Penna Dexter
Every four years each political party sends seasoned activists to the table to write a platform for convention delegates to pass. Words are carefully chosen; positions painstakingly framed.  The document — though not binding on candidates — provides a blueprint for policies advocated by the party.  Since the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, no other plank in the platform of either major party has received more scrutiny.
The 2016 Republican platform language on abortion is strongly supportive of the protection of human life. It adamantly opposes the use of public funds for abortion. In 2020, President Trump and the RNC did not reopen the platform, instead sticking with the one from 2016.
This year brings the first revision of the platform since the Dobbs decision which struck down Roe v. Wade. In the run-up to the convention the Trump campaign signaled a desire to “streamline” the platform to make it shorter, clearer, and more concise, with policy commitments that are “easily digestible.”
Pro-family leaders, including Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins, were concerned that the RNC platform negotiated this past week in Milwaukee might end up watering down strong protections for the unborn.
Tony Perkins represented the state of Louisiana on this year’s RNC platform committee. He points out that “The platform not only gives insight to voters, it gives direction to Republican elected officials.” He cites research showing that “the parties actually follow their platforms” about 80 percent of the time.
At the convention this week, delegates will vote on a final platform with a pro-life plank that may be concise but, hopefully remains strong and clear.
The Democrats’ platform is pro-abortion and abortion is a front and center campaign issue for many of the party’s candidates. Post-Dobbs, we’ve learned that Republicans don’t do themselves any favors by shying away from the issue. Protecting human life is a moral imperative. GOP candidates must boldly articulate a pro-life position. 

Kerby Anderson
The other day I came across a shocking statistic. Lee Burdette Williams says, “About three million first-time college students will soon be arriving on campus—most of them coming directly from high school. About one million of them won’t make it through their first year or return as sophomores.” She concludes that “this attrition is financially and emotionally devastating for families” and it is also “destabilizing for colleges.”
Why is this happening? Many of these departures are financial. Higher education costs so much and has been rising more than twice as fast as inflation. But another factor, often ignored, are the mental challenges these incoming college students face. Just consider these two facts.
First, nearly half (44%) of all college students report symptoms of depression and anxiety. Second, the rate of students taking psychiatric medication doubled in less than a decade and a half (2007 to 2019) and now includes one quarter (25%) of all students.
Lee Burdette Williams has served as dean of students at the University of Connecticut and later at Wheaton College. She suggests that the nine weeks between high school graduation and a student’s arrival on campus are not enough time for social and mental adjustment. They go from being under their parent’s authority and management to independent living. Although many of us made this transition in the past, today’s students seem less mentally equipped to do so.
That is why she suggests two alternatives. One is what she calls a “half-step year” where the student lives at home while attending a local college. The other is a full “gap year” which is becoming more popular and provides students with an opportunity to pursue study or experiences that may enhance their resume.
If you want to make sure your child or grandchild doesn’t drop out of college, you might explore some of her suggested alternatives.