Charlotte City Council and the Pro Choice Crowd Are At it AGAIN

                                                                     

A beautiful weekend, and I spent much of it in my favorite place: in my kayak on the river.  Before biking along the path with my kayak towed behind me, I spoke with a group of veteran kayakers. They had already kayaked 7 miles, and were resting before continuing 7 more miles downstream.  They knew the river well, so I pestered them with questions. I found out how to know how much water would be released from the dam upstream for one thing. This is critical info. If the release is substantial, it would be near impossible for my inflatable kayak to travel upstream against the current. If there is very little release, I bottom out on the rocks in the shallow water. Without this information, my safety could well be at risk.

Information is important and always helps in decision making, especially if a choice involves life and death.

For this reason, it is important that you know what the latest development is in Charlotte to silence any voice but those that agree with the "pro-choice" agenda. If you have followed my blog, you may remember that several months ago, City Council member Julie Eiselt led an attempt to zone quiet, wide Latrobe Dr. as a no-parking streeet. The abortion clinic, A Preferred Women's Health Center, where Cities4Life offers resources, hope, and help to abortion-minded women is on this street. There has NEVER been a traffic issue or safety issue regarding parking on Latrobe Drive. It was clear the attempt to rezone Latrobe Drive was based on a desire to silence and thwart the pro-life groups that have ministered on that street for over a decade without incident.

A mobile ultrasound unit on the Monroe  HELP Pregnancy Center RV is parked on the curb outside the abortion clinic. Many women use that RV to see their babies on the ultrasound, ask our nurses medical questions, confer with our counselors about available resources, and share the reality of their situations which we are often able to help them overcome. That valuable resource to offer ongoing help to moms in crisis would not be there if Latrobe Dr. was zoned no-parking. Ninety percent of the moms who see their baby on the ultrasound choose life. It seems that is at cross-purposes with the Preferred Women's Health Center, particuarly in light of the fact that many women who leave the center tell us they were not allowed to see their child on the ultrasound inside the building, even when they requested they be allowed to do so.

The zoning attempt was defeated. Then Charlotte officials began misapplying the sign ordinance in order to unjustly seize and destroy Cities4Life signs. Cities4Life's rights in this matter are being legally pursued. Charlotte City officials seized our shade tent, which again we have used for years without incident. Police were required to come twice a morning to check our sound permit, and test our decibel level. Sometimes as many as four to six officers are diverted from fighting the rising violent crime rate in Charlotte so they can perform this task. 

Despite the obvious attempts by the city and Abortion Center to try to silence and frustrate the pro-life groups, there have been on the order of 8-15 women each week that choose life with our help and intervention. We continue to offer resources, mentorship programs, and tangible assistance in whatever obstacles they face, largely without using a single taxpayer funded service. Countless babies have been saved and cherished as a direct result of our presence on the sidewalks.

Does the City applaud our compassion to those innocent unborn children who would otherwise be victims of abortion? Do they thank us for guiding women to life-changing resources to help them better their situations and reduce their reliance on government programs? 

Not exactly.

One of the wonderful Cities4Life volunteers chanced upon a call -to-action to all Charlotte "pro-choice" advocates.  She uncovered a petition to City Council to reopen the zoning NO PARKING status for Latrobe Dr.  The rally, scheduled for Monday night, September 25th,  during the City Council meeting is being proposed with the help of National Organization of Women. We have seen people we suspect are lawyers speaking with the clinic staff and prochoice escorts. We have seen many reporters with cameras, video, and notes....interviewing and chumming with the pro-choice group...but not a word spoken with us. Many articles have been written by Huffington Post, Charlotte Observer, and others without interviewing a single pro-life representative. 

Vi Lyles, mayor pro tem, was at the facility about a month ago. She spoke extensively with the abortion center workers. Not a word to us. In fact, she berated me as I counseled a sobbing woman on the curb who was overcome with the obstacles she faced and then overwhelmed with all the help we were able to offer. (I remain in contact with this woman, who is doing well and so grateful we were there to encourage her to choose life, and then help her.) This woman remembers that incident well. Neither of us could understand the anger and nastiness of someone who is supposed to represent the citizens of her city.

The NOW rally information was pulled down from Facebook very shortly after we discovered it and began circulating the information on Facebook. We do not know if it has been canceled, or just gone undercover so no pro-life voice might be raised to offer an alternative choice to the "pro-choice" agenda.

We have been informed that a group of council members are indeed looking at the zoning issue again, although NOTHING about the street has changed since the zoning issue was last tabled. NOTHING has changed except perhaps an exiting mayor and hopeful Democrat replacement both of whom have not been exactly supportive of the group of constituents who seek to protect and speak on behalf of the  most vulnerable little ones in their city.

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Please be in prayer over the continual attempts to silence Cities4Life volunteers and dissuade us from our mission to build a culture of life in our city. If you are able to attend our prolife prayer time Monday night, many folks will be gathering in front of the Government building, 600 E. 4th Street, at 5:30. If you have one, please wear the blue Love Life shirt...or just wear a blue shirt in solidarity with our pro-life presence.

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Isaiah 55:8-9 

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Micah 7:7 

But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.

John 14:27 

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Psalm 46:10 

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”