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Editorials
Not just one issue
Washington’s town election next Tuesday is being touted by some as a referendum on the proposed expansion of The Inn at Little Washington.
We hope that won’t be the case.
Though the Inn’s plans are certainly the most pressing issue facing the council at this time, it too will pass. And, it will likely pass long before the next council’s four-year term expires.
We hope that the residents of the town will carefully consider the records and positions of the candidates on a variety of issues, rather than basing their votes on one narrow question. One-issue voting is never a good idea. For the candidates, it distorts their records. And often, it leaves voters wishing they had made a more carefully considered choice.
Several of the candidates observed, during interviews conducted last week, that no matter what the resolution of the Inn’s proposal, all the town’s residents still have to live here after it’s over.
We think that is wise counsel.
Stop child abuse
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. The county’s Department of Social Services has conducted an intensive campaign to raise the awareness of county residents about his pervasive and difficult problem.
We hope that the message conveyed through their efforts will last long after the annual observance has ended.
It is difficult to say whether the actual incidence of child abuse; physical, emotional and sexual, is greater than in past years, or whether a greater awareness has merely caused more people to report suspected cases.
Whatever the reason, the statistics are staggering. One of every three women is a victim, and at least one of every seven men (those statistics are probably low, since men tend not to report being the victim of such crimes).
It is a national tragedy, which leaves many victims emotionally scarred for ife.
We urge anyone who suspects that someone they know is a perpetrator or victim of child abuse to contact the county’s Department of Social Services (675-3313) or the Sheriffs Department (675-3331). Both offices have procedures in place to investigate all such reports.
When a child’s welfare is at stake, it is truly better to be safe than sorry.
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