1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

In recent times, our sense of shared humanity has been substantially eroded by the terrifying scenes unfolding in the Middle East. It is disheartening to acknowledge that our beloved and respected nation financially backs the reprehensible acts against Palestinian civilians. As a concerned citizen, a family man, and one who values the sanctity of life, it is a moral obligation to plead emphatically for a ceasefire. Decades of suffering under unjust force, of children losing their childhood and families losing their homes, and a seemingly endless cycle of violence and retaliation, requires our undivided attention now more than ever. Millions of innocent lives hang in balance, subjected to unbearable horrors, caught amid the calamity of conflicts that are not of their making. To affirm our commitment to peace, to justice, and to universal respect for human rights, we must abolish the endorsement of any act that tantamounts to a crime against humanity. We thrive on principles that call for the protection of innocents, decency, and respect for fellow humans. It is therefore unfathomable that arms, funded by the very taxes we pay, are used to continue perpetuating acts that we disapprove of, that we fight against in every other corner of the world. It is incumbent upon us as a nation that claims moral leadership, that aspires to be a beacon of justice and fairness, to reassess its position and role in this crisis. We must reevaluate our actions, realigning them with our values, halting the delivery of arms to enforce an unending turmoil. Our just stand would be to press for peaceful dialogue, reconciliation, and the just treatment of all parties involved. A ceasefire, an end to the atrocities, a halt to the funding of arms for destruction; such actions are what our common humanity implores us to do. The time to act is now.