Proclamation 7081.
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/statutes-at-large/vol-112/proclamation-7081·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
112 STAT. 3738 Proclamation 7081 of April 10, 1998 Pan American Day and Pan American Week, 1998 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Today, the nations of the Americas stand at the forefront of a promising new era of exciting growth and global cooperation. Americans north and south of the equator are communicating, interacting, and trading with one another more than ever before. All the nations in our hemisphere but one enjoy freely elected governments that promote human rights, free enterprise, and sustainable economic development through free trade.
These vibrant democracies continue to seek opportunities to work together for the security, prosperity, and general welfare of all our citizens. In keeping with this spirit of cooperation, the leaders of the 34 American democracies will meet in Santiago, Chile, on April 18 and 19 for the second Summit of the Americas. The United States hosted the first such summit in Miami in December 1994, and we look forward to strengthening our involvement in what is becoming a mature partnership that is fostering increased prosperity and security for our country.
We hope to reach agreements in Santiago that will enhance hemispheric collaboration in more than 20 areas—including education, economic integration, democracy, justice, counternarcotics, security, poverty, and human rights. This month also marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Organization of American States (OAS), a cornerstone of cooperation in our hemisphere. The most recent successes of the OAS include agreements against corruption and illegal firearms trafficking and ratification of the Washington Protocol, which provides for the suspension from the OAS of any country whose democracy has been overthrown by force.
We applaud the crucial role the OAS plays in promoting and preserving democracy and human rights in the Americas. We look forward to its continued success in multilateral efforts to deepen the roots of democracy in this hemisphere and create new possibilities for progress in the next millennium. The peoples of the Americas stand united in a commitment to democratic values and to increased regional cooperation and understanding. The partnership among our countries is laying the foundations for lasting freedom, prosperity, and peace in our hemisphere and bringing to reality our shared vision of a brighter future.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Tuesday, April 14, 1998, as Pan American Day and April 12 through April 18, 1998, as Pan American Week. I urge the Governors of the 50 States, the Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the officials of other areas under the flag of the United States of America to honor these observances with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this tenth day of April, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-eight,112 STAT. 3739 and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-second. WILLIAM J. CLINTON 7082 April 15, 1998 National Recall Round-Up Day, 1998 Digitization Vendor By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Proclamation 7082 of April 15, 1998 National Recall Round-Up Day, 1998 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation More than 21,000 Americans lose their lives each year in accidents involving consumer products, and more than 29 million are injured.
These accidents cost our Nation over $200 billion annually, and the cost in terms of human suffering is immeasurable. The Consumer Product Safety Commission
(CPSC)is on the front line of the Federal Government’s efforts to protect the safety and well-being of our citizens, especially our children. The CPSC monitors the performance of more than 15,000 types of consumer products and secures the recall of those that prove to be defective and potentially hazardous. Last year alone, the CPSC negotiated 362 recalls involving over 76 million individual consumer products that presented a significant risk to the public. But getting dangerous products off store shelves is only the first step. The real challenge is getting them out of the homes of people who have already purchased them. On April 16, the CPSC, in conjunction with State and local governments and community organizations across the country, will conduct the second annual Recall Round-Up Day. This initiative is a public safety campaign to warn Americans that they may still be exposing themselves and their families to recalled products that could seriously injure or even kill them. Despite recalls and safety alerts issued by the CPSC, many of these hazardous products are still in consumers’ homes or can be purchased at secondhand stores and garage sales. This year’s Recall Round-Up effort will spotlight the dangers associated with five types of previously recalled consumer products: playpens, bunk beds, halogen floor lamps, hand-held hair dryers, and lawn darts. The CPSC encourages government officials, health, safety, and consumer agencies, community organizations, and the media to alert the American people—particularly parents and child care providers—to the importance of repairing, returning, or destroying any of these products if they have been recalled. I encourage all Americans to make use of this vital information to protect the safety and health of their families and to avoid preventable tragedies. NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 16, 1998, as National Recall Round-Up Day. I call upon all Americans to observe this day by working with safety, health, and consumer agencies and other appropriate community organizations to organize and conduct local round-ups of dangerous and defective consumer products and to warn parents, child care providers, and the general public about the hazards of using recalled consumer products. 112 STAT. 3740 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-second. WILLIAM J. CLINTON 7083 April 17, 1998 National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Week, 1998 Digitization Vendor By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Proclamation 7083 of April 17, 1998 National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Week, 1998 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation On December 1, 1997, 14-year-old Nicole Hadley was killed when a classmate opened fire inside her high school in Paducah, Kentucky. When doctors told Gwen and Chuck Hadley that their daughter had no hope for recovery, her parents remembered that Nicole believed strongly in organ donation, and in the midst of their own intense grief, the Hadleys made the courageous decision to honor Nicole’s wishes and donate her organs. This decision helped to save the lives of at least two people and allowed Nicole’s spirit of grace and generosity to live on after her death. Thousands of families have made the same selfless decision and have given the gift of life to someone in need of an organ or tissue transplantation. Today, approximately 55,000 Americans are on the national organ transplant waiting list, hoping for a second chance. Yet, every day, 10 people will die because organs are not available. These tragic deaths are unnecessary. Our country has a large number of people who qualify as organ donors—but many still have not chosen to become donors. Last year, to help remedy this situation, Vice President Gore, with the Department of Health and Human Services, launched the National Organ and Tissue Donation Initiative to increase awareness of the urgent need for increased donation. We are working to ensure that all Americans know that by completing and carrying a donor card—and by making their families aware of their decision to donate—they may give the gift of life to other Americans or ease their suffering. And families who have lost their loved ones can gain solace in knowing that they have been able to bring life and comfort to others. This week, I encourage all Americans to honor the memory of Nicole Hadley—and the thousands of other generous people who have donated their organs—by learning more about the benefits of becoming an organ and tissue donor and by filling out a donor card. NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 19 through April 25, 1998, as National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Week. I urge all health care professionals, educators, the media, public and private organizations concerned with organ donation and transplantation, the clergy, and all Americans to join me in promoting greater awareness and acceptance of this humanitarian action. 112 STAT. 3741 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of April, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-second. WILLIAM J. CLINTON 7084 April 20, 1998 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, 1998 Digitization Vendor By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Proclamation 7084 of April 20, 1998 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, 1998 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Every day, thousands of Americans become victims of crime. Many suffer physical injury, and most experience emotional scars that may never fully heal. And all victims of crime, and their families and friends, often remain troubled by feelings of vulnerability and concerned about their personal safety. Five years ago, my Administration made a commitment to take back our streets from criminals and to combat the crime and violence that affects so many Americans. With the Crime Act, the Brady Act, the Violence Against Women Act, and other tough legislation, we have put into action a comprehensive anticrime strategy that includes community policing, antigang programs, and strong penalties for criminals. Our strategy is working. Crime rates across the country are at a 25-year low. Violent crimes and property crimes have decreased, and the murder rate is down dramatically. While we can take pride in this progress, we cannot afford to become complacent. We must build on the anticrime programs we have put into place if we are to win the war against crime. As part of our continuing efforts, this year the Department of Justice is awarding more than $135 million in grants under the Violence Against Women program to help State and local authorities reduce domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault. These funds will enable communities to train more police, hire prosecutors, and provide assistance to the victims of such crimes. Earlier this month, after thorough study, the Secretary of the Treasury concluded that we should ban more than 50 kinds of modified assault weapons because they accept large-capacity military magazines. By keeping these weapons off our streets and out of the hands of criminals, we will take another crucial step toward halting the scourge of gun violence that has taken such a tragic toll on America’s children and families. During National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, we call to mind those whose lives have been so abruptly and often violently changed. This annual observance is also a powerful reminder of the extraordinary capacity of our citizens to face adversity and overcome it. Across America, victims of crime have refused to become victims of a criminal justice system that too often ignores or compromises their rights while protecting the rights of criminals. With courage and determination, crime victims and their dedicated advocates have succeeded in winning constitutional amendments in 29112 STAT. 3742 States that guarantee such fundamental rights as protection from further harm, which includes keeping victims and accused criminals in separate rooms during court proceedings; the right of victims to call upon law enforcement if they feel they are being harassed or intimidated in connection with a pending case; and the right to be notified of a convicted criminal’s release from incarceration. And after decades of advocacy, a proposed Federal constitutional amendment for victims now lies before the Congress. We have the opportunity—and the responsibility—to amend the United States Constitution to ensure that the rights of victims are honored in every court throughout our Nation. This year, our observance of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week coincides with the anniversary of the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. That tragedy brought home to an entire Nation the extraordinary suffering and grief that can be rendered by a single, senseless, criminal act. In remembering the many victims of this brutal crime, let us pledge to sustain our efforts to reduce violent crime, to provide comfort and support to its victims as they strive to rebuild their lives, and to keep victims’ rights a primary concern in America’s criminal justice system. NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 19 through April 25, 1998, as National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. I urge all Americans to remember crime victims and their families by working to reduce violence, to assist those harmed by crime, and to make our homes and communities safer places in which to live and raise our families. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-second. WILLIAM J. CLINTON 7085 April 21, 1998 National Volunteer Week, 1998 Digitization Vendor By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Proclamation 7085 of April 21, 1998 National Volunteer Week, 1998 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Volunteers enrich our lives every day with their generosity and compassion. In recent months, we have witnessed the extraordinary response of America’s volunteers to the plight of those who have suffered from the severe weather plaguing much of our country. In communities devastated by mud slides, ice storms, flash floods, or tornadoes, volunteers have opened their hearts and homes to offer shelter, hot meals, building materials, and—most important—the hope and support that people desperately need to begin putting their lives back together. This spirit of citizen service has deep and strong roots in America’s past, and by nurturing this spirit we can help to ensure a better future for our Nation. 112 STAT. 3743 Just one year ago, at the Presidents’ Summit for America’s Future in Philadelphia, I called on all Americans to dedicate their volunteer efforts to the well-being of our children and to make the social and educational development of our youngest citizens a national priority. Thousands of individuals and organizations across America pledged their support for this effort; and today, we can be proud that more than 93 million Americans are regularly volunteering to help hundreds of thousands of children in need, serving as leaders, mentors, tutors, and companions. Through their hard work and generous response, this growing army of volunteers is making our streets safer, our schools better, our children healthier, and our future brighter. We must not only preserve this remarkable spirit of citizen service, but also expand it. By emulating our Nation’s many unsung heroes—from the 12-year-old in California who distributed dolls to disadvantaged children, to the businessman in New York who created one of our country’s first school-to-work programs—we must strive together to build a society free from crime, poverty, illiteracy, and hopelessness. And by making citizen service the shared experience of all Americans, we can build a sense of common responsibility for our future. This week and throughout the year, let us salute all those who devote their time and talents to the betterment of our communities and the well-being of our children. Let us honor the work of the thousands of voluntary, civic, religious, school, and neighborhood groups across our Nation who do so much to serve their fellow Americans and improve the quality of life for us all. Let us also recognize and support the efforts of the Corporation for National Service and its programs—AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve America, and the National Senior Service Corps—as well as all the organizations, communities, and individuals who have responded to the Presidents’ Summit call to action and are following through on the work begun there. NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 19 through April 25, 1998, as National Volunteer Week. I call upon all Americans to observe this week with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities to express appreciation to the countless volunteers among us for their commitment to service and to encourage the spirit of volunteerism in our families and communities. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-first day of April, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-second. WILLIAM J. CLINTON 7086 April 22, 1998 National Park Week, 1998 Digitization Vendor By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation