An Open Letter to the Public
My name is Tyler Grover and I am a freshman student at Shasta Summit high school. In my English class, we have been completing a project about how the United States reacts to international conflicts. In this project, I have been learning about the ethics of war and the effects it has on those who witness it by reading stories and accounts written by those who have experienced the downsides of war. Our project asked us to consider the essential question, “Should the United States intervene in international conflicts?” Through this project, I realized the US dedicates so much money to the military and very little to citizen welfare. I wanted to write to you because it is common knowledge that many citizens are in debt, and would rather suffer than do anything about it.
Based on my research, I believe that the amount of money the United States is putting into the training of the military is unnecessary and unfair to its citizens, who are desperately in need of higher wages to get by and pay for their health coverage. This is important because many people who have graduated colleges are still in great debt, and it looms over their lives. It is necessary for the US to recognize how its money is being spent, because there are other areas beside military that desperately need attention, i.e. education. In my reading, I also learned that very little money goes to the wellbeing of veterans, which is why so many end up homeless and/or on the streets. While some might say that the amount of money we put into our military funds is necessary because when the time comes our military will be well provided for and ready to go to war. However, it is important to consider that nine times out of ten, the US avoids war, and we are funding something that is not relevant. Of course we should provide our military with the proper resources when they actually go to war, but the amount of money they recieve should be diverted until it happens. For all these reasons, I would like to offer a solution: writing to our government.
Therefore, I implore you to take action. Send your senate a message of any kind; email, text, letter, anything. Change cannot happen just because we become more aware of a problem; we must take action and try to change for the better. My experiences have proved to me that even if you only send one letter, if everyone takes action you will be heard and things will change. I hope to see the effects of the public having their voices heard in the future.
All the best,
Tyler Grover
