Billions of dollars and counting. National debt? No, the war in Iran. From the same people who stated “no new wars” has come a conflict that has now cost Americans immense amounts.

Americans have been taxed constantly, and for what? Another war? Our taxes should not go toward a war that nobody voted for. In fact, we voted for “no new wars.” We have been lied to, and our tax dollars have been squandered on trivial pursuits. Even then, it still costs the U.S. taxpayer money, not always directly felt in taxes.

Fuel prices have been extreme along with the costs associated with transportation. Everything in a grocery store will slowly increase in price in correlation with the price of oil and fuel. Our taxes have gone toward great things such as roads, schools and public parks. Most voters would openly support their tax money going to better our country and community. However, a war in Iran does not benefit me, nor will it affect anyone else in our nation.

While taking a neutral stance in the Iranian people’s revolution against dictatorship is not ideal, bombing and sending in American lives is also a poor idea that should be considered by voters in the next election.

In our country, homelessness is on the rise, and charitable organizations and communities may not be enough. Government organizations could instead use funds spent on war to help fight homelessness. Even our elected officials can assist in the problem, yet some officials find it better to attend the Met Gala or eat at extravagant restaurants.

Our taxes that fund these wars often forget the very people who fight them. Homelessness is a serious problem, but homeless veterans are even more of a serious problem.

The people who fought in wars funded by our tax dollars have been failed by a government they fought for. The issue of homelessness is not tactfully addressed by our elected officials, much less our government. Even with corporate ownership of housing, this is a massive issue that our country’s government should focus on rather than a costly war.

Homeownership may slowly be decreasing in the U.S., and rather than right a wrong, the government fights in a war. Homeownership by companies goes against even the basic understanding of the American dream. Rather than address well-known domestic problems in our country, the elected government chooses to fight a war.

There can be some comparisons made between today’s problems and issues of the past. If one looks at the public perception of the war in Iran and the public perception of the Vietnam War, there are numerous stark and concerning contrasts.

With issues brewing in America at the time, the government continued to send troops to fight. With issues such as race relations, assassinations and rising public distrust in the government, the parallels nearly mirror our world today.

A dark mirrored reflection of times of the past still rings true today, and without the most powerful asset, the voter, times like this will continue to happen.