Letter to the editor: Having a hard time

Posted

I have a hard time.

I have a hard time understanding a world where governments can find billions for wars and luxury projects but can’t find enough to make sure children have food, veterans have housing, seniors can afford medication, or families can survive a medical emergency without drowning.

I have a hard time understanding how leaders stand behind podiums talking about “priorities” while people sleep in cars, skip meals, and work themselves into exhaustion just to stay one step ahead of poverty.

I have a hard time understanding religions that preach compassion and humility, while some churches sit on massive wealth, gold-trimmed sanctuaries, private jets, designer robes, and multimillion-dollar estates, while children go hungry a few blocks away.

At some point, we need to stop pretending this is just “how the world works.”

A society’s priorities are reflected in where it pours its money, protection, and attention. When comfort for the powerful comes before survival for the vulnerable, something is deeply broken.

No child should be homeless in a country building monuments to honor its leaders.

No family should starve while billionaires and institutions hoard wealth in the name of patriotism or God.

No government should ask ordinary people to sacrifice while those at the top remain untouched by the consequences of their own decisions.

Bruce McClay, M.A., M.L.S.

Librarian Emeritus Walla Walla University

Battle Ground

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