Fed up

The Seattle Times editorial board recently suggested, “America must do its part,” in regards to feeding people in other nations.

We agree, but then again we disagree with the direction in which our federal government is going about it.

President Barack Obama is looking to provide $408 million to help develop “agricultural progress” in less fortunate countries, according to The Seattle Times.

That is $408 million U.S. tax dollars. That is money taken from American citizens, without asking.

As a nation, we are the most generous in the world. There are many programs to provide food to starving people around the world and to educate their farmers in our successful methods.

As we come out of recession and face a federal debt so large we cannot imagine how to pay it off in our grandchildren’s lifetime, can we afford to just give almost half a billion dollars away?

No. We have Americans who need that tax money too.

It is tragic that people are starving in undeveloped countries. Through the ability of our agricultural industry, our country could use most of the $408 million to buy food from American farmers and give it to the countries in need. At least the redistribution of American tax money would benefit our citizens too, while providing more food than the undeveloped countries could eat.

For decades we have hosted agricultural leaders and educators from around the world. We share with them our knowledge and technology to grow food. Maybe if we improve this process using some of the money, we can improve the “agricultural progress” in developing nations. In Moses Lake, we host Japanese students learning about farming. It can be done.

Just giving money to another country means a lot of it will disappear in bureaucracy and never help feed their citizens.

Yes, teach them better farming methods, but let’s feed the people starving now, too. Let’s not wait for the education to filter down to their farmers and then wait for them to implement it successfully.

America must do its part. But let us help economically hurting American farmers by having them feed the world while they train people from undeveloped nations to grow their own food in the years to come.

— Editorial board