Many Iowa Democratic Party candidates are running stealth campaigns, providing no or few clear, specific answers to where they stand on the issues. Therefore, voters need to refer to the Iowa Democratic Party platform to determine where that party stands. The platform planks are quoted below, with explanatory notes in brackets. There are also summaries providing insight into the platform.
WOMEN AND GIRLS
The 2024 Iowa Democratic Party Platform has pluses and minuses for women and girls. In the minus column we find a complete surrender of Title IX protections for women and girls from unfair competition with gender confused men and from invasion of their private spaces by men. This is done by valuing protections for gender confused men over the protections for women. As recently as 2020, the Department of Justice recognized that the intent of Title IX was to enforce the above noted protections of women against competition with gender confused men and for their privacy. That was ended with the new Title IX rules promulgated by the Biden Harris Administration. Fortunately, these rules are now being stopped by the courts.
“We support:”
- “Enforcing Title-IX protections against gender-identity discrimination.”
- “Sport participation aligning with students’ gender-identity.” [Men in girls’ sports].
- “Bathroom choice based on student gender-identification.” [Men in girls’ bathrooms. Result in Loudon County, Virginia: 2 raped female students].
- “Gender identity-oriented placement of detainees.” [Men in women’s prisons. Now happening in California. Result: pregnancies and rapes].
- “Sport participation aligning with students’ gender-identity.” [Men in girls sports / locker rooms].
- “The right of persons to use public facilities which align with their gender identity.” [Men in women’s restrooms].
There is one plus. It appears that the Iowa Democratic Party believes the following plank provides a new lawful and rewarding career path for women and girls:
“We support:”
- “Ending penalties for sex work.” [Legal prostitution]
UNBORN BABIES
The Iowa Democratic Party platform does not recognize any rights for unborn babies or that abortion kills them. Unborn babies are in the same position as Black people under the Dred Scott decision, i.e. they have no rights worthy of respect. Other than the phrase “Fetal personhood laws”, unborn babies are never even mentioned in the platform planks on abortion. The planks mention no limits on abortion whatsoever, even to the end of the ninth month. Government funding for abortion is supported. Government funding for pro life crisis pregnancy centers is prohibited. Requiring ultrasounds, which may influence a mother to not kill her child, is prohibited.
We support:
- “. . . abortion coverage.”
- “Codifying Roe v. Wade.”
- “Iowa Constitutional Amendment protecting abortion rights.”
“We oppose:”
- “Fetal personhood laws.”
- “Heartbeat bills.”
- “Criminalization of abortion/abortion assistance/abortion education.”
- “TRAP laws/harassment.” [Targeted Restrictions on Abortion Providers].
- “Hyde/Helms Amendments.” [Laws prohibiting public funding for abortion].
- “Requiring admitting privileges for abortion providers.”
- “Transvaginal ultrasound preceding abortion.”
- “Public funding for CPCs”. [Pro life Crisis Pregnancy Centers].
FIREARMS OWNERS
It appears that, under the platform, firearms owners are in the same position as unborn babies, they have no rights which are entitled to respect. The Second Amendment is not even mentioned.
“We support:”
- “Universal background checks/waiting periods.”
- “Training/proficiency requirements.”
- “Mental health screenings.”
- “ERPOs.” [Red Flag laws. Confiscate your gun based on suspicion].
- “Including “no-fly” list members . . . as Prohibited Persons.” [Inaccurate List]
- “Registering all gun sales.”
- “Purchase logs for ammunition.”
- “Ownership liability insurance.”
- “Gun-free zones . . . .”
- “Expanding NFA to include assault-style weapons, rate-of-fire enhancers,
higher-capacity magazines, and frangible munitions.”
“We oppose:”
- Stand-Your-Ground. [Allows for effective self-defense].
- Open carry.
- “Strict Scrutiny”. [This refers to opposing the Iowa keep and bear arms amendment].
- “Ghost guns.” [Guns made at home without serial numbers. Done throughout our history].
IMMIGRATION
Do Democrats really want to secure the border? Lets see:
“We support:”
- “Undocumented immigrant vehicle registration/driver licenses after testing.” [Could licenses be used for voter ID?].
- “All educational institutions serving as sanctuaries for undocumented students.”
- “[L]egal representation . . . for all immigrants.” [Paid by our tax dollars].
- “[L]abor-rights for all immigrants.” [Immediately compete with Americans for jobs].
- “Sponsor-less Immigration.”
“We oppose:”
- “Border walls.”
- “Immigration laws enforced by local police.”
- “Legislation requiring local jails to hold immigrants for ICE.”
- “Detaining undocumented minors.” [Even to protect them?]
- “Closing borders.”
PARENTS’ RIGHTS
Guess who doesn’t have any rights to parent their own children, especially if they oppose the child’s transition to the opposite sex? Who opposes homeschooling?
“We support:”
- “Requiring schools’ use of students’ preferred names/pronouns.” [Regardless of parent’s wishes?].
- “Repealing Iowa Code sections: §232.68(2)(a)(4)(c) child abuse/neglect prosecutions [Providing a limited exception for refusal of medical care for religious reasons].
- “Repealing Iowa Code sections: . . . §237A.1(2)(b) religion-based exemptions from childcare
regulations.” - “Repealing Iowa Code sections: . . . §139A.8(4)(a)(2) religion-based exemptions immunization requirements.
- “Placing foster youth according to gender identity.” [Even if opposed by the parents?].
- “Comprehensive access to . . . abortions without waiting periods, regardless of parental consent.”
“We oppose:”
- “Compelling anyone to divulge the sexual orientation and/or gender identity of a minor under their supervision to that minor’s parent(s) or legal guardian(s).”
- “Outing students, including yo parents/guardians.”
- “Requiring credentialed supervision for home-schooled students.”
- “Homeschooling foster children.”
- “Using tax-dollars to fund PreK-14 private-schools.” [Stopping parents from choosing private schools that better educate their children. Why stop at private PreK-14 schools? Spencer Waugh, Democrat candidate for Iowa House District 21 works for a college receiving tax dollars.].
- “Banning books/literary resources & suppressing academic discourse.” [Including grooming, sexually explicit materials, racist Critical Race Theory?].
- “Mandatory pre-publication of comprehensive curriculum materials.” [Why can’t parents know these materials?].
FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND RELIGION
“We oppose:”
- “Religious bias, including clergy in schools. [Isn’t opposing clergy in schools an example of religious bias, not opposition to religious bias?]
- “School-sanctioned religious practice.”
- “Sanctioning/endorsing any group/club recognized by the SPLC as a hate
group.” [SPLC paid out millions in defamation settlements, inspired an attempted mass shooting at the Family Research Council, and labeled Ben Carson an “extremist”]. - “RFRA as passed by the Iowa legislature.” [Religious Freedom Restoration Act].
- “Chaplains in public schools.”
- “Government-funded religious-based therapies.” [Including addiction therapies that work?]
ISRAEL
The platform planks are overwhelmingly anti-Israel and pro-”Palestinian”, which means Hamas as long as Hamas is the representative of Palestinians. No condemnation of Hamas or Hezbollah or any mention of the brutal genocidal October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel, except for a vague mention of “return of hostages/detainees” which puts hostages held by Hamas on the same moral ground as detained terrorists held by Israel. A moral equivalency, at best, between Israel and Hamas “Palestinians” is implied. From this platform, you would think Israel was our enemy, not our ally. The only mention of Iran is restoration of the nuclear agreement with Iran, which was terminated by Trump.
“We support:”
- “Palestinians/Israelis security/democracy/equal-rights.”
- “Immediate permanent ceasefire, return of hostages/detainees”.
- “Palestinian Self-determination/nationhood.”
- “Palestinian refugees’ Right of Return/just compensation.”
- “Automatic political asylum for Palestinians.” [In the U.S.?].
- “Full Palestinian UN membership.”
- “Moving the US embassy to Tel Aviv.” [From Jerusalem? Why?].
- “Reopening East Jerusalem US consulate to Palestinians/Washington, D.C.’s PA office.” [Palestinian Authority].
- “Ensuring Palestinian civilians’ safety.” [And Israeli citizens?]
- “An end to all military aid and arms sales to Israel until the following conditions are met: a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the expulsion of illegal Jewish settlements and full compliance with the Oslo Accords.”
- “Israel/US compliance with international law.” [And Hamas/Hezbollah/Iran compliance?]
- “AIPAC FARA registration.” [American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Foreign Agents Registration Act.]
- “Swiftly rebuilding Gaza, especially hospitals.”
- “Immediately restore UNRWA funding/unconditional humanitarian Gaza aid.” [UNRWA cooperated with Hamas].
- “Journalists’ free access to all of Gaza without reprisal.”
- “South Africa’s ICJ case against Israel.” [International Court of Justice].
- “Ending Israel’s apartheid.” [What apartheid?]
- “Rejoining JCPOA.” [Rejoining the nuclear deal with Iran].
“We oppose:”
- “Anti-BDS legislation.” [Boycott, Disinvest, Sanction Israel.]
- “Israeli occupation/blockades/settlements/checkpoints/Separation-Wall/property confiscation against Palestinians.”
- “Israel’s genocide against Palestinians.”
- “Israel’s nuclear weapons.”
- “US vetoing UNSCRs against Israel.” [United Nations Security Council Resolutions].
OTHER PLATFORM PLANKS
“We support”:
- “Medicare-for-all.” [Goodbye private health insurance].
- Taxing all stock exchange transactions.” [All transactions? IRAs? Losses?]
We oppose:
- “Prohibiting LGBTQIA+ individuals from donating blood/tissue/organs.” [A blood donor with undetectable AIDS can transmit it through blood donation. That is why donation from homosexuals is prohibited. The Iowa family with the greatest number of deaths due to AIDS in the U.S. received contaminated blood].
- “Using law enforcement against non-violent protest encampments and sit-ins.” [You can’t use police to remove protesters from schools, businesses, and government offices].
- “Arming school employees.” [Nationally, schools with armed staff have 0 active or mass shootings].
- “Merit pay [for teachers].” [Cannot reward excellent teachers with higher pay].
- Standardized test scores for determining success of students/schools. [Don’t parents/ students have a right to know their performance?]
Donald W. Bohlken is an attorney who lives in Indianola.
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