January 22, 1998

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Dear Friends and Fellow Citizens,

Two hundred years ago, our ancestors, of every race, creed and color, joined together throughout the land - they gathered in schoolrooms, in town halls, at the village square, and in each other's homes, to decide that the time of tyranny had gone on long enough - that the oppressive power of king and parliament must be expelled, and that liberty - freedom - must be given back to every man, woman and child in the land. They talked, they protested, they prayed - but it took war and bloodshed to win back the rights they so longed for - life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

A hundred years later, again, our ancestors, of every race, creed and color, rose up again, throughout the land, to demand that slavery be ended, and that the original promise of the Founders should be kept, that all men and women should be and must be free. A great number said no, and the Supreme Court of this country backed them up - and once again, we went to war - thousands upon thousands died - but right was established and the ending to slavery was begun.

Today, upon the threshold of a new era, upon the threshold of a new century, we stand again as they did - the men and women of a just minority, made up of every race, creed and color - united in hearts, with arms linked, and before the power of the once again all-too-human Supreme Court - we stand like those who fought for life and liberty before us - and we say these two things to our legislators, to our judges, and to our President - and we want them to hear us.

The first thing is this - on this day, we pray to Almighty God in heaven, that He may never let this country war against itself again - for peace is the way we have chosen, and peace is what we all hope for - peace for ourselves - peace for our children.

But the second thing is this - for as long as our children continue to be murdered, in our hospitals and clinics, and as long as this murder continues to be protected by our courts and our law officers, then we will not be quiet - we will not be compromised - we will not go away, and we will not stop demanding an end to this insanity which has seized our nation. "How can you murder babies, and then tell your children not to kill each other?" our beloved Mother Teresa used to say. This country has only now begun to pay the terrible price of what happened in 1973 - but our children are killing each other, and themselves, in frightening numbers. What if this insanity that has already caused the death of 30 million infants, should go on for another 25 years, or 50, or God forbid, for another century - where will our society be, and to what terrible end might we come?

Dear friends, I hope our Judges, and our Senators and Congressmen, and even our President might be listening today to the clear and persistent message swelling up from the city squares of every American city, village and town - and the message is - Defend Life, Save Life, Protect Life, and start with our beautiful, innocent children in the mother's womb.

But even if they are not listening - even if they are out sailing on the lake or playing golf at the club, or just doing nothing, on this, the most infamous anniversary in American history, that's OK - because we will be saying the same thing tomorrow, the next day, next week, next year, and forever - and eventually they will hear, and things will change - eventually, the day will come when the battle will be won, our labors finished, and our joy just begun. I pray today, on this 25th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, and ask you to pray with me, that Almighty God will strengthen us for the remainder of this just battle, and that its end may come soon - for our sake, and for the sake of all who will come after us.

Thank you friends, and may God bless you all.