Someone, hand him a scalpel

Remember Alphabet Soup? Mom tricked you into eating lunch by spelling words with the letters on your spoon. I often feel I'm staring at that bowl of letters, when trying to make sense of the gobbledygook of the U.S. government. Think FDA, FAA, SSI, DHS, DOJ, etc. etc. etc. Lesch Elected Officials often Chicken Little us with the falling sky hidden in the Alphabet Soup of acronyms. Remember CRT or Critical Race Theory, the bogeyman in 2016. Don't get me wrong, I share your concerns about indoctrinating children, but let's not throw out the baby with the bathwater. CRT in Medical Schools brought us better diagnosis of heart attacks in women, whose symptoms are quite different than men. Cervical and breast cancer research have greatly improved outcomes. Last year it was the LGBTQ+ community and the fear of men in women's locker rooms or playing women's sports. I agree, we must ensure that sex-ed is always age appropriate. I am all about women's rights and opportunities, but really? The NCAA states fewer than 10 transgender athletes are among the 510,000 competing at 1,100 schools. Want to better protect young women? Data indicates we'd be more effective with stronger vetting for teachers, coaches and doctors. And tougher consequences for date-rape on campuses. Now it's DOGE – Department of Government Efficiency - Mission to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse. AMEN. Much needed – right? But wait. They forget to tell us that most fraud and abuse comes at the hands of elected officials or the people they hire. Their own personal conflict of interest or desire for personal gain most often leads to fraud and abuse. "Trust us," they say. Remember Reagan – "Trust but verify." And let's stop using a chain saw when a scalpel would be more effective, and help avoid "unintended consequences." This is a favorite term of legislators when decisions produce bad outcomes. Another confusing name for what is really "OOPS" (Think FAA firing experienced air traffic controllers). A worrisome red flag setting my hair on fire is the buzz saw being used on U.S. Agency for International Development. USAID is a U.S. foreign assistance agency that provides funding to non-governmental organizations and other organizations. Established by JFK, with decades of bipartisan support. Is there waste, fraud and abuse? Yes, probably so. But scalpel please. One of USAID largest recipients is Catholic Relief Services, a Christian nonprofit that provides food, water and health care in conflict zones. It has a stellar reputation with an A+ rating from Charity Watch, reflecting its accountability and integrity. (A big deal in the fund-raising world.) Their mission is simple – feed the hungry, cloth the naked, welcome the stranger. CRS is bracing for massive cuts — by as much as 50% this year. Does anyone else see the irony of the world's richest man taking food from the world's poorest children? USAID goes beyond food and medicine, working on concerns around the world. Some protect our own self-interest. Consider Bird Flu, Ebola, Malaria, AIDS. Promoting literacy for girls? Battling sex trafficking of children? Beyond the pure humanity of these programs, they serve as tools for the State Department and benefit business here. Georgia peanuts are made into a paste that has saved millions of children's lives around the world. "Oh Sue!" you might say, "You are just a Bleeding-Heart Liberal." I am not. I am a Catholic and a Christian. I have been formed by Catholic Social Teaching. I believe the words of Jesus, "Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me." I am also very well read and I've become more and more suspicious of so much that I hear. Elected leaders must think we are really dumb. My advice --read a good newspaper. Get a good fact-checker ie https://www.reuters.com/fact- check/. USAFacts.org is outstanding. See https://usafacts.org/signup/ decoding-doge/ for a weekly update and 10 minute easily-understood videos. Clowns to the left of me. Jokers to the right. I'm still here – stuck in the middle with you. Sue Lesch was mayor of Norwalk from 2004 to 2012.