Whether you’re from Iowa or not, chances are you can understand why Iowans are stereotyped as “Iowa nice.” 

But what exactly does Iowa nice mean? Does it mean waving to strangers, or actually knowing your neighbors? Or trusting that your kids will be able to walk to and from school on their own without getting kidnapped? 

There are many opinions on why Iowans or those from the Midwest in general are considered nice, but compare a “flyover state” to states like New York or California and you’ll know why we get that stereotype.

But some recent situations on campus have left some questioning just how nice Iowa is.

The white nationalism posters that were found on campus last week are not an accurate representation of who Iowans are. 

To be clear, although the editorial board does not support the message behind these posters, it is an expression of free speech and if posted legally, would not be as large of an issue.

But the posters were posted illegally, which constitutes them as vandalism. They were also posted anonymously, which is not only cowardly, but it also makes dialogue with those who posted them impossible.

Iowans are supposedly known to be nice and understanding but by posting these posters in this way, how are we supposed to be understanding?

If the goal behind the posters was to persuade students to support the white nationalist views, they missed the mark. The only way to have an informed opinion on any subject is to learn about both sides. By posting these posters anonymously, they cut off all possibility of dialogue. 

Iowa nice needs to be redefined from just being polite to being able to discuss controversial topics, such as white nationalism, in a respectful manner. Not just throwing our views out into the world and closing ourselves off from learning about other opinions.