1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

Priorities Set Straight : Focusing on what matters the most Please hear me out. I know you receive endless correspondence, but I pray that this letter finds its way in front of your eyes. I am writing to ask you to help set our national priorities where they truly belong: caring for the vulnerable, advancing science to reduce suffering, and protecting the natural beauty that defines who we are as a country. For me, this is not abstract. My husband lives with myotonic dystrophy, a progressive disease with no cure. Every day, I live with the quiet, steady awareness that unless science advances, I will lose him too soon. Research is not just funding lines on a spreadsheet. It is time. It is hope. It is the difference between grief and healing for families like mine. When we invest in science, we are investing in the possibility of longer lives, less pain, and fewer empty chairs at dinner tables. At the same time, I think about the kind of country we are preserving for the future. I grew up as a quintessential Midwestern tomboy, climbing trees, catching frogs, and chasing snakes through tall grass. I learned to feel the changing seasons not by a calendar, but by the songs of birds and the rhythm of night creatures. I felt like I belonged to the land, not as its owner, but as part of it. Some of my most meaningful childhood memories are of visiting national parks, forests, and wild, untouched places with my family. Standing in those spaces, you understand something deeply American: that our greatness is not only in our cities or our economy, but in the vast, unspoiled beauty we have chosen to protect. These places are not luxuries. They are part of our identity. They are where wonder lives. Right now, we are at a crossroads. The decisions you and your colleagues make will determine whether we choose short-term gain or long-term good. Whether we invest in curing diseases or continue to accept preventable suffering. Whether we protect our natural heritage or allow it to be diminished piece by piece. I am asking you to choose what matters most. Fund scientific research that seeks to cure diseases and alleviate human suffering. Strengthen programs that care for the vulnerable among us. Protect and preserve our national parks, forests, and wilderness so future generations can experience the same awe and connection that shaped my life. This is not about politics to me. It is about people. It is about love. It is about the kind of country we want to be. Please use your voice and your vote to reflect these priorities. Also, do everything in your power to shift the tone of culture. Do not feed into contempt toward "the other" whomever the "other" is in a discussion. Do not tolerate hate or superiority. Please illustrate humility, compassion, and kindness. Remember the fruit of the spirit or the sermon on the mount, or the greatest two commandments? Let that be our culture...please. Thank you.