Several Jeff Davis County residents attended the 28th Annual Candlelight Prayer Vigil held in the Capitol Building rotunda on Saturday, Jan 17th that brought pro-life advocates from around the state together for a memorial to the more than 50 million unborn children that have been terminated through abortion in the 43 years since the Roe vs. Wade court decision opened the door for legalized abortion in the United States. In response to the anniversary of this decision, Pro-Life Mississippi and Pastors For Life Mississippi sponsor this event and a service at noon on Jan. 22nd near the one remaining abortion clinic in Mississippi that is located in Jackson.

Congressman Greg Harper was present for the event and stated the bill will be presented to the U.S.

legislature that would ban abortions after 20 weeks gestation. This bill relies on the science of fetal pain to establish a constitutional reason for Congress to ban abortions late in pregnancy.

Steven Erltelt of LifeNews.com stated in his article of Jan. 6th that Dr. Maureen Condic, who is Associate Professor of Neurobiology and Adjunct Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Utah School of Medicine, testified to congress that the unborn child is capable of reacting to pain as early as 8-10 weeks. This is when most abortions in America take place. Several states have already passed the bill.

Erltelt further states that with Republicans controlling both the House and Senate, this important pro-life legislation may finally receive a vote in both chambers of Congress. In 2013 the House approved the bill but President Obama had issued a veto threat against that bill and Senate Democrats refused to bring it up for a vote.

Local participants included those from Victory, Whitesand, Hathorn and Old Hebron churches. The memorial service ended with a vigil by candlelight on the capitol steps while pro-lifers spent moments in silent prayer beseeching God’s help for an end to abortion.