Texas immigrants can be welcomed in communities outside of sanctuary cities

Echo opinion by Evan Weidl, published in The Daily Iowan newspaper.

Iowa City should accept Texas migrants:  Immigration strengthens communities, and Iowa City should welcome them in.

"Iowa City is a compassion­ate, accepting city, and we should always be prepared to provide for those in need."

Immigrants are the foun­dation and life blood of the U.S., and Iowa City has the chance to prove its commit­ment to the belief that immi­grants make our communi­ties stronger.

Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott bused 10,000 migrants to sanctuary cities across the country, including Chicago, New York, and Washington, D.C. There were questions about whether Abbott would send any migrants to Iowa City, but Governor Kim Reynolds’ office confirmed that would not be the case.

Even though Texas will not bus any migrants directly to Iowa City, we as a commu­nity and government should always be prepared and will­ing to welcome them.

In recent years, Iowa has seen more people leave the state than move into it. Iowa ranked tenth in the U.S. with the most outbound people, according to the 2019 National Movers Study by United Van Lines. That said, Iowa should be more than happy to welcome more peo­ple in.

Iowa City would certainly not be the distinctive place it is without the contribu­tions of immigrants. Thanks to their restaurants, stores, and businesses, Iowa City is a much better place. According to Best Neighborhood, Iowa City is “much more diverse than most U.S. cities,” earn­ing a diversity score of 90 out of 100.

Immigrants make signif­icant contributions to the culture and life of Iowa City. Community events like the annual Latino Fest are an excellent opportunity for the community to come to­gether and appreciates cul­tures.

Additionally, accepting migrants would help lighten the burden being put on oth­er sanctuary cities across the country. While we would not be able to take in as nearly as many migrants as cities like New York or Chicago, our ef­forts combined with other sanctuary cities across the country would make taking care of the Texas migrants more sustainable.

Those opposed to taking in migrants may cite safety concerns as a reason to not accept them. While Iowa City passed a resolution in 2017 stating the city would not use law enforcement toward federal immigration law, ex­ceptions would be made for cases of public safety and vi­olent offenders.

Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott bused 10,000 migrants to sanctuary cities across the country,

As a community, Iowa City is strong and prepared to do whatever it takes to help those in need. Organizations like the Catholic Worker House are preparing to help migrants settle into Iowa City in the event that Abbott sends a bus of migrants or if any migrants relocate to Iowa City from a different sanctuary city.

Abbott does not want to send migrants to sanctuary cities because he wants them to live safe, decent lives. He does it because he wants to overwhelm sanctuary cities and punish them for being empathetic.

Ultimately, we should ac­cept migrants bused from Texas because they deserve to be treated like humans. Abbott is determined to use them as political pawns to prove a point, but we must take the high road and prove that we will always choose empathy over meaningless political gains.

Iowa City is a compassion­ate, accepting city, and we should always be prepared to provide for those in need.

Iowa Senator Grassley has lost the courage of his convictions

Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, a Republican, was born September 17, 1933. He was first elected to the Iowa state legislature in 1958, and served there until the Iowans sent him to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1974.  Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is now the 10th longest-serving Senator in U.S. history with 39.3 years of service. It is time for Senator Grassley to move on.

Echo opinion letter published in the Iowa newspaper "The Gazette":

Sixteen current Republican US senators have previously voted for reauthorizations of the Voting Rights Act, but now they are refusing to support the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.




Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Echo Iowa opinion letter:

Guess who no longer has the courage of his convictions — HELLO? It's the hypocrite and Iowa’s own Senator Chuck Grassley!

In 2006, Grassley voted for the 2006, Voting Rights Act reauthorization. Indeed, in 1982, Grassley both voted for and co-sponsored the Voting Rights Act, reauthorization!

What has happened to Senator Grassley since 2006?

Quite simply, the highly touted independent voice of middle-of-the-road Iowans has evolved into a dutiful partisan of the GOP political machine, bowing to Mitch McConnell’s and Donald Trump’s every demand. This November, Iowa needs a new senator who will actively serve the interests of all Iowans, not just the Washington right wing elite.

Ed Wasserman in Iowa City, Iowa

Afghanistan refugees and immigrants contribute to vibrant communities

Maine Writer opinion- This editorial published in The Daily Iowan demonstrates common sense about how to support immigrants. American has failed the Afghan people.  We must help them to immigrate to the US.

Editorial: Afghan refugees deserve a home in Iowa.

Check this site for information about helping Afghan refugees.

Information on Resettlement of Afghan Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons.

Echo editorial opinion published in The Daily Iowan newspaper:

It is time for Iowa City to accept and help resettle Afghan refugees.

https://dailyiowan.com/2021/09/07/editorial-afghan-refugees-deserve-a-home-in-iowa/

Where Will Afghan Refugees Go? Tens of thousands of Afghans have scrambled to flee their country since the Taliban took over Kabul.

America’s 20-year nation-building experiment in Afghanistan has failed. In the past few weeks, the Taliban — without firing a single shot — waltzed into Kabul as the American-backed Afghan government collapsed.

The harrowing scenes of Afghans falling onto the tarmac from the landing gear of airplanes have been etched into the global psyche as many Afghans desperately tried to get inside the Hamid Karzai International Airport, one of the only gateways out of the country. 

A suicide bombing outside the airport killed 183 people, including 13 U.S. soldiers.

In spite of all the chaos, the U.S. and its allies have managed to evacuate 117,000 Afghans. Many of them will head to the U.S. to start new lives as refugees, and Iowa City would be a great destination for them.
The right thing to do

Afghans coming to America barely escaped with their lives. The Taliban, a cutthroat movement of extremist Islamist fighters, have reimplemented their draconian version of sharia over Afghanistan.

Despite saying that they will be willing to moderate their doctrine, the Taliban have already begun to crack down on girls’ education, music, and on anything that remotely goes against their theocratic doctrine.

Furthermore, the group has started hunting down and executing Afghans who worked closely with American forces as interpreters and contractors. In short, the Taliban takeover has created an atmosphere of fear and hopelessness. It’s only right for Iowa City to take in and help Afghan refugees start a new life.

Of course, there has been a strong push back by right-wing commentators regarding accepting Afghan refugees. The likes of Tucker Carlson and Stephen Miller began to raise alarm bells about how Afghan refugees could be a potential security threat, insinuating that some of the Afghans coming into the country are terrorists looking to strike in the U.S.

This line of argumentation is incredibly shallow, meant to drum up anti-refugee sentiment among the conservative base. The reality is that refugees are not looking to bring harm onto Americans. There is a 1 in 3.64 billion chance that a refugee will commit a murder on U.S. soil. An American is more likely to get struck by lightning — twice.

Refugees make Iowa City better

Iowa City already knows the positive impact that refugees can have on society. From the mid-90s to the early 2000s, hundreds of Sudanese refugees, fleeing political persecution and war, settled in Iowa City. Over the next 20 years, those refugees built the foundations of a flourishing Sudanese American community that has provided cultural, economic, and civic contributions to Iowa City in return.

They are our fellow students, doctors, lawyers, and lawmakers, working hard to make Iowa City the thriving and vibrant town that we all love. In fact, Iowa City City Council member Mazahir Salih was the first Sudanese American to be elected to public office in the U.S.

The example of Sudanese Americans in Iowa City shows that refugee resettlement not only allows for refugees to live a safe life, but also provides benefits toward residents.

One of the most documented phenomena of refugee resettlement is that it creates job opportunities for refugees as well as those born in the city. Migration economists contend that when refugees arrive in a host country, they encourage the native population to specialize and increase the amount of skills they have, thus inducing upward mobility.

Furthermore, refugees tend to be more entrepreneurial than their native counterparts. It is estimated that, although they only make up about 15 percent of the population, migrants and refugees account for 25 percent of all entrepreneurs.

Through their businesses, these migrant entrepreneurs are responsible for employing tens of thousands of non-refugees. Finally, refugees generate more income than it takes to provide for them. Statistical analysis shows that for every, $120 to $126 spent on supporting a refugee, that refugee will add $205 to $253 into the local economy.

Afghan families walk towards their flight during evacuations at Hamid Karzai International Airport, in Kabul.

In 2001, when U.S. forces decimated the Taliban and took back Afghanistan, it gave the Afghan people hope — hope that there will be an Afghanistan without violence, an Afghanistan where boys and girls can go to school together, where men don’t have to wear long beards, and women can work outside the home.

This hope turned out to be false, as four successive U.S. presidential administrations and top military brass developed a callous attitude toward the landlocked country. America set up an Afghan government that could not govern, then forgot about Afghanistan for 15 years as the Taliban regained their strength. Once most U.S. forces pulled out, Afghanistan was there for the taking.

https://dailyiowan.com/2021/09/07/editorial-afghan-refugees-deserve-a-home-in-iowa/

However, there is still a chance for us to at least somewhat repent for the mistakes of our policymakers. By making Iowa City a welcoming place for refugees fleeing the violence in Afghanistan, we will make an already diverse and welcoming community into a place where Afghans can thrive and maybe find that lost hope.

Editorials reflect the majority opinion of the Daily Iowan Editorial Board.

Editorial board members: Caleb  McCullough, Rylee Wilson, Josie Fischels, Hannah Pinski, Shahab Khan, and Sophie Stover.

Republicans need a Wizard - Where is Oz?

 The Republican Party's shame - Cowardice! 

#TrumpCult Opinion echo published in the Iowa City Press-Citizen

Where is the Republican Wizard!

A week after the infamous and deadly U.S. Capitol takeover on Jan. 6, the House of Representatives impeached Donald Trump for inciting insurrection.

In fact, the impeachment proceeding advanced to a Senate trial on February 9th, on Tuesday and, eventually, will proceed to a vote to convict; but (cowardly) Senate Republicans have tried to muddy the issue of Trump's accountability. 

By questioning the constitutionality i.e., convicting a past president,  of the incendiary process, most Senate Republicans, including Iowa’s Sen. Chuck Grassley and Sen. Joni Ernst, took action to (cowardly) shift the focus away from Trump and the attack on the Capitol. 

The vote to convict Trump will settle the matter. To protect democracy and our Constitution, I pray that Grassley and Ernst vote yes to the charge of inciting insurrection. Trump’s behind-the-scenes efforts to overturn the Electoral College balloting and his well-publicized words and deeds on Jan. 6, are clear evidence for conviction. And barring Trump from holding any federal office in the future is also necessary. I hope Grassley and Ernst and other Republicans find the will to abandon Trump and stand up to the insidious Trump cult within the Republican Party; if not, the stain of shame will likely define their Congressional legacies. This country needs and deserves healthy political parties. Iowans expect no less.

— Robert Dietrich, Iowa City