Statement on Violence in Iran
- Brendan Birth
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
A series of missile strikes led by the United States and Israel has led to the killing of over 500 people in Iran as of the time of writing, including the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader.
First and foremost, Gray Panthers NYC condemns these actions.
In the United States, over 1 in 10 people are in poverty, 8% are without health care, and homelessness is at a record high. These are the sorts of issues taxpayer dollars should be going to, not missile strikes killing people half a world away.
That some of our politicians argue that we don’t have the resources to address issues like these, all the while we spend money on nation-altering half a world away, is inexcusable, unconscionable, and shameful.
Yes, Iran has a poor track record on human rights, and the Ayatollah in Iran who was killed carried significant responsibility for that poor human rights track record. However, unauthorized attacks do not bring human rights–only a combination of peace and justice do that. And besides, the United States isn’t looking exactly amazing ourselves right now when it comes to human rights.
Speaking of unauthorized attacks, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention that what’s happening in Iran is but an escalation of a troubling trend that has taken place under American Presidents of both major political parties–that trend being missile strikes in the Middle East. It happened under Obama, it happened under Trump’s first term, it happened under Biden, and it’s happening under Trump’s second term. The targets may change, but the concern is the same. This has to stop.
Rather than nation-altering half a world away, it’s beyond time for American leaders of both political parties to invest our taxpayer dollars in making the lives of those at home better.
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