’t do, took no responsibility themselves, and blame the federal gov’t for everything. Some of that is true….Corpes of Engineers. However, in New Orleans, and much of the LA parishes, it still is the good ole boy network.
What I am impressed with, and can and will comment on is the cooperation of Cedar Rapids residents to give of their time and energy to “save” the last remaining well during the flooding. I went down to assist with sandbagging only to find over 500 people willing to assist, without regards to themselves. This folks is midwestern values.
We care about each other in times of crises, and give of ourselves, not looking for the gov’t handout or bailout.

Iowa as God’s country - well - you don’t have to be religious to care about your neighbor, and if someone takes offense at it.let them.

I personally think Iowa has more going for it than any other of the eastern or western states with large towns.

The schools are very good, people will talk to you without knowing you, and I don’t feel threatened walking down a street.

Yup, we have our issues, but given all of this, I’ll take Iowa and the midwest any day of the week over any other area.

Thanks for listening

by: Iowa flood roundup » Eric Stoller’s Blog

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 03:41:55 +0000

[…] Iowa as “God’s country” […]

by: Dorothy Volkl Sturmer

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:11:28 +0000

Perhaps “we” are all a tad too sensitive to this type of statement; we personalize statements like these, and take them on as if the words were meant to offend or hurt someone.

Just about every place I’ve worked, visited, lived, etc., has that statement or something similar as part of the mantra. Just next door in Nebraska, the statement is used……… “Nebraska, God’s Country”, and there’s even a joke to go with it.

I believe the statement illustrates pride, plain and simple. Pride in living in a beautiful, wonderful “state”, wherever that state might be.

Just enjoy the fact that someone, somewhere would equate where they live with something as marvelous as “their God”. That is a good thing!

by: James

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 15:28:08 +0000

THANK YOU.