With the foreboding statistic that one in three girls will be in an abusive teen relationship as the backdrop, the Hamilton County Leadership Academy class of 2016 achieved its mission last week to get dialogue going on violence in teen dating. It held a well-attended rally at city hall in an effort to enlighten, inform and educate. We were proud to promote the event at which Mayor Jim Brainard and a teen dating-violence victim, Krystal Mercer from Fishers, spoke. The effort is all about awareness, with the end game being the termination of such horrific behavior and, in the meantime, services for survivors of abuse. We urge parents, siblings, relatives and acquaintances of teens to look for signs of mistreatment. Oft times the victims require assistance on varying levels. It boils down to this: If you believe someone’s basic human rights are being jeopardized, step up and step in.
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We watch often for results of polling that various media and educational institutions are conducting on the race for the White House. We know from history (and not revisionist history, either) that one oral gaffe, one revelation or one serious misstep can drive downward a presidential candidate’s favorability in a heartbeat. Donald Trump (R-Billions) trails Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) in almost every poll. That’s all well and good, but it may not last with nearly 150 FBI agents now digging in on Clinton’s e-mail/server investigation. It remains to be seen what the outcome will be, and we assume it will end as if the issue never existed. Meanwhile, both candidates might want to switch from blathering to crystal-clear speaking on how they will solve the nation’s ills, not simply that they will. Then, we’ll watch the polls more closely.
