Rep. Richard Littlefield: US money sent to Ukraine would better serve those suffering here

To The Daily Sun,

I wanted to respond to a recent letter on the investment the USA has made in Ukraine to fight off Russian aggressions.

I do agree that the United States should do what we can to stand up for the people of Ukraine who have had their lives, livelihoods and neighborhoods destroyed. However, I am reminded in my thoughts about the innocent Ukrainians that this country is filled with Americans who have had their lives destroyed and everything taken from them.

The U.S. government has sent tens of billions of dollars of weapons and humanitarian aid, which took very little debate in Washington, D.C., to authorize. Yet major cities in our country have overwhelming issues with poverty, homelessness, malnutrition and mental illness problems and money of that scale would do wonders for so many.

Sadly, it takes months of back-and-forth debate, name calling and gridlock to even authorize $600 relief checks for the most impoverished among us, and it's saddening and downright frustrating to see America's duly elected care more about other countries than they do their own.

It is my hope that someday soon Americans will look into their hearts, decide that cleaning up our own streets and helping our own disadvantaged is vitally important, and use the 2024 election as a referendum on politicians who care more about people they don't know and will never know, and vote them out for public servants who want to see the U.S. thrive and succeed.

Rep. Richard Littlefield

Laconia