| Mayor Shelley's Summer Proclamation St. Augustine Civil Rights May 28, 1964 |
| St. Augustine Record Mayor Issues Statement on Seriousness of Taking Part in Demonstrations May 28 , 1964 Mayor Joseph A Shelley has issued the following statement to the citizens of St. Augustine and St. Johns County: Spring is here and summer is just around the corner. With summer will come the end of the 1963-1964 school year. I believe that this is an appropriate time to call to the attention of all our citizens something which I consider to be of the gravest importance. Militant civil rights leaders in a number of different organizations have repeatedly stated that with the coming of summer they intend to continue their demonstrations in St. Augustine. What I am offering is not a warning, but rather it is a word of advice and a word of caution to all parents of yount people of both races in St. Augustine. Soon these young people will be out of school. With the coming of the summer heat, it is a well known scientific fact that emotions and passions run deeper. Idle minds and idle hands are a fertile field for bad and evil thoughts and actions. Parents can not for one moment escape being held, to some degree, responsible for the actions of their children. Police Department records all over the United States prove beyond doubt one definite fact. A high percentage of young people who are coerced, induced or otherwise appealed to by violent, radical civil rights leaders to go out and deliberately break civil laws of a state or community have become later involved in crimes of violence which place a criminal mark against their records. Once a young person has been induced to violate a civil law and has gained some excitement from this adventure, it is but a simple step to become involved in criminal acts, such as burglary, breaking and entering, automobile stealing, assault and battery, and even murder and rape. I can only say that any parents who allow their children to become involved in so-called peaceful demonstrations which may later evolve into violation of state laws, are themselves involved in crimes against both God and man. Keep in mind that once a criminal act and conviction becomes part of the record of your child, that he or she may well find it impossible to gain useful employment for the rest of his or her life. Any person convicted of a felony can never enlist in the military services nor can they ever hold a Civil Service job. These black marks, once they are placed against a person’s records, can be very difficult to erase. For many years, the people of St. Augustine of both races have lived side by side in peace and tranquility. Many close and binding, friendships have developed because of the serenity which has surrounded life in St. Augustine, but because of the demonstrations and violence which have occurred in the past year, relationships between long standing friends have become strained. The acts of innocent individuals in both races now become suspect. No matter what laws are passed in Washington, the damage which has been done to relationships between the races in St. Augustine and in practically every other community in the United States, will be a long time in healing. Do you want to contribute to this further disintegration of relationships between our people in St. Augustine? You have a choice. You have a full, free choice of your activities in the coming months ahead. If you consider yourselves to be responsible citizens, you will adhere to the laws which are in effect in the state today. These laws are designed to protect the rights and property of all citizens, and as long as they are valid, as long as they are not repealed by a constitutional amendment, or declared unconstitutional by court action, these laws will be enforced. The decision is yours. Mayor Joseph A. Shelley |