Dear Editor

I read Joyce Wiese’s letter regarding Christina Blackcloud’s candidacy for House District 72, and the reasoning she stated that we should not be voting for her.

If I follow her train of thought, her concern is that Christina is native, and thus more likely to represent her native people than she would support “us”. It seems there are a lot of “them” and “us” in politics; if we follow Joyce down that rabbit hole she opened up, it would suggest that those of us who are white better represent people who look like us than we support those who are different.

Unfortunately, that has been the history of politics and government, whether the differences be color, gender, or belief. Isn’t it time we get past these bias’? The only way to grow is to look through the lens of others’ experiences be it of race, gender, sexuality, et al. It’s time for inclusion.

Vote!

Sheryl Rutledge

Tama, Iowa