Proclamation 5331 -- National Child Safety Awareness Month, 1985
April 29, 1985
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
May has been designated as National Child Safety Awareness Month this year, but for a mother or father who has suffered the tragedy of a missing child, the nightmare is not confined to one day, one week, or one month. It stays with them until their child is found. For all too many parents, it stays with them forever.
More than 1,500,000 children have been reported missing in the United States, but until recently there was little concerted action to deal with this problem. Today, however, a new spirit of activism is bringing together parents, law enforcement officials, and community agencies in an energetic drive to increase public awareness of the need to protect our Nation's children.
One of the most encouraging developments in this regard was the establishment of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. This Center disseminates educational material about child safety, offers information about voluntary identification procedures for young people, and maintains a toll-free hotline to help locate missing children. It is providing a needed focus for our Nation's efforts to stem this serious problem.
The safety of our children is everyone's responsibility, and by working together we can make a difference. It is important for parents to instruct their children at an early age and ensure that they know their complete name, address, and how to dial their telephone number. The public and private sectors can provide the assistance that is needed by children who are victims of abuse, including safe and secure shelter for runaway and homeless youth to protect them from the dangers they might encounter on the streets. Corporations can be helpful by publicizing the plight of missing children to facilitate their identification and return home.
The most important thing we can all do, however, is to create a society in which our children are respected, loved, and cherished. The family is the natural place for demonstrating this love and respect, but the spirit of respect for family values should be spread widely throughout society. Activities such as child pornography should be straightforwardly condemned as inconsistent with a society that truly loves its children and respects the integrity of the childhood years. By speaking up and making their voices heard, concerned Americans can make a big difference in the kind of society our children will grow up in and, even more, in their ability to grow up with the love and security that should be every child's birthright.
The Congress, by House Joint Resolution 33, has designated the month of May 1985 as ``National Child Safety Awareness Month'' and has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this event.
Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 1985 as National Child Safety Awareness Month. I call on all Americans to join the effort to protect our children to ensure a healthy and productive generation of Americans as our contribution to the future.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 29th 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, 4:25 p.m., April 29, 1985]
Proclamation 5332 -- Mother's Day, 1985
April 29, 1985
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
For most of this century, we have set aside the second Sunday in May as a special day when we honor our mothers. It is very appropriate that we do so because from the earliest days of our country, mothers have played a major role in building America into a great Nation. The fortitude, courage, and love of family and country shown by these brave pioneer women lives on in mothers today.
It is especially important that we honor mothers today, because we are more aware than ever before of the importance of the family unit, in which mothers play so central a role. Families are truly the foundation of society, and mothers the vital foundation of the life of the family. Their influence on the training and education of our youth is so deep and pervasive that it is impossible to measure.
When we honor mothers, therefore, we honor the women who shape our Nation's future. Their collective effect on the America our children will inherit is greater than that of any act of Congress or any Presidential decision. I am happy, therefore, to have this chance once a year to pay them tribute.
In recognition of the contributions of all mothers to their families and to the Nation, the Congress, by a joint resolution approved May 8, 1914 (38 Stat. 770), has designated the second Sunday in May each year as Mother's Day and requested the President to call for its appropriate observance.
Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby request that Sunday, May 12, 1985, be observed as Mother's Day. I direct government officials to display the flag of the United States on all Federal government buildings, and I urge all citizens to display the flag at their homes and other suitable places on that day.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth 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, 4:26 p.m., April 29, 1985]
Proclamation 5333 -- National Tourism Week, 1985
April 29, 1985
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Travel has long been recommended as a way to broaden the mind and refresh the spirit. But in previous ages, travel was often hazardous and difficult. The rewards of a romantic adventure could sometimes be more than overbalanced by the dangers a traveler might encounter along the way.
Today, the travel and tourism sector of our economy constitutes the second largest retail industry in the United States. The benefits of travel remain as enticing as ever, but the hazards and dangers have largely disappeared. Americans who want to travel abroad can experience the tremendous diversity of the world's cultures on group excursions or on individually designed tours.
Many Americans, however, are choosing to remain near home and explore the natural beauties and historic monuments of our own Nation. And many citizens of foreign lands are joining them in discovering that America's rich history and scenic wonders make it an excellent place to take a vacation.
The Congress, by Public Law 98 - 424 of September 25, 1984, has designated the week beginning May 19, 1985, as ``National Tourism Week'' and has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this event.
Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the week beginning May 19, 1985, as National Tourism Week. I call upon the people of the United States to observe this week with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth 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, 10:57 a.m., April 30, 1985]