Iowa 4-H Clubs Protesting Labeling in GOP Platform

DES MOINES —  Leaders of Iowa’s 4-H clubs say a plank in the state Republican platform accusing the youth agricultural groups of veering toward socialism and promoting homosexuality is--well, a lot of bull.

The plank, which was proposed by a former 4-H leader, is “doing the 4-H program a great deal of disservice,” Joe Kurth, the state 4-H director, said Monday.

Approved during the state GOP convention June 15, the plank reads: “We protest the teaching to 4-Hers that homosexuality is an acceptable alternative lifestyle, and we oppose the encroachment of socialism in 4-H competition at fairs.”

“It’s so preposterous that this term was ever used,” Kurth said of the accusation of socialism. “We’re as free enterprise and capitalist as you can get.”

The language was the idea of Linda Mohning, a delegate to the state GOP convention. She and her husband, Dean, who live in Remsen, were removed as local 4-H leaders in July because they refused to sign a statement of goals.

Linda Mohning said the statement “was typical education jargon” and lacked words like “free enterprise” or “work ethic.”

“If you study socialism, you find that they must have a set of certain values that everyone must adhere to,” she said. “The heart of our argument is that America was built on free enterprise. The best way to teach is by doing.”

This summer, the state 4-H experimented by giving ribbons to county champions in non-animal categories instead of having them compete for state titles. Kurth said the idea was to encourage learning, but the experiment was unpopular and might not be repeated.

Linda Mohning said it undermined the value of competition.

Kurth said the plank’s “homosexuality” language probably stemmed from a state 4-H conference in 1993, where high school students had requested workshops about alternative lifestyles.

“We talked only about awareness. We never talked about tolerance or acceptance. That’s not correct,” Kurth said.

Kurth said he resented the effort to put a political spin on 4-H activities. “The 4-H program focuses on the development of young people. Let’s focus on that.”