Iowa should have open primaries
On the Nov. 7 edition of “Iowa Press,” moderator Kay Henderson asked gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand a crucial question about open primaries — rightfully so.
I applaud the question and Sand’s support for permitting all registered Iowa voters — not just those aligned with party labels — to participate in primaries. The current system excludes one-third of Iowans who pay for elections yet cannot vote in them.
Open primaries are about fairness and inclusion. But we need primaries that advance more than just two candidates to the general election so we have more choices. That’s why we must also bring the conversation forward about implementing Ranked Choice Voting — enabling voters to rank their preferences and ensure winners who represent the broadest support.
In short, we need a system where voters, not party leaders, choose their candidates.
I encourage all media outlets and Iowa voters to start asking candidates: Do you support open primaries? Do you support Ranked Choice Voting? These reforms are not partisan—they’re common-sense improvements. When our election process works for the many, not the few, our politics will be more representative, our voices stronger, and our future better.
Ben Allen, Des Moines, executive director of Better Ballot Iowa
Iowa’s culture is rotten
Samantha Hernandez’s story in the Nov. 17 Register is a must-read for everyone, including the governor and her anti-trans allies in the Legislature. This is a sad, sad story. It points to one adult whose hateful remark ranks high in a young man’s decision to suicide, but more like a “last straw” than a root cause.
The “root cause” lies in the culture of the schools, the community, the state, the nation, and maybe the world. I could name names in the Legislature, but the list would be long, mainly Republicans. And the bill removing transgender from the list of protected classes in the civil rights law was itself a theft.
The irony is that the word “culture” is not foreign to students. Every coach preaches culture and disciplines violators. “Toe the line,” support the team, be family.
And most sports team members comply or get benched. But the message does not reach as far as it should into the school-community, especially when the state denies the legitimacy of diversity, equity (fairness), or inclusion as important subject matter in schools, colleges, universities, or communities. Demand better.
Gerald Ott, Ankeny
Lies are deceptively simple
“No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar.” — This quotation is often attributed to Abraham Lincoln
Let’s test your memory. Good luck!. A very long time ago you were exposed to grammar rules in English class. One of those rules involved conjugating verbs like lie and lay. It was difficult to understand the past, present, and future of this exercise.
There’s one word in this conjugation mess that stands out. And that is this word: lie. This has nothing to do with lying down. The back side of the word lie is provocative. We are forced to believe what we’re told, but the perpetrators persist.
Lies at one time or another usually come back to haunt us. They say it’s easier to remember the truth than to recall a lie.
We are faced with a plethora of untruths today. Be aware and search for a simple truth.
John Carver, Decorah
This compilation was updated Nov. 22 to correct an attribution.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa should have open primaries, unlike current exclusionary system | Letters
Reporting by The Register’s readers, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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