China - For the students at Erskine Academy, this may prove to be the most eye-opening assembly they see in their time here.

The topic: Domestic violence. The speaker: Governor Paul LePage. LePage gave a very candid talk about his own personal experiences with domestic abuse. "I come from a family of 18 children, and I ran away from home at 11 because of domestic violence," LePage told the packed gymnasium. "I just got to a point, I was in the hospital, and I got to the point where I had enough of the beatings."

LePage talked about the scars he still carries with him today. "Since I was a child, actually since 1960, I carry a 50 cent piece with me. The 50 cent piece just reflects on the beatings. I was given that 50 cent piece and told to tell the doctor I fell down the stairs."

He challenged students to help him eradicate domestic violence once and for all. "It will not be cured and it will not go away until we stop it. We stop it as a society. Make it unacceptable behavior."

After his talk LePage took questions from students, and when it was all over, the governor's message was heard loud and clear. "I was really surprised when he asked for questions. The number of students that I see every day, I was really shocked at how many of them stood up," said Brandon Smith, a Junior at Erskine Academy. "I had no idea domestic violence and abuse was so widespread."

Kat Newcombe, a Senior at Erskine, was impressed with how LePage fought through a troubled past all the way to the Blaine House. "The stereotype of an abused kid is one that grows up to be a hoodlum," she said. "It was really moving to know that someone could go from that kind of situation to being governor of this wonderful state."

Print this Story