The Democratic Party stalwarts intend for the Iowa caucuses to be a coronation of Barack Obama. Given widespread poverty and gross inequality, this is inappropriate.

Students and Ames residents should go to their caucus and talk about the issues. The platform may be irrelevant, but the discussion among friends and neighbors can be meaningful.

No one has gone to jail for Wall Street crimes. If someone steals food to feed their family, they will end up in jail. That should be mentioned.

Here are some suggestions for discussion topics: Take your money out of a bank that is too big to fail and put it in a community bank or credit union; second, discuss Gov. Terry Branstad’s education reforms; third, what about the starving the beast, the military-industrial complex-behemoth that is sapping our strength domestically. The best “defense” is a viable society, not one eroded by poverty, while others live like royalty of even a bygone European standard.

And most importantly, take up a collection for a food bank or organize a food drive for your precinct or meeting.

Go yourself to a food pantry, and ask yourself why this is happening in this, historically the world’s wealthiest society.