Urbandale School Board Member Judy Downs offered some level-headed, seemingly genuine, caring comments during Wednesday night’s board meeting. But if anyone follows Downs at all, they know her words ring hollow.
Near the end of the board meeting, Downs thanked everyone for attending the meeting.
“I’m glad that parents are getting involved, truly,” she said. “I know personally there’s disagreement along this issue, but from the bottom of my heart, I just am thankful that parents on both sides care very passionately, love their kids, your passion comes from the love of your kids, that’s why we are here too. So, we do have that in common. I believe that we can give each other a little bit of grace in this. So I do truly thank everyone for their comments.”
You can watch her remarks below as she moves the mask recommendation.
Nice. Touching.
But authentic? Let’s consider the source.
We’ve written about Downs once before. She’s the one who said the Constitution is originally “highly racist and sexist.” That Gov. Kim Reynolds is “anti-teacher, anti-education and anti-history.’
“Which is good because she won’t go down in it well,” Downs wrote.
On Wednesday night, she took to Twitter to said she was “proud” that Urbandale “listened to experts like the CDC, American Academy of Pediatrics and Iowa’s Children’s Hospitals today with a mask requirement beginning Monday.”
To be fair, I don’t believe any of those organizations have encouraged a mask mandate be put in place Monday — so if they’re really that concerned — why are they waiting until Monday? Shouldn’t it be done immediately?
Interestingly, Downs admits feedback received from the public was mostly against the mask mandate. Her vote, though, did not reflect the will of those she is supposed to represent.
She celebrated President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate for employees, calling it “decisive leadership.”
“Freedom isn’t the right to hurt fellow citizens,” she wrote. “When personal decisions risk the life of our neighbors, it isn’t personal freedom, it’s a weapon.”
Despite her attempt at a sermon on grace, Downs has shown anything but to Gov. Reynolds.
