To the editor:
In the words of Sophia Petrillo, a character from the Golden Girls TV show , I say to you: "Picture it."
In any country overwhelmed by famine, starving children line up to be fed. The food arrives in bags and boxes marked with the American flag, the letters USAID and the message "When you are suffering, America will come through for you."
Our aid literally saves lives. I know firsthand that this is absolutely true. Many years ago, in a poverty-stricken rural town in southern Italy, a starving little girl would receive American cheese along with other staples. The little girl, as well as the other children, envisioned this far away land called America to be filled with angels. Today, as an adult, I still cling to this hopeful view of America.
While lives are being saved, USAID also builds communities, promotes democracy and free markets. USAID also buys billions of dollars worth of wheat, rice and soybeans from American farmers. However, due to the multitude of unsubstantiated conspiracy theories, this agency has been placed on the butcher block.
USAID is not perfect I realize once the money leaves American hands some of it can be diverted in many directions and by many people. This happens in every bureaucracy. Therefore, it makes sense to consistently audit the agency's activities and find ways to make it more efficient, to force greater focus on its mission, and to reform its operations. It is immoral and thoughtless to simply decapitate it. Clearly, this action will drain the reservoir of goodwill USAID has built around the world, only to be refilled by other countries.
Furthermore, beyond the geopolitics, there are basic moral components that must be considered. In every holy book ever written from every civilization on earth, the Holy Bible, Torah, Quran, Vedas and many others, the undisputable fact is that all of them are filled with many verses professing that we must "help the weak, share our bread with the poor and that it is more blessed to give than to receive." Nothing in any Holy Scripture says our giving must be perfect or be bound by ideology. We are told, instead, that it is our duty to give. Your moral compass should dictate to you that any agency devoted to the world's poor must be supported and protected.
The many people who are helped by USAID is priceless, even though a mere 0.7 percent of the national budget is used to help those less fortunate all over the world. At the end of the day, if even one starving child in a poor country is saved, isn't it worth it? As Leo Tolstoy wrote in his book "The Kingdom of God Is Within You," "The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity." Indisputably, the United States does not retreat from extending a helping hand to those in need. Compassion is at the core of American greatness which must remain steadfast.
Lisa Besozzi
Steubenville