In 2001, Gov. Angus King declared that “domestic violence is public enemy number one.” Unfortunately he was right, and worse yet, the enemy often resides in the home.

What we now call domestic violence, or battering, describes a whole pattern of wrongful behavior from emotional and economic abuse to physical assault, rape, torture or murder. The psychological and economic effects on our communities are devastating. For these reasons and others, prevention of domestic violence requires a coordinated community response.

At 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 18, at the Penquis office on North Street in Dover-Foxcroft, the Maine Department of Public Safety, in conjunction with Womancare, a community-based organization working to end domestic abuse, will host a public forum to discuss and assess the impact of domestic violence on our communities. This will provide an opportunity for public comment on what is working and what is not, as well as what can be improved in our community efforts to promote safer homes and communities in the Penquis region.

All of us are affected by domestic violence in some way, so it will take all of us to help prevent it from ruining more lives. Please plan to attend this worthwhile forum.

Arthur Jette

Cambridge