Author: Nick Bergus

The City of Iowa City, under the headline “City of Iowa City issues statement on Sept. 25 incident” in reference to the highly visible chasing, tackling and detention, by unidentified agents of the state, presumably from United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, using an unmarked van, of Jorge Elieser González Ochoa during his work day in downtown Iowa City:

The City of Iowa City is aware of an incident involving federal law enforcement at Bread Garden Market, 225 S. Linn St., that occurred around 11 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025. The City was not involved in the initial incident and did not have advanced knowledge.

As the incident was unfolding, Iowa City Police were dispatched to Bread Garden for a disturbance in progress related to the incident. The federal law enforcement action was concluded prior to officers’ arrival.

Because the City had no prior knowledge and was not directly involved with this incident, all questions should be directed to federal authorities.

Since this “not us” statement: nothing.

There were local politicians, some of whom are running for reelection, who provided some proof-of-attending-the-call-to-action social media posts.

There’s nothing on the agenda for the regular work session or the regular formal meeting on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, we have well-meaning white people ready to call 911 if ICE shows up [buzzer noise and/or sad trombone] and understandably scared or at least uncomfortable folks who wonder what the fuck local government might do if something like this happens again.

So what the fuck are you doing?

My state representative, Elinor Levin, on her official Facebook account:

There’s a lot of chatter around Johnson County Board of Supervisors Chair Jon Green’s decision not to fly the flag at half staff in honor of Charlie Kirk.

I abhor violence to my very core. It sickens me. I am a child who lost a parent young (not to violence, thankfully), and every time a person dies of unnatural causes, every time someone threatens another person, every time someone is at risk- I don’t think about the victim or potential victim- I think about those who will be left behind. It is never the person who dies who is left heartbroken- it is those who love them.

So, I have thought a lot about it in the past three days, and I respect Chair Green’s decision. Charlie Kirk SHOULD NOT have been shot. It was wrong, and left so many people across the country in grief.

But, we CANNOT let the honor of a flag at half-staff be used as a political plaything. We cannot lower it for every person who dies due to gun violence in the USA; there are not enough days in the year. Chair Green did not call for Charlie Kirk’s death- he would never do such a thing. He did not celebrate Charlie Kirk’s death- he would never do such a thing.

He recognized that Charlie Kirk was a man who, through the exercise of his right to free speech, hurt many, many people. Kirk spoke against the right to exist freely, to self-determination, for so many of the people I know and love. He invited people to “prove [him] wrong” without any demonstrated interest in changing his mind. He uplifted division and disenfranchisement.

Those he left behind have my deepest condolences and love. He does not get my respect.

Pretty pitch perfect.

Ryan Hansen for the Press-Citizen:

Iowa City and Johnson County leaders held their first public meeting to discuss a joint law enforcement facility, though city leaders stopped short of committing to the project.

The full panel of Iowa City City Councilors and Johnson County Supervisors heard presentations from local design firm Shive-Hattery and the Johnson County Attorney’s Office during a 90-minute meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 10.

[…]

Johnson County formally asked Iowa City to consider a joint facility on Aug. 28. The Iowa City City Council is expected to formally consider the county’s inquiry at its next meeting on Sept. 16.

If the city is interested, the county likely will ask them to consider forming a “joint authority” by Oct. 1. A joint authority is required by Iowa law to operate a combined facility.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Facebook, criticizing Jon Green, current chair of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, for deciding the Johnson County would not lower its flags in honor of Charlie Kirk.

It’s disgraceful that a locally-elected official has chosen to put politics above human decency during a time like this.

Instant a politician criticizes another politician for being political you can ignore the rest of their argument.

The truth is that “politics” and “human decency” do not align well unless your politics are “human decency” which often, unfortunately, isn’t very popular in practice (see: NIMBYism). Of course accusing a politician of putting politics above human decency is hypocritical and in bad faith.

Update: Ironically, Supervisor Green is reportedly getting death threats. The “human decency” Gov. Reynolds says she wants, includes, at least in my mind, not threatening to kill locally elected officials who decide to…[checks notes]…fly the American flag at full-staff. I look forward to her condemnation of these threats.