Of Falujah and Des Moines

I lived for five years in Des Moines. During that time, I often faulted it for not being Chicago, where I grew up, or even St. Louis, where I once spent three and a half years.

Now, Iowa is a much-traduced state. Though this may surprise people, it has the largest percentage of its population who are college graduates of any state in the nation. It has the highest literacy rate in the nation. Each year Iowa and Minnesota do battle for the right to boast the best public schools in the nation.

Take it from me: as much as I may have put Des Moines down during my time there, whether Michael Moore sees fit to admit it or not, it's worth fighting for.

And as the man points out, this war isn't about Falujah, finally. It's about Des Moines.

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