Democrats plan forum and march in Mason City this Saturday

MASON CITY – There will be a political forum and march in Mason City this Saturday, April 19, and local Democrats have a message for “white men” and their “privilege”.

The organizers of the upcoming Saturday march and forum are former Northern Iowa state legislators Sharon Steckman and Amanda Ragan and the Cerro Gordo Democratic Party.  The April 19th event supposedly marks the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution with a goal this week to “protect democracy.”  The forum is billed as “bi-partisan” and “an opportunity to hear from local representatives.”  There are no local Democrats in the Iowa Legislature nor Congress, however.

Both Steckman and Ragan are retired, but Steckman now appears to be a professional digital creator for Facebook, where she spends time almost daily making post after post, usually on liberal hot-button issues like education funding and LGBTQ/trans rights, or her personal adventures and conquests.  According to Facebook, “When you turn on professional mode, you can build a public presence as a creator and maintain your personal friends and family experience. In professional mode, you have access to … monetization.”  Forums and marches teaming with angry, frustrated, marginalized locals offer a digital creator a smorgasbord of opportunity to share and potentially profit from the content they gather.

Democrats held a march and rally on April 5 in downtown Mason City, but for some reason (see above?) they are holding another one in the exact same place just two weeks later.  Many photos and videos of the earlier event were shared on social media, especially by Steckman.  In one video she offered on April 14 (9 days after the event was held), a bearded man stood near our veteran monument, shouting into a bullhorn, surrounded by onlookers, including children.  Steckman shared the video (see below) and added a comment to help frame the speaker’s message, “He had a message for white men.”  The clearly agitated older man said, “Lots of women have said everything that needs to be said, but for whatever reason this country doesn’t take it seriously, so a white man with a beard gets up and says the exact same fucking thing so here I am!”

(video via professional digital creator Sharon Steckman, shared here for news commentary)

Steckman supporter and Mason City resident Tif Mussman sounded off on the video, “Men…. do you understand the assignment?!! Or will you waist (sic) your privilege?”

Mussman did not immediately respond for clarification on what men’s assignment she is referring to, nor did Steckman clarify her reference to “white men”.

Steckman (and Ragan) will be leading the forum at the Mason City library’s Mason City room from 9 AM to 11 AM (updated time) this Saturday, and likely gather much juicy content while listening to similar complaints as on April 5.  Then, “The People’s Rally” will be held in Central Park for a whopping 2 and a half hours, from noon to 2:30 PM. Cameras will again be gathering delicious content for social media engagement and other perks.

Cerro Gordo Democrats claim “the organizers (Steckman and Ragan) are hoping that area representatives will attend and meet with the public,” but all local rep’s for the Iowa Legislature are Republicans who swept into office via election by voters in recent elections, and not likely to wade into these proceedings.  They did not mention whether they will attempt to register new voters.

As for the screaming of profanities in Mason City’s Central Park, expect more of it this Saturday… it is apparently a great way to get noticed, confuse and startle children, and have folks cheer for you in an otherwise possibly confused existence. The use of loud, profane language, even in the presence of children, does not appear to be illegal, at least to Mason City police, as NIT was told this morning by Chief Jeff Brinkley, “free speech… I hope that we could limit the vulgarity around children, depending on their age.”

(TOP IMAGE of April 5 rally in Central Park via video shared for public viewing by professional digital creator Sharon Steckman)