Dear Editor,
The war in the Middle East may feel distant, but its effects are reaching families here in Mohave County in very real ways. When global conflict disrupts major shipping routes for oil and natural gas, fuel prices rise across the United States. Rural communities like ours feel those increases more quickly and more sharply because we rely on long drives for work, medical care, and basic errands. Nearly everything we buy is delivered by truck, so when diesel prices climb, the cost of groceries, building materials, and everyday essentials climb with them.
Local contractors, tradespeople, and small businesses are also squeezed. Higher fuel and supply costs cut into already thin margins, and customers who are struggling with inflation have less room in their budgets. Even travel becomes more expensive as jet‑fuel prices rise, affecting families who fly out of Las Vegas or Phoenix for medical appointments, work, or to visit loved ones.
These pressures do not come from anything Mohave County residents did or chose. They are the ripple effects of a conflict thousands of miles away, yet they land directly on our wallets and our daily lives. Speaking up is not about taking sides overseas. It is about recognizing how global instability affects American families and asking our leaders to focus on stability, affordability, and practical solutions that protect communities like ours.
Mohave County is resilient, but we should not have to absorb the economic fallout of distant conflicts without acknowledgment or support. Plus, let us not forget the tariffs.
Susan Stone
