Pastors and Zoller March for Life

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“There has never been a March for Life in this area”

Radio Talk Show Host and Ninth District Candidate Martha Zoller is set to speak at Blue Ridge’s first March for Life and Rally Event. Zoller will speak with several other area pastors. The event is scheduled for January 21st and will begin on the stairs of the Courthouse.

At the January 10th Blue Ridge City Council Meeting, Deacon Loris R. Sinanian of St. Anthony Catholic Church in Blue Ridge addressed the Council to clear a route for the walk. Due to construction downtown, though, Mayor Donna Whitener suggested a different route than initially requested by Deacon Sinanian. The Deacon graciously accepted the new route, which starts on the Courthouse steps on Main Street, will proceed down McKinney, then along East Main Street, up Church Street, and return once again to the Courthouse.

The event is sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, a world-wide Catholic charity group, and the Greater Copper Basin Ministerial Association. According to a January 10th press release, the event

“is an exercise in our freedom of speech, as well as an effort to work toward the overturning of the Court’s decision of the case of Roe v, Wade. The decision has remained a controversial and politically charged issue ever since 1973. Since that time we have had 55 million abortions in the country alone.”

As such, the event is a promotion of the sanctity of life.

“There has never been a March for Life in this area,” Sinanian said, “people have had to go to Atlanta, so we decided this year that it would be good to offer that opportunity for local people to come here and participate in the Walk for Life.”

During the discussion, though, Sinanian expressed some concerns about the event. First, he said, the event has no rain date, meaning, if for some reason the event does not occur, it can not be rescheduled. Second, and more important, Sinanian said that he was concerned about pro-abortion protestors threatening the safety of participants in the rally. “I would not expect any problems, here,” the Sheriff told him.

After discussing the new route and getting approval from the Whitener and the Council, Deacon Sinanian invited the public to participate and said that the march will be a silent one. Whitener thanked the Deacon for his time and said that she hopes he has a good turn-out.

The event will begin 11:00 A.M. The Ms. Zoller and local pastors will speak for an hour and the march will then begin at noon.

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