Sh*t Richard Says is BACK!

Iowa's State Seal? Rights and Liberties --not so much -- and what they can do with the plow

There’s a book, now in its 80th printing, titled The Iowa Official Register. It’s affectionately called the Redbook.

Long, long ago, in the first term of Governor Robert Ray, I was handed a copy of the Redbook as I signed on as the newest member of his senior staff. My title then was administrative assistant, but most of the Statehouse press corps referred to me as “an aide to the governor.” The Redbook became my operator’s manual.

There was so much to learn so fast—and so little time to learn it. The Redbook became bedside reading as I crammed its contents. Most of what I absorbed, I forgot years ago. But there’s one paragraph I still remember: Chapter 1A of the Iowa Code, which describes the Great Seal of the State of Iowa. The Code places the seal under the governor’s care.

Just in case it doesn’t instantly come to mind—or you haven’t read it lately—I’ve reprinted it below. What prompted me to share this now was an excellent column this weekend by

Dave Busiek

, a veteran Iowa broadcast journalist and now a member of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative.

Here it is:

“The secretary of state be, and is, hereby authorized to procure a seal which shall be the great seal of the state of Iowa, two inches in diameter, upon which shall be engraved the following device, surrounded by the words, ‘The Great Seal of the State of Iowa’—a sheaf and field of standing wheat, with a sickle and other farming utensils, on the left side near the bottom; a lead furnace and pile of pig lead on the right side; the citizen soldier, with a plow in his rear, supporting the American flag and liberty cap with his right hand, and his gun with his left, in the center and near the bottom; the Mississippi River in the rear of the whole, with the steamer Iowa under way; an eagle near the upper edge, holding in his beak a scroll, with the following inscription upon it: Our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain.”

That paragraph authorizes a lot of content, but somehow, the engraver managed to wedge it all into just two inches. Wikipedia shows several versions of the Great Seal, but all include the motto about prizing liberties and maintaining rights.

The Disconnect Between Iowa’s Ideals and Actions

Early Saturday morning, Busiek posted Iowa’s Hate Factory, a powerful piece describing the shameful actions of the legislature and the governor in rushing a bill (soon to be law) that strips transgender Iowans of their status as a protected class. He cited a national report from The New York Times, which highlighted how Iowa is poised to become the first state to take such a step. The bill was fast-tracked through committees and floor votes, given only a few quick speeches, and then signed into law in a private ceremony—no reporters, no cameras.

So much for “our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain.”

Also, consider the governor’s 2023 marketing campaign: Freedom to Flourish. How’s that resonating with LGBTQ Iowans these days? (First they came...)

Iowa was once known for its openness, its tolerance, its defense of those who had no clout. But now? Iowa is becoming a state that swiftly targets people who pose no threat to their fellow Iowans.

Harold Hughes—like Bob Ray, a governor lionized for standing up for those without power—once told me: The mark of a good society is in the way it treats people on the margins who have no power.

The Great Seal and the Greater Irony

There are two reasons I still remember the description of the Great Seal in the Iowa Code.

First, it always comes to mind when I think about what Iowa is supposed to stand for. When I was on the payroll in the Ray administration, you could call it our mission statement.

Second, as an editor, I’ve always been struck by one unfortunate phrase:

Editor note: I always thought that was an interesting turn of phrase, ‘PLOW IN HIS REAR’ (all caps mine).

Which brings me to Dave’s column.

Dave said the state’s behavior makes him want to flip the bird to the Statehouse every time he drives past.

Maybe he could add a little more ammo to that drive-by by proposing a minor edit to the Great Seal.

The part about the plow in the citizen’s rear could use some work. But if we’re looking for a modern interpretation, how about describing how Iowa citizens are feeling right now as their legislature and governor redefine those liberties we prize?

Maybe something like this:

Just take this plow and shove it.

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Delighted to slide into the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative today. If you do not already subscribe, check out the Sunday Roundup of columns by these stellar colleagues. To get these updates each week, sign up.

Richard Gilbert during the Okoboji Writers’ and Songwriters’ Retreat IV. He’s hoping to see you at OWR V this fall.