Proclamation 5809.
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102 STAT. 5006 Proclamation 5809 of May 3, 1988 National Drinking Water Week, 1988 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Americans are thankful for the amount of water with which our country is blessed—for our more than two million miles of streams, our more than 30 million acres of lakes and reservoirs, our other surface waters, and our subterranean reserves known as aquifers. We also appreciate our public water systems, whose complex processes provide us with some 12 billion gallons of generally inexpensive and high-quality drinking water daily.
We can be grateful too for the Americans who are helping to bring safe drinking water to millions in the developing world through the efforts of charitable, business, and other private groups and the Agency for International Development. From providing technical assistance to water systems in burgeoning cities to helping construct one-pipe water stands in countless villages in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, dedicated Americans are bringing water to a thirsty world. Water supplies in those developing lands mean improved health and well-being and often presage better productivity and economic vitality that benefit us all.
Less than a century ago, epidemics of waterborne disease were a major public health threat in our country. Today, behind every drop of good drinking water are dedicated individuals such as scientists, engineers, elected officials, water plant owners and operators, regulatory officials, and citizen groups, whose unceasing efforts allow us to enjoy the world’s best drinking water. We must be aware, however, that we do face some difficulties regarding drinking water. Lead eroding from the lead pipes and solder used in some water systems is causing health problems, especially for children; natural contaminants such as radon need attention in many water systems; and man-made contaminants are at levels of concern in some water supplies.
Controlling these problems will be a challenge, but not one beyond our abilities or our determination. State and local governments continue their efforts in this regard, and the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, as amended in 1986 (Public Law 99–939), enlists the help of the Environmental Protection Agency in preserving and improving our drinking water. Because of this law and growing public concern, dramatic changes in public water systems over the next 5 years are likely to affect every community.
Consumers and the private sector help protect and improve drinking water by checking the quality of local systems and regional supplies and by working with utilities and State and local officials to protect and improve them. They help preserve water supplies by supporting wellhead protection and watershed control measures. And consumers encourage improved operation and maintenance of water facilities, increased monitoring, replacement of aging pipes and equipment, and installation of new treatment technologies where necessary. 102 STAT. 5007 We desire drinking water of the highest quality and realize that our large water supply is neither limitless nor without expense.
Knowing that good drinking water is a precious resource and one of the world’s most important products, we need to continue to understand and identify potential hazards, how such hazards enter our water supply, and the best means to eliminate them. The Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 185, has designated May 2 through May 8, 1988, as “National Drinking Water Week” and has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of that occasion. NOW, THEREFORE, I, RONALD REAGAN, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 2 through May 8, 1988, as National Drinking Water Week.
I call upon the people of the United States and government officials to observe that week with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities to enhance public awareness about drinking water and recognition of the benefits of drinking water. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of May, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twelfth. RONALD REAGAN 5810 May 3, 1988 Father's Day, 1988 Digitization Vendor By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Proclamation 5810 of May 3, 1988 Father's Day, 1988 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Once again we celebrate Father’s Day, by tradition the third Sunday in June, a day to honor and salute fathers everywhere for their love and devotion.
As a weary child tumbles into his father’s arms, to be lifted up and carried, he feels his father’s strength and is content. In that perch he is like a captain, confidently scanning the horizons of his world, secure in the knowledge that his ship will carry him safely through any threatening seas. Children, vulnerable and dependent, desperately need such security, and it has ever been a duty and a joy of fatherhood to offer it. Being a father requires strength in many ways; above all, it requires character.
Raising a family is no easy task, of course, but one of trial, frustration, and disappointment. Great strength and more than a little courage are needed to persevere, to fight discouragement, and to keep working for the family. In that strength, and with God’s grace, fathers find the patience to teach, the fortitude to provide, the compassion to comfort, and the mercy to forgive. All of this is to say that they find the strength to love their wives and children selflessly. And it is above all for this wondrous, mysterious love that fathers shower upon their families, and that allows them to ceaselessly put their families’ needs first, that we honor fathers with their own special day. 102 STAT. 5008 Our gratitude is not limited to Father’s Day, but remains constant; indeed, there are not enough days in the year to express it properly.
Still, it is fitting that on such a day the American people pause to celebrate all fathers for their loving care for their youngsters. Our Nation can only continue to prosper if our families prosper. Nothing can replace the family’s role as prime nurturer and educator of children, and nowhere are our country’s shared values more effectively transmitted to future generations. So let us thank all fathers on this day; but, above all, let us each take this occasion to express our thanks and our affection to our own fathers, whether we can do so in person or in prayer.
We are perhaps no longer little children riding on our fathers’ shoulders, yet we will forever feel their firm and loving guidance through life’s challenges. NOW, THEREFORE, I, RONALD REAGAN, President of the United States of America, in accordance with a joint resolution of the Congress approved April 24, 1972 (36 U.S.C. 142a), do hereby proclaim Sunday, June 19, 1988, as Father’s Day. I invite the States and communities and people of the United States to observe that day with appropriate ceremonies as a mark of appreciation and abiding affection for their fathers.
I direct government officials to display the flag of the United States on all Federal government buildings, and I urge all Americans to display the flag at their homes and other suitable places on that day. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of May, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twelfth. RONALD REAGAN 5811 May 5, 1988 National Defense Transportation Day and National Transportation Week, 1988 Digitization Vendor By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Proclamation 5811 of May 5, 1988 National Defense Transportation Day and National Transportation Week, 1988 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Transportation is essential to American life.
Our safe, fast, economical, and convenient movement of people and goods is the cornerstone of our country’s social and economic welfare and of our national defense. Now, as in the past, our transportation systems—highways, airports, inland waterways, railroads and public transit, our merchant fleet and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway—provide a superior emergency response network and are available as a critical component of our national defense. As our citizens travel in record numbers for business or pleasure, our local, State, and Federal governments continue to work with the transportation industry to enhance transportation safety.
The growth of our Nation and the development of transportation have been intertwined throughout our history. Those who first explored this vast country were followed by pioneers who established settlements. Most of the road routes, river systems, and ocean ports used by our 102 STAT. 5009earliest settlers are still in use today. Many of our great cities originated as towns that were starting or end points for transportation systems. As trade and commerce grew, transportation provided the necessary link to vital resources that in turn enabled further national growth.
On land and water, in the air, and in space, our transportation systems have become an essential element of our Nation’s economic health, providing indispensable services and generating employment for millions of people. This week we acknowledge the contributions of the dedicated people who build, maintain, and safeguard our transportation systems—from the flagman on a highway project to the space engineer. We honor those who led the way in the development and improvement of ships, waterways, motor vehicles, highways, trains, airplanes, and our newest transportation vehicles, spacecraft.
The recent announcement of our National Space Policy means that we continue to call for the help of modern-day pioneers on the frontiers of space technology. With public and private cooperation, our Nation is building a highway to space that will serve as an economic bridge to the 21st century. In recognition of the importance of transportation and of the millions of Americans who serve and supply our transportation needs, the Congress has requested, by joint resolution approved May 16, 1957 (36 U.S.C. 160), that the third Friday in May of each year be designated as “National Defense Transportation Day”; and by joint resolution approved May 14, 1962 (36 U.S.C. 166), that the week in which that Friday falls be proclaimed “National Transportation Week.
” NOW, THEREFORE, I, RONALD REAGAN, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim Friday, May 20, 1988, as National Defense Transportation Day and the week of May 15 through May 21, 1988, as National Transportation Week. I urge the people of the United States to observe these occasions with appropriate ceremonies that will give full recognition to the citizens and groups that operate the transportation systems of our country. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twelfth.
RONALD REAGAN 5812 May 5, 1988 National Older Americans Abuse Prevention Week, 1988 Digitization Vendor By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Proclamation 5812 of May 5, 1988 National Older Americans Abuse Prevention Week, 1988 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Each year during May, through the vehicle of Older Americans Month, our Nation honors its senior citizens for their many contributions to our country, its communities, and its families.
The vast majority of older Americans are active members of society—working, creating, volunteering, or simply enjoying the fruits of long years of service to others. As parents and grandparents, they extend their contributions through 102 STAT. 5010formation of coming generations of our citizens—their children and grandchildren. The commerce of love between generations—fulfillment of a duty and recognition of a debt—is a ballast that steadies our national enterprise on its voyage from past to future.
Not every older American leads an ideal life, however. Regrettably, some suffer from abuse and neglect, wounds all the more grievous for everything these citizens have done to build and strengthen this land of liberty. For these men and women, years that should be full of satisfaction and appreciation become instead manacles of torment and disrespect from which they cannot escape. Abuse can take many forms—physical, mental, or emotional. It can come from family members, friends, or professionals; it can even be self-inflicted.
Neglect is also a form of abuse, a manifestation of carelessness that can be seen even in Situations where an elderly person’s basic needs for food and shelter are being met. Loneliness, of course, is its most obvious sign, and fortunately the most easily cured by others. Abuse and neglect reach their ultimate expression, of course, in occasional cases of—and even organized calls for—euthanasia of the elderly infirm. Older Americans have done their duty. In their twilight years, especially, it is our duty to them that matters.
No elderly person should live in fear that he or she is a burden to others or that his or her life will be cut short for reasons of utility or convenience. We can never have too many reminders that the gift of life is ours to cherish and preserve from malice and harm until natural death. Across our country. State and Area Agencies on Aging, social service, and law enforcement agencies are supporting programs to deal effectively with the difficult problems posed by abuse of the elderly.
I urge every concerned American to help ensure that local programs are available to educate people about these problems and to assist both the older person and the abuser to get the help they need. The Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 222, has designated the week of May 1 through May 7, 1988, as “National Older Americans Abuse Prevention Week” and has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of the week. NOW, THEREFORE, I, RONALD REAGAN, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the week of May 1, 1988, through May 7, 1988, as National Older Americans Abuse Prevention Week.
I urge all government agencies, every community, and every American to observe this period with appropriate activities and to strive to assure that every older American can enjoy what the poet called that honor, love, and obedience “that should accompany old age.” IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twelfth. RONALD REAGAN 5813 May 5, 1988 Public Service Recognition Week, 1988 Digitization Vendor By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation
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4 references not yet in our index
- Pub. L. 99-939
- 36 USC 142a
- 36 USC 160
- 36 USC 166
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cites case law
Proclamation 5809
Pub. L.Pub. L. 99-939
Cite36 USC 142a
Cite36 USC 160
Cite36 USC 166
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