Letter: Enact legislation that will save lives

Dear Joni Ernst,

I was at your Cedar Rapids town hall on March 17, but I didn't get to ask my question.

I was impressed with the way you stood your ground against Planned Parenthood. I presume it is because you have strong moral principles against taking innocent life. I can respect that, so I hope that you also will stand with me as I too am against taking innocent life, although my concern is with wars of aggression.

Far too many innocent lives are taken in war. I do not want to see my tax dollars going toward this sort of murder. Can you enact legislation that will guarantee that the money I give to the federal government will not be used for wars of aggression? I'm not opposed to paying taxes. I gladly give to support all sorts of things that depend on taxes.

Of course, you and I know that money is fungible and taking my share of taxes out of the military budget, the government will only use someone else's taxes to take its place. So can we also eliminate funding for first-strike capability? And also for those weapons whose purpose is to destroy an entire city in a single strike - the use of such weapons would kill thousands of innocents for each 'bad guy” taken out. One more thing: When the administration attempts to start a war based on fake news, will you protest and stand up for truth as well as peace?

Wendy Barth

Cedar Rapids