Letter to the editor: Why does Iowa GOP hate knowledge?

To the editor:

My dad thought education was the most important thing for his kids. He encouraged us to learn. He expected us to learn. He was thrilled to provide us with educational opportunities he did not have.

He instilled in me a value of learning for the sake of learning—not just because it’ll be on the test.

Knowledge can’t be taken from you. It should be valued by all. All should seek it. All should share theirs with others. All should continually add to and modify their knowledge as more is learned about the world.

It’s a critical success factor for societies, economies and nations.

If we follow the path of the governor and the GOP, then graduations will cease to be joyful, proud celebrations of knowledge achieved and of unlimited options and will become markers of knowledge denied and options restricted.

Why would we want to deliver into the world young adults who are not as fully prepared as possible to meet that diverse, challenging, thrilling world?

Do we only want to shout, “We’re Number One!” or actually be it?

Under GOP domination, Iowans are denied learning social-emotional skills. They are denied learning about diversity, equity and inclusiveness, denied reading classic works, denied learning accurate U.S. history, denied learning correct information about gender identity.

Iowans are instead actively required to be indoctrinated with misinformed and incorrect beliefs instead of learning the medical and scientific facts. They are required to recite not only the Pledge of Allegiance but to sing the national anthem. Many students are erased from existence by laws that require all humans to fit into two legislatively defined boxes–laws defining who people are and demanding them to be what you require them to be, what is familiar and comforting to you, versus live as whatever god or science you believe in made them to be.

How will those graduates fare in their relationships, in their careers, as neighbors, as citizens of the U.S., as future leaders?

What’s the end game of keeping students ignorant, unable to think critically, unable to question, unable to gather credible data to logically analyze information and solve problems big or small?

How did knowledge become a bad thing? How did being an expert in a field come to be seen as something to denigrate? When did beliefs and narrow opinions by uninformed legislators take priority over credible professionals?

Legislators, your laws have consequences. Please, at a minimum, seek out others’ perspectives, expertise and experiences. Listen to the Iowans using and benefiting from services you’re proposing to upend. Step outside your tiny political bubble. Seek knowledge. Listen. Learn. Laws have potentially widespread, life-upending negative consequences with ripple effects. Proceed judiciously with care and forethought.

If our educational system continues to be destroyed by those with the least expertise to do so (but sadly with the power to do so), then we will be living in world in which graduates are easily led and manipulated, unable to successfully navigate the world, more willing to accept demagogues who tell them, “Only I have the answer. I know best.”

Is that freedom? Is that the liberty we prize? To live in the world without the proper knowledge, skills and critical thinking abilities to be a fully functioning member of this country? To not live our lives to our fullest capacities but constrained by our state government to be less than we could be?

Knowledge is freedom. Ignorance shackles us. Laws denying knowledge while mandating misinformation shackle us.

Learning is exciting, challenging and uncomfortable. Growth isn’t painless. But how pleasant, how free, how American is being robbed of your full potential in the world? Don’t let your legislators regulate and obstruct Iowans’ knowledge while promoting the lie that it’s for your protection.

Laura Stebbins
Perry