Tonight on the DiscoveryTimes channel, there was a show called Red & Blue. In the graphics transitioning from the commercial breaks, Iowa was shown as a red state. While that may be the way some want to portray it, I would suggest that Iowa is really purple.

On September 28 of 2004, USA Today reported a bumper crop of Democratic absentee ballots. Whether or not these were all accounted for, or if the outcome was truly red or blue was moot at the time Iowa was declared "red" in the 2004 election.

This article from Scientific American shows that, at best, the outcome has at least some propensity for error. Even if the data were totally accurate, the mixture of red and blue votes would surely yield a lovely shade of plum.

In the Iowa where I grew up, intolerance was not part of the curriculum in the schools, which are among the nation's leaders in education. Growing up amid the turmoil of the Watergate era, I learned that it's important to expose corruption at all levels and to question and debate the fundamentals of issues. From messages delivered from the pulpits and podiums, and most importantly, personal examples, I understood that tolerance and respect for everyone transcends partisan posturing.

Integrity still matters in Iowa. That may seem remarkable to those who would rather color her red, but then, Iowa is purple.