Letter: Charity should begin at home

I find it hard to believe that so many Americans are not paying attention to where our elected officials’ priorities lie. It appears that they are willing to protect the interests of the National Rifle Association and defense contractors, as opposed to citizen needs and wants.

The representatives are adamant that the defense of our global interest, (translation: military protection of countries other than the United States) is more important than the repair and expansion of our infrastructure. How can we afford to build schools in Iraq and Afghanistan, but can’t find the money to repair the roofs on schools in Louisiana. How can we continue to cut educational, medical and retirement benefits for our own citizens, but send billions of dollars to fund programs in other countries?

There are those who will say that what we send as foreign aid is a small amount in comparison to our overall federal budget. Maybe that is correct, but I tell you that the city of Central would benefit from a few million dollars of that aid, as I am sure other cities within our state would also benefit.

Quit kowtowing to the defense contractors and the NRA and pay attention to and do something about repairing schools, bridges, parks, VA hospitals etc. here in the United States. I agree that we should help other countries, but charity does begin at home and we have been lacking in home charity.

Richard Stagnoli

EHS audit specialist

Baton Rouge

Comments

1) Comment by Whatnow - 14/03/2013

Twinkie1cat, Republicans are, by nature, racist and classist? Your own letter proves you wrong. You are the epitome of racist and classist, as usual. You need to look in the mirror. And as far as the NRA being full of Republicans, you might want to look that up. It's full of Democrats, too. And what has Obama done for the children in leaky schools? You babble on and on about how bad Republicans are. What has Obama done for you? He talks the talk, but doesn't walk the walk. He'd rather give all that money to our enemies. Your hope that he will remember the schools and the children is only that, a hope. That hype of hope that Obama spoke of will not matter, except during speeches to get votes. He only cares about the "special interest" people who can bundle for him.

2) Comment by nimby? - 13/03/2013

sorry twinkie , it is the Dems doing the vote buying . they will cater to larger groups easily manipulated who will vote in mass , offering empty promises . as a "native american" I can honestly say those with a D behind their names have shown little interest in us , since as former and current governor of California Jerry Brown put it " you don't have enough votes to matter " . it has been republicans , ironically the Nixon administration who have done more for this countrys first people . by the way , lot of dem NRA members .

3) Comment by twinkie1cat - 13/03/2013

The answer is really simple, Mr. Stagnoli. The federal government cares about children going to school, including children in other countries. It is very difficult for dictators to take over in nations where the population is well educated. Therefore, it protects America to educate other people's children. >>>>>>>>>>> The NRA is full of Republicans. Their job is to work to get more conservatives into office. It's not as much about guns as it is about the old segregationist scream, "states rights". You don't see them giving out guns in 70805 do you??? You don't see the NRA fighting for the 2nd Amendment Rights of people who have committed even non- violent crimes either. The NRA does not care about children unless perhaps they are children who like to kill animals in order to get into practice for killing Mexicans crossing the border or black teenagers. Our state government is also infested with Republicans. It is run by one of the greediest of all Republicans, our beloved dictator, Piyush Jindal. Republicans don't want to spend money on our children fixing the school buildings or really for anything else unless, of course, the spending means creation of donors to the GOP. What they are interested in is keeping their own taxes low, and ensuring that minorities and the poor stay poor and out of their school system. Why should they care about a poor child going to a school with a leaks in the roof as long as their own little darlings have a nice parochial or so-called Christian academy to go to or a public school that is well kept and carefully zoned to take only children from the "good" neighborhood. Republicans are, by nature, racist and classist. Now if they were willing they might be able to get some grants from the federal government to fix the roofs and buildings, and probably will, like they did with the stimulus. But that will only happen if they can bad mouth our president with one side of their forked tongues while lapping up the funding with the other.

4) Comment by DMJ - 13/03/2013

The NRA has at least half of all legislators in their pocket. I'd say we're spending quite a bit.

5) Comment by Whatnow - 13/03/2013

nimby?, you can't do that.... the unions would be screaming. And you know that the unions support Obama and he can't step on their toes.

6) Comment by nimby? - 13/03/2013

and we are paying millions to not work . perhaps they could help repairing schools, bridges, parks, VA hospitals etc. , workfare , a modern CCC .

7) Comment by Tea_Slayer - 13/03/2013

Bighug, try reading his letter..."willing to protect the interests of the National Rifle Association" and "Quit kowtowing to the defense contractors and the NRA". He never said the US is spending money to support the NRA. We get it. you love your guns, but that was weak

8) Comment by Bighug - 13/03/2013

And just how much aid is the US government spending to support the NRA?