This is not my grandmother’s Iowa.
Iowa has long been a state synonymous with friendliness and warmth. My grandmother, who has spent her entire life here, fondly describes Iowa as a place of neighborly kindness and open-heartedness. But the Iowa I now know feels starkly different. This is marked by a dark and unsettling political landscape that contrasts sharply with my grandmother’s memories.
61% of Iowans support access to safe, legal abortion. The recent decision to strip away these rights in a one-day special session in July 2023, which was neither fiscally responsible to the taxpayer nor representative of the majority of Iowans, reflects a departure from the values of kindness and respect my grandmother once knew.
Growing up in a small town in northern Iowa, I was accustomed to a conservative environment where discussions on politically charged issues like abortion were rarely contested. Until recently, topics like reproductive rights were topics best avoided around the kitchen table. However, the broader implications of this legislation have brought these discussions into sharper focus, even within my own family. My grandmother, who’s in her sixties and as stubborn as they come, now realizes the harsh realities of such restrictive laws. Her change in perspective underscores how these issues, once considered distant, are now deeply personal.