What’s Eating Iowa
A documentary series, Episode 2, Cancer
Cinematographer Jerry Risius and I set out across the state to find out What’s Eating Iowa, a four-part video documentary series produced in collaboration with Iowans for Stronger Communities that explores real issues facing working families: water quality, cancer, sustainable agriculture and rural consolidation. Our first episode, Water, can be viewed here. We’re proud to present our second episode exploring why Iowa is riddled with cancer. Also, please consider a donation to help produce our video series.
Art Cullen is the editor of the Storm Lake Times Pilot in Northwest Iowa. His latest book, Dear Marty, We Crapped In Our Nest: Notes from the Edge of the World, is available from Ice Cube Press. For more, please consider a subscription to the Times Pilot. Or, if you wish, you can make a tax-deductible gift to the Western Iowa Journalism Foundation to support independent community journalism in rural Iowa. Thanks.
The Iowa Writers’ Collaborative
Have you explored the variety of writers, plus Letters from Iowans, in the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative? They are from around the state and contribute commentary and feature stories of interest to those who care about Iowa. Please consider a paid subscription. It helps keep them going, and it keeps you in the know.
Man, this was a torpedo directly into midship for me. I'm 68, lived my entire life in Linn Co (Marion/CR), but I was stricken with prostate cancer age 56 back in 2013. Thanks to early detection & follow-up radiation after prostatectomy, I've stayed more or less healthy. Unfortunately we lost our mother age 80 in 2007 to an absolute Pearl Harbor avalanche of previously undetected intestinal & liver cancer. Even worse, pancreatic cancer dragged my younger brother into eternity at age 63 back in 2022 after a LONG, painful & humiliating struggle.
There are so many variables to consider, I realize the difficulty of isolating the precise factors converging to make us vulnerable. BUT when the raw numbers reveal Iowa's per capita high rank for cancer, I'd say that it OUGHT to be a public health issue worthy of dedicated research. BUT, ya know, "we're all gonna die," right?
EXCELLENT post & report. Thanks.
"What’s Eating Iowa” is a blunt, honest Public Service Announcement courtesy of Art Cullen. His writing is usually blunt and honest, too, and entertaining. He’s motivated by a desire to help others, but faces an uphill battle because conservative politicians have finally, after almost five decades of work, succeeded in redefining what the purpose of an American government is.
On an international level we changed from being a “protector” nation to a “predator” nation, believing we can only achieve our objectives by the use of blunt force. On a national level, we no longer believe government should regulate business to ensure fair competition and prevent corporate misbehavior, or ensure there's a progressive federal income tax, or provide a basic social safety net, or any other policies that promote the general welfare. We have changed to a government that feels it owes nothing to the American people, except for the obscenely wealthy top 1%. Trump and his associates think 99% of us are just there to be used and abused. I think Art Cullen is helping to bring us back to our old convictions and we ought to be ready to help.