Who Determines What U.S. Taxpayers Want?

Quoting Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) on why American taxes shouldn’t pay for abortion counseling or procedures abroad (July 10): “Why would we take something so controversial, so counter to so many Americans’ fundamental beliefs, fundamental thoughts and say to the American taxpayers: ‘We’re going to use your dollars to do this’?” If that is to be the criterion by which we measure what should or should not be funded by American taxpayers, why have we undertaken wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and why will we perhaps continue to do so in Iran, Syria or North Korea?

I don’t want my tax dollars to be used for those purposes, but because I have a progressive political outlook, my opinion evidently isn’t considered. Are only the radical right’s sensibilities worthy of consideration?

S.G. Bono

Huntington Park