State: Florida

City of Gainesville, Florida

Office of Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan

PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS, our Founding Fathers, with knowledge and understanding of Judeo-Christian values and principles, were men of integrity and vision who were aware of the ethical and moral natures of policy and law; and

WHEREAS, George Washington stated, “it is impossible to govern rightly without God and the Bible”; and

WHEREAS, Americans will benefit from sharing the spiritual gifts of humility, joy, patience, kindness, goodness and self-control, and practicing the noble quality of “love your neighbor as yourself”; and

WHEREAS, our nation, during this time of worldwide strife and turmoil, has need for trust, hope and our Creator’s powerful protection; and

WHEREAS, Thanksgiving is a permanent national holiday and is a time to reflect on and appreciate the religious influence on our young nation.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Pegeen Hanrahan, by the authority vested in me as Mayor of the City of Gainesville, do hereby proclaim November 21-27, 2004 as

Christian Heritage Week

in the City of Gainesville and invite all our citizens to give thanks, each in their own way, for the many freedoms we enjoy.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the official seal of the City of Gainesville, Florida, this 19^thday of November, A.D., 2004.

Pegeen Hanrahan

Mayor

JEB BUSH

GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA

CHRISTIAN HERITAGE WEEK

WHEREAS, the Preamble to the Constitution of the state of Florida states that “We, the people of the state of Florida, being grateful to almighty God for our Constitutional liberty, in order to secure its benefits, do ordain and establish this Constitution”; and

WHEREAS, Benjamin Franklin, at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 stated: “It is Impossible to build an empire without our Father’s aid. I believe the sacred writings which say that ‘Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it’” (Psalm 127:1); and

WHEREAS, George Washington enunciated: “animated alone by the pure spirit of Christianity, and conducting ourselves as the faithful objects of our free government, we may enjoy every temporal and spiritual felicity”; and

WHEREAS, Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, wrote: “Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed the conviction that these liberties are the gift of God”; and

WHEREAS, James Madison, father of the U.S. Constitution, advocated “the diffusion of the light of Christianity in our nation” in his Natural and Remonstrance; and

WHEREAS,  Patrick Henry quoted Proverbs 14:34 for our nation: “Righteousness alone can exalt a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people”; and

WHEREAS, George Mason, in his Virginia Declaration of Rights, forerunner to our U.S. Bill of Rights, affirmed: “That it is the mutual right of all to practice Christian forbearance, love and charity towards each other”; and

WHEREAS,  these, and many other truly great men and women of America, giants in the structuring of American history, were Christian statesmen of caliber and Integrity who did not hesitate to express their faith;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Jeb Bush, Governor of the State of Florida, do hereby extend greetings and best wishes to all observing November 23-29, 2003, as Christian Heritage Week.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Florida to be affixed at Tallahassee, the Capital, this 4^th day of November in the year of our Lord two thousand three.

Jeb Bush

GOVERNOR

Proclamation

State of Florida

Executive Department

Tallahassee

WHEREAS, the celebration of a Thanksgiving season has been a national tradition observed by the people of the United States from the days of the early settlers to the present time; and

WHEREAS, many of the great leaders of the nation, including Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln recognizes the importance of setting aside a time of thanksgiving, and Presidential proclamations have established the fourth Thursday of November as Thanksgiving; and

WHEREAS, in 1941 Thanksgiving was established as a permanent national holiday, and the people of the United States should better understand the history of this great nation; and

WHEREAS, it is appropriate to give thanks to God for everyday freedoms we have and to take time to appreciate a land of plenty and a nation of vast human and natural resources;

NOW, THEREFORE, I Jeb Bush, by the virtue of the authority vested in me as Governor of the state of Florida, do hereby proclaim Thanksgiving 1999 and Thanksgiving 2000 as

A Year of Thanksgiving

in Florida.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal if the state of Florida to be affixed at Tallahassee, the Capital, this 18th day of November in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-nine.

Jeb Bush
Governor

Attest
Katherine Harris
Secretary of State

City of Gainesville, Florida

Office of Mayor Paula M. DeLaney

PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS, our nation’s Declaration of Independence states “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights…”; and

WHEREAS, the States Preamble declares: “We, the people of the States of Florida, being grateful to Almighty God for our constitutional liberty—do ordain and establish this constitution.” and

WHEREAS, John Adams explained: “The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity.” and

WHEREAS, Noah Webster wrote: “The religion which has introduced civil liberty is the religion of Christ and His Apostles…This is genuine Christianity and to this we owe our free constitutions of government.” and

WHEREAS, Thomas Jefferson declared, “God who gave us life, gave us liberty”; and

WHEREAS, the week of Thanksgiving is an appropriate time to recall the source of our freedoms and appreciate the opportunity to pursue justice, peace and prosperity.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Paula M. DeLaney, by the authority vested in me as Mayor of the City of Gainesville, do hereby proclaim November 21-27, 1999 as

CHRISTIAN HERITAGE WEEK

in the City of Gainesville and encourage all citizens to acknowledge and celebrate, each in their own way, the heritage of our great state and nation where our motto is IN GOD WE TRUST.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the official seal of the City of Gainesville, Florida, this 8^thday of November, A.D., 1999.

Paula M. DeLaney

Mayor