Robin Carnahan: “nearly 2,000 years ago, a ``poll'' was taken on the road between Jericho and Jerusalem. We are told that only one out of…”

“nearly 2,000 years ago, a ``poll'' was taken on the road between Jericho and Jerusalem. We are told that only one out of three was willing to turn from their personal pursuits to help someone who had been physically assaulted and left without care. This story of the Good Samaritan is an ancient and familiar teaching. We must be the people today who will pause in our own pursuits to help heal the wounds in our society. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Today I want to challenge all of us to face this horrific national tragedy head on. We should never lose sight of the pressing needs of our most precious resource, our children. Across the nation, neglect and abuse figures reach 2.5 million. Not only has the reported number of abused and neglected children increased, but their problems are more severe and difficult to treat. Abuse is not new, nor is it likely to go away, but I believe we are lowering the tolerance for this kind of behavior. Policy makers, community leaders, educators and parents came together on April 1st in Kansas City to demonstrate their commitment to the issue. These are the types of actions we need to help build strong families and eliminate the circumstances leading to abuse. As legislators, we are making significant strides in our crusade against abuse. I supported $82.6 million in continued funding of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act during the appropriations process.”