Letters to The Editor: The Peace Corps by Alexandra Wilson

Dear Editor,

I know it's a Friday and no one wants any more news after such a dismal week, but I want to alert you to the fact that DOGE is at Peace Corps headquarters today. I fear the worst, that they will dismantle the organization, which represents America's spirit of service and goodwill and a mere 0.007% of the Federal budget. 

I am a returned Peace Corps volunteer, Honduras '09-'11. Serving in the Peace Corps was easily the most formative and eye-opening experience of my life. I became a more understanding, curious, and empathetic person. I learned to be patient (so patient!) and resourceful. To take initiative. I learned about what it's like to live like the majority of people in the world—in poverty. And having served in Central America, I saw first hand the root causes of migration, which will unfortunately never be solved with a wall or deportation flights.

Peace Corps represents so many core values that we ALL—conservatives and liberals alike—try to instill in our children: cooperation, trust, empathy, resilience, and hard work. Are these not values that we want to continue to instill in young Americans and to offer to people in other countries?

I'm begging for the people of Northern Michigan to fight for the Peace Corps in some way. It costs so little—$2.71 per year for the average American taxpayer—and does so much in the way of peace-building and international cooperation. We will be less safe and worse people without it.

Sincerely, 

Alexandra Wilson

Charlevoix, MI

Submitted to Petoskey News Review