Hunter
10/12/24
A letter penned by nearly two dozen Johnson County Republicans published in the Iowa City Press- Citizen Friday made the argument that some races are inferior to others, and called for murals on parking ramps flanking Burlington Street to be taken down because they imply that white racists in the city are denying blacks the opportunity to feel joy.
The letter defines racism as a, quote, “tribal action motivated by a negative prejudice about an individual’s race.” It goes on to say that a selection process seeking the most valuable individuals does not establish racism.
However, a line in the letter is causing pushback.
It says, “We all have different levels of talent over multiple dimensions, and these talents are not always distributed equally among races.”
The Republicans then say the city’s Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission, created in the wake of George Floyd’s death, have yet to report a single episode of institutional racism in the city.
The group took issue specifically with the mural that says “Black Joy Needs No Permission,” saying no one in Iowa City is trying to deny Blacks the opportunity to feel joy.
The Republicans end their letter saying the City Council should apologize to its citizens for using tax dollars to fund the murals.
Representative Adam Zabner called the op-ed “absolutely disgusting, wrong, and they should be ashamed.”
The full letter can be seen under the headline “Burlington Street parking ramp murals in Iowa City” on the Opinion tab of the Press-Citizen’s website.