Proclamation 5327 -- National DES Awareness Week, 1985
April 25, 1985
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Between 1941 and 1971, a number of pregnant women in the United States were prescribed DES (diethylstilbestrol) to prevent miscarriage. This powerful synthetic hormone was used not only in problem pregnancies but also in some normal pregnancies. As a result, some three million children were exposed to DES while in the womb.
Many scientists fear that exposure to DES may be linked to some forms of cancer. This fear is enough to call attention to the possible health threats faced by past users of DES and their children. Many of the cancers that may be related to DES can be effectively treated if detected at an early, localized stage. Awareness of the threats posed by past DES use should result in increased attention to regular checkups, the first step to effective detection and treatment.
To increase the public understanding of DES exposure, the Congress of the United States, by Senate Joint Resolution 63, has designated the week of April 21 through April 27, 1985, as ``National DES Awareness Week'' and authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation calling for observance of this week.
Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the week of April 21 through April 27, 1985, as National DES Awareness Week. I call upon all government agencies and the people of the United States to observe this week with appropriate activities.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 25th day of April, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and ninth.
Ronald Reagan
[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 4:36 p.m., April 25, 1985]
Proclamation 5328 -- Older Americans Month, 1985
April 25, 1985
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Within recent years, older Americans have achieved economic parity with the rest of our Nation's population. This welcome development has meant a true sense of independence for most older Americans.
The tremendous strides that we as a Nation have made in our standard of living and health care have also meant that each succeeding generation of older Americans is proving to be more vigorous and self-sufficient than were its forebears at comparable ages. This translates into a real increase in independence for our Nation's older people.
In the years ahead, we can enhance our personal independence even further by pursuing lifestyles designed to protect our health; by thoughtful planning for our retirement years; and by maintaining strong and close ties with our families, neighbors, and friends.
Our rich heritage of neighbor assisting neighbor continues to thrive not only in its original form, but also as manifested in the emergence of a variety of private helping organizations at the community level. For those older Americans who need outside support to maintain the independence we cherish, it is reassuring to know that assistance is available through a nationwide network of State and area agencies and also private agencies who devote services to the elderly.
Each of us can enrich the lives of others -- and ennoble our own lives -- by volunteering in whatever way we can to help older Americans in need of assistance. Age is no barrier to this effort, which should involve families, neighbors, and friends, as we help others continue to realize the dream of independence.
When we -- each in our own way -- strive to maintain our independence and help others to do the same, we will be fulfilling the theme of this year's Older Americans Month, ``Help Yourself to Independence.''
Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the month of May 1985 as Older Americans Month. I ask public officials at all levels, community agencies, educators, the communications media, and the American people to take this opportunity to honor older Americans and to encourage them to do everything they can to make their health last a lifetime.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and ninth.
Ronald Reagan
[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 4:37 p.m., April 25, 1985]
Proclamation 5329 -- Fair Housing Month, 1985
April 25, 1985
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
1985 marks the seventeenth anniversary of the passage of Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, commonly referred to as the Federal Fair Housing Act. That law declared it to be a national policy to provide, within constitutional limits, for fair housing throughout the United States. In particular, that Act prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
Fairness is the foundation of our way of life and reflects the best of our traditional American values. Invidious, discriminatory housing practices undermine the strength and vitality of America and her people. In this seventeenth year since the passage of the Fair Housing Act, let us work together to strengthen enforcement of fair housing laws for all Americans so as to make the idea of nondiscriminatory housing a reality.
The Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 79, has designated the month of April 1985 as ``Fair Housing Month'' and authorized and requested the President to issue an appropriate proclamation in observance of this event.
Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the month of April 1985 as Fair Housing Month, and I invite the Governors of the several States, the chief officials of local governments, and the people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 25th day of April, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and ninth.
Ronald Reagan
[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 11:38 a.m., April 26, 1985]
Note: The President signed the proclamation at a ceremony in the Oval Office at the White House at 4:45 p.m. Among those participating in the ceremony were Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Samuel R. Pierce, Jr., Attorney General Edwin Meese III, and several Members of Congress.