September 7, 1987
It is with great pleasure that I join all Americans in celebrating Labor Day, 1987. Each year, at summer's end, we pause to honor working men and women. Their labor, resourcefulness, and devotion to family and country have forged the freest, most prosperous nation the world has ever known. Their trades and occupations are countless, but with all their diversity they are one in commitment to the ideals of democracy and to the dream of a better life for themselves and for their children. In the pursuit of that American dream, every generation has proven anew the dignity of work and of working people.
Labor Day provides all of us with an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of work not simply as an economic necessity but as an expression of deeper human qualities. We can be truly grateful that God has blessed our nation with an abundance which has permitted us to produce a vast quantity of goods for people around the world. But we must always remember that of all of our resources none is more valuable or important than the American worker. We rejoice in the fact that more of our citizens are working than ever before and that we continue to be a land of hope, energy, and opportunity.
On this occasion, let us also remember the freedoms and the sacrifices that have made our abundance possible. We are heirs to a precious legacy, one that has taken centuries to build, and we must forever recognize that its preservation and increase are our glad task and solemn responsibility.