To the Future President:

My name is Noelle Ruckman. I am thirteen years old, in eighth grade, and I attend a private Christian school in Oskaloosa, Iowa.

I am writing to talk to you about the terrifying issue of poverty and the United States’ relationships with other countries. I’ve noticed within a lot of recent debates that our country is heavily involved with other countries, whether it be enemies or allies. A lot of terrorism, as you know, has shaken our country into the depths of fear. Also, over 14.5 percent of Americans, of our people, are in poverty. Poverty rates are going up, but the fact that we spend more money on pets, makeup, and food expenses than money people are giving towards the unfortunately poor is still devastatingly terrifying. Poverty and international relationships with other nations are extreme issues in our country.

Poverty is heartbreaking. I’ve actually semi-experienced it before. Not at home, but at a simulation of poverty at church with my youth group. For almost thirty-four hours, I ate less than one quarter of a banana - and I was pretending to be living in one of the luckier third-world countries. I drank unpurified water and walked for over an hour to a house where we worked for seven and a half more, and that was in mid-August temperatures. Then we had to walk the three-mile trip back to the place we were staying - which was not in a comfortable campsite. We slept on rocky ground with minimal bug spray, feet away from the woods. There were no bathrooms, lights, or any electronics. We realized that poverty is tearing down lives of tons of people and that it’s extremely hard to live in that way.

Also, I have always been a little timid of other countries because I have learned about previous bloody wars, and I always have imagined history happening again. With ISIS, I know it’s hard, but our relationships with other countries represents America. Do you think that America would be stronger in our allies if everyone was afraid of us or if they trusted us and could swear that we would never turn on them? It’s always been a dream of mine that we would try our best to get along with other people. It doesn’t mean world peace. World peace is a long ways away. It means that our country needs to try to amend relationships with the surrounding nations. We can try to be more peaceful and a little less threatening. We should at least start even a smidget of friendly kindness internationally.

You, as the president, should deeply care about this issue because it’s part of handling our use of money. Many candidates have been stating that they care about money use, and all of you are promising to find a way to pay off America’s $19,500,000,000,000 ($19.5 trillion) debt! If you care about money and also care about the generosity of the people of our country (which I strongly hope that you do!), then I suggest helping America’s people change what they spend all their money on from cakes and Little Debbie treats to giving. (And it’s still okay to eat treats sometimes! Just help them not to focus their lives on goodies!) This will help with America’s debt, America’s obesity, America’s (and other countries’) poverty, and America’s relationships with our neighbors!

What you can do is you can suggest that people give to a national drive for food for countries in poverty. People will listen to you; they will see the good, generous heart in you, so they’ll give within reason. Giving really generously to these countries will improve our national relations with them. They’ll see the United States as a giving, friendly country who cares about them. This will help many international relationships and solve tons of poverty. Also, money will be spent on other people and less on all kinds of fat junk going into our bodies.

My Christian faith ties into all this because it tells that we should care for others and be generous. Ephesians 4:32 says we need to be kind to another and forgive each other, as God forgives us. Even if you don’t appreciate the Christian faith, you still should care about it for two reasons: (a) Over eighty-three percent of Americans are Christians, and (b) America was founded on the Christian faith. Anyway, caring about ourselves and no one else is known as greed, pride, and sin. I hope that you don’t support that, Mister or Madam President! I know that other countries aren’t always our allies, but Jesus says in Luke 6:27-28 that we should love our enemies and pray for those that mistreat us. Though they may be our enemies, nobody is perfect. Having mercy is huge in our world today; it may be just what people need to begin to heal. Let’s join together and show God’s love to everyone on our Earth.

I ask that you please at least consider my requests. The United States of America’s relationships with all of the countries in the world are super important in America. Ending poverty will play a major part in this because it affects our relations with nations neighboring us. Kindness changes the way people see actions; it makes them a little calmer and more agreeable when they see that all we are doing is trying to help them and not trick them. Help end enemies and world hunger. Be a president who is aware of what we need to do. Then do it.

Best wishes,

Noelle Ruckman