PURELY COMMENTARY essay
The Time to Talk About Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention is Now
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ometimes the most difficult issues to face are the ones in the direst need of attention. Child abuse and neglect are indiscriminate and complex problems. They seep into every corner of society without regard to race, gender or socioeconomic status. They’re also challenging and uncomfortable topics for many to openly discuss because the subject matter — the destruction of Amy Tattrie innocence — is a dark and Loepp weighty talking point for polite conversation. However, there is no better time than the present to continue addressing the need for these conversations because prevention now brings hope for a brighter future for all of us. April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and for the past 40 years, Children’s Trust Fund of Michigan has been the only statewide agency solely dedicated to ending cycles of child abuse and neglect by supporting local councils in all 83 counties that strengthen families through education, awareness and programming.
I have been blessed to dedicate a significant portion of my time to area nonprofits striving to help children and families. Children’s Trust Fund has always held a special, personal place in my heart because of the work it performs to provide hope and happiness across Michigan. So, when I was asked by the governor to serve on CTF’s board of directors in March 2020, I jumped at the opportunity to play a part in producing positive outcomes not only for individuals and households but for society as a whole as well. Unfortunately, the negative ramifications of abuse and neglect extend far beyond the boundaries of childhood. Numerous studies have shown the ripples of adverse childhood experiences stretch into adulthood, creating even further societal ills such as repetitive cycles of violence, drug abuse, and mental and psychological consequences. It’s why the importance of early, often and unyielding prevention efforts cannot be understated — and it also highlights why prevention is an issue where we all have a shared invested interest. But what can we do as individuals? The first step is simply awareness. CTF
has a valued partner this year in Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan to help spread the message that prevention matters. There are a variety of events taking place in local communities across the state to highlight Child Abuse Awareness Month, and our hope is that you take note of them. The second step is to get involved and take an active role. One way to get involved is by volunteering or donating to programs and services offered in your community. Another is to take part in CTF’s 20th annual Pam Posthumus Signature Auction Event on May 17. The annual gathering is being held virtually as well as in-person this year at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing. The more we talk about and implement child abuse and neglect prevention, the less power the issue holds as an uncomfortable and awkward topic. It’s time to open the lines of communication and have a dialogue of empathy, understanding and action. Every voice matters. Amy Tattrie Loepp is chair of the Children’s Trust Fund board of directors. The CTF’s 20th annual Pam Posthumus Signature Auction Event is set for May 17 at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing. For more information, visit michigan.gov/ctf/.
statement
Russian War Crimes in Ukraine
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useums are bearers of history. By housing the artifacts and documents of the past, we ensure that the truth, both noble and horrific, of what humanity has done remains shared and accessible. We at Holocaust Rabbi Eli Mayerfeld museums around the world have a particular mission. The stories
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we tell are ones of destruction and pain, and of the nobility of upstanders who risked their lives to do what was right and help others. We not only aim to educate, to honor our survivors’ wishes that their stories are not forgotten, but to make a better future where the stories we tell are no longer repeated. So it is with sorrow that we see yet another atrocity in Ukraine, 80 years after the “Holocaust by Bullets” in which Jewish men,
women and children were shot and buried in shallow graves. We are angered by today’s stories of children with their hands zip tied and buried in shallow graves. We are angered by the horrific reports of rape and wanton destruction of lives by the Russian army. These are war crimes, and if we, as the bearers of history, do not speak out, then we have failed in our mission. We call upon our governments
around the world to do more to stop these atrocities and assist those who have been brutalized. We support the International Criminal Court’s investigation of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Seventeen museums from four countries across the world released this joint statement condemning Russian war crimes in Ukraine. Rabbi Eli Mayerfeld of The Zekelman Holocaust Center in Farmington Hills was one of the signatories.
