Dear Editor,
On April 23, my husband Wayne and I will be in Washington, D.C., for the first National March to End Child Abuse. It is a march started by a group of grandparents of murdered children and embraced by many other advocacy groups.
Child abuse is an unconscionable subject no one wants to acknowledge. Children are abused and murdered every day by those responsible for their care.
Statistics are old. Laws need to be changed for these children and families to receive justice.
For whatever reason — parents with mental illness, addictions, anger issues — some children live in a war zone! This is real life!
Too much abuse has been tolerated by the courts and agencies afraid to interfere with children. They have been property of these parents even when it’s obvious the environment and people are detrimental to a child’s wellbeing!
If you see the We the People Petition to End Child Abuse, please sign.
I see so many in need. So little outrage and no real change. When there is a way to support and defend the little ones, please do. I hope you will.
In the past I have worked with people with physical and mental disabilities, volunteered as a Compeer for those with mental illness and served as child advocate for the Family Crisis Center.
I will say that children with disabilities are often targeted for abuse. Please be aware!

Cheryl Koelling
Great Bend