WHEREAS: Legalized abortion has resulted in the deaths of more than 25 million children; and
WHEREAS: Abortion has been, and continues to be, a divisive issue, yet each of us can and should work together to affirm and celebrate life both by supporting mothers, children and the unborn, and by promoting adoption and the virtues of strong families; and
WHEREAS: Churches and secular organizations across our state are to be commended for offering comfort, advice and alternatives to abortion for women in crisis; and
WHEREAS: January 22, 1998 marks the 25th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in the United States; and
WHEREAS: Many citizens in Florida and across the nation will mark the anniversary of Roe v. Wade by observing 25 days of prayer and fasting to end abortion.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT I, John A. Buckley, Mayor, City of Melbourne, Brevard County, Florida, do hereby proclaim January 1998 as
“A Month of Prayer to End Abortion in the City of Melbourne”
Witness my hand and the seal of the City of Melbourne this 13th day of January, 1998.
- John A. Buckley, Mayor
Comments on the Proclamation
By Matt Carroll, Melbourne City Councilman
The resolution is for a month of prayer to end abortion. This prayer will mean different things to different people. Most people agree that they wish there were not a need for abortion. When they pray for an end to abortion, they will also be praying for very other things as well.
To the ardent feminist who believes abortions are necessary to maintain parity between the sexes, an answer to this prayer would mean that true equality between the sexes exists, and abortions are no longer required, that the capability to have children is not considered a “strike” against women.
To the pro-choice citizen who believes abortion must be protected to assure that individuals have freedom, an answer to this prayer would mean that we have found a way to exercise our freedom while avoiding the serious nature of abortion surgery. Maybe that rape and incest are wiped off the face of the earth.
To the loving young father of a child unborn, it means he has found a woman who does not need to consider abortion, because she trusts him to help her raise the child. That he has been found worthy to be called “father”.
To the young mother of a child unborn, it means she does not need to consider abortion because she has the support and love she needs to choose life for her baby. It means that when she hears she is pregnant, her first response is happiness, and not fear.
To the pro-life man or woman, it will mean that the unborn children will no longer be sent, un-named and un-loved, into eternity; that the mothers and fathers of these children will have the blessings of Providence as they rear their children in peace.
This prayer will mean different things to different people, but I believe most citizens of conscience can pray for an end to abortion in the same way they can pray for “peace on earth”, of “goodwill towards men”. There need be no hesitation when we are asked to pray for better times.
The one reasonable objection to this proclamation that I have heard from different people is that the city shouldn’t involve itself with this issue. I disagree. By most counts, over 30,000 abortions have occurred in Melbourne. The impact to each of the parents in each case is known but to God. 60,000 such persons exist in Brevard county. Then there are the parents of this couple who chose abortion. 120,000 grandparents of children never born. Suppose each one of the ones aborted would have had 2 friends; that’s 60,000 friends never made. Already, that’s over a quarter million in Brevard county alone that are impacted directly. We all are already involved in abortion.
I submit that we all have been profoundly impacted by abortion, that it has shaped our lives, that we are missing guests at our dinner tables, that our playgrounds are missing the laughter of children never born.
I have heard someone say that every person on earth has a song that they alone can sing, that their lives are lived as songs and gifts to God. I submit that through abortion we have forever and irredeemably lost the special songs that God gave the 30,000 singers that were never born in the city of Melbourne.
Melbourne, Florida’s Pro-life Efforts Spread to Texas
By Meredith Raney
Enclosed below is some correspondence between Matt Carroll, former Vice-Mayor of Melbourne, and JP Duffy, a high school student in Midland, Texas. JP Duffy is working on getting a pro-life proclamation in Midland similar to the one done in Melbourne.
It is JP Duffy’s generation that will fix our country if it gets fixed. We need to support and encourage him and his generation as much as possible.
Congratulations to the City of Melbourne for your nationwide influence on this important issue.
On a slightly different subject, there is a web site, http://members.aol.com/wtexplan/index.htm titled The Abortion Industry in Lubbock, Texas that is similar to the Abortion Industry in Melbourne, FL web site. Both expose the fruitless deeds of darkness in their respective cities. More cities need to follow suit.
In His service,
Meredith Raney
https://www.forerunner.com/fyi/index.html Abortion Industry in Melbourne, FL
Eph. 5:11 “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds
of darkness, but rather expose them.”
From: Matthew J Carroll [mailto:mjcarroll@juno.com]
Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 1999 11:42 PM
Subject: Another city to pass a resolution?
Gentlemen,
I just received this message from that amazing kid, JP Duffy of Midland, Texas. Please see that the message receives widespread distribution. JP includes a note of gratitude and a request for prayer from the pro-life community of Melbourne. He is also grateful to the City of Melbourne.
To jog your memory, JP Duffy is a high school student who wanted to see a resolution of prayer to end abortion passed by his city council (his original message is at the bottom). Since we first communicated on this issue, the youth advisory council of Midland was “shut down” by the group’s adult coordinator at the direction of the city council as the youths were in the process of drafting a recommendation that the council pass a resolution (similar to that passed in Melbourne last year). The new attached message describes a follow up meeting by JP Duffy as he brought the issue back to the Mayor to try to see if the resolution could be resurrected in Midland.
God bless you.
Matt Carroll
From: PDuffyatt@aol.com
To: mjcarroll@juno.com
Date: Mon, 26 Apr 1999 22:47:09 EDT
Subject: Re: Update on Pro-life Proclamation
Dear Mr. Carroll,
I just left a meeting with Mayor Bobby Burns. I along with my Dad, and pastor met in a private meeting in the Mayor’s office. He told us that he didn’t know anything about what had happened in the Youth Advisory Meeting.
He said that the Coordinator acted too harshly toward the proclamation that I had presented. On the other hand, the Mayor said he would not support the proclamation. He asked me why I thought it was important to have the City Council to take a stand. The Mayor said he was pro-life but that he didn’t think it would do any good for the City Council to make a stand. “What would we accomplish? We would only cause controversy.” said the Mayor. I relied very heavily upon Melbourne, Florida in my answer. I told him that prayer is a powerful force and that it changes things. His response was “I can’t argue with you there.” I told him about the 52% drop in abortion rate in Melbourne, FL.
I gave him your (Melbourne) proclamation and the speech you gave before the City Council meeting. He replied to this by saying, “It was prayer that brought about the change, not the vote by the City Council.” My pastor responded and said that he was wrong. My pastor pointed out scriptures that discussed what happens when government leaders take a moral stand. “Righteousness exalts a nation.” “When the righteous rule the people rule but when the wicked are in power the people groan.” Proverbs 24:11 “Rescue those being led away to slaughter.”
He realized that it would make a difference because of the (stand in) Melbourne, FL and the scriptures that showed him how important taking a stand for life was. In a matter of 30 minutes I saw the Mayor go from refusing to issue a proclamation, to becoming a supporter of it. I was absolutely amazed. I give the credit to God and the many prayers that had been offered up by Christians all over the city of Midland.
He said that the City Council would issue the proclamation on the steps of the City Council building. He wants to have the media there and have youth from all over Midland at the prayer rally. He told me to pick a date for the issuing of the proclamation. This will be a prelude to the National Day of Prayer.
We are planning to hold it on Monday, May 3, 1999. There was a similar proclamation effort 5 years ago but it failed. I want you to tell the pro-life supporters in Melbourne, FL that their impact has spread to Midland, Texas. Please be in prayer for us this week. All this week we will be alerting churches throughout the city. I may even appear on a radio talk show to discuss the proclamation prayer rally. Thank you so much for standing firm in the cause for life.
I will always be grateful for you and the city of Melbourne.
Sincerely,
J.P. Duffy
From: PDuffyatt@aol.com
Date: Mon, 5 Apr 1999 22:10:17 EDT
Subject: City Council Proclamation
To: jrogers@forerunner.com
I am a senior in high school and I am a member of the Youth Advisory Council of Midland Texas. I and 31 other students represent the junior and senior high schools of Midland. An abortion clinic opened in our city a few years ago. I have authored a proclamation that I want our city council to pass opposing the clinic. In two weeks the advisory council will be debating and voting on a proposal similar to the one that your city has passed.
If the proclamation is passed by the youth advisory council then it will be presented before the City Council. I was hoping that you might be able to give me some ideas or supportive material that I could use to get my City Council to follow your example of opposing abortion. I would appreciate any help or info you can provide.
Thank you,
Sincerely,
J.P. Duffy
