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Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
Digital Library Collections
This is a PDF of a folder from our textual collections.
Collection: Roberts, John G.: Files
Folder Title: JGR/Proclamations
(11/01/1983-11/30/1983)
Box: 45
To see more digitized collections visit:
https://reaganlibrary.gov/archives/digital-library
To see all Ronald Reagan Presidential Library inventories visit:
https://reaganlibrary.gov/document-collection
Contact a reference archivist at: [email protected]
Citation Guidelines: https://reaganlibrary.gov/citing
National Archives Catalogue: https://catalog.archives.gov/
MEMORANDUM
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
November 7, 1983
FOR:
FRED F. FIELDING
FROM:
JOHN G. ROBERTS
ask
SUBJECT:
Draft Proclamation:
National Christmas Seal Month
Dodie Livingston has asked for comments by 3:00 p.m. today
on the above-referenced draft proclamation, which proclaims
this month as National Christmas Seal Month. The proclama-
tion, authorized and requested by S.J. Res. 188, has been
approved by OMB. It reviews the impact of the various lung
diseases and the work of the American Lung Association --
the Christmas Seal people -- in combatting the diseases. I
have no legal objections. The draft is over-long, but Dodie
Livingston plans to edit it.
Attachment
MEMORANDUM
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
November 7, 1983
FOR:
DODIE LIVINGSTON
SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT
DIRECTOR, SPECIAL PRESIDENTIAL MESSAGES
Orig. signed by FFF
FROM:
FRED F. FIELDING
COUNSEL TO THE PRESIDENT
SUBJECT:
Draft Proclamation:
National Christmas Seal Month
Counsel's Office has reviewed the above-referenced draft
proclamation and finds no objection to it from a legal
perspective. We agree that the draft is too lengthy and
should be shortened.
FFF:JGR:ph 11/7/83
CC: FFFielding
JGRoberts
Subject
Chron.
ID #.
CU
WHITE HOUSE
CORRESPONDENCE TRACKING WORKSHEET
. OUTGOING
H INTERNAL
y INCOMING
Date Correspondence
Received (YY/MM/DD)
/
/
Name of Correspondent: DODIE LIVINGSTON
MI Mail Report
User Codes: (A)
(B)
(C)
Subject: Draft Proclamat on : National
Christmas Seal Month
ROUTE TO:
ACTION
DISPOSITION
Tracking
Type
Completion
Action
Date
of
Date
Office/Agency
(Staff Name)
Code
YY/MM/DD
Response
Code
YY/MM/DD
WHOLL
ORIGINATOR 83,11,07
/
/
Referral Note:
WAT18
a
83,11,07
5 83,11,07
3:00pm
Referral Note:
I 1
/
/
Referral Note:
/ /
/
/
-
Referral Note:
/
/
/
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-
Referral Note:
ACTION CODES:
DISPOSITION CODES:
A
Appropriate Action
I - Info Copy/Only/No Action Necessary
A Answered
C Completed
Comment/Recommendation
R Direct Reply w/Gopy
B Non-Special Referral
S Suspended
D Draft Response
S For Signature
F Fumish Fact Sheet
X - Interim Reply
to be used as Enclosure
FOR DUTGOING CORRESPONDENCE:
Type of Response - Initials of Signer
Code TA"
Completion Date = Date of Outgoing
Comments:
Keep this worksheet attached to the original Incoming letter.
Send all routing updates to Central Reference (Room 75, OEOB).
Always return completed correspondence record to Central Files.
Refer questions about the correspondence tracking system to Central Reference, ext 2590.
5/81
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
"
#167877
November 7, 1983
MEMORANDUM FOR:
KEN DUBERSTEIN
CRAIG FULLER
JACK SVAHN
LEE VERSTANDIG
FAITH WHITTLESEY
FROM:
DODIE LIVINGSTON
SUBJECT:
DRAFT PROCLAMATION/
National Christmas
Seal Month
Attached for your review is the draft proclamation
designating the month of November 1983 as National
National Christmas Seal Month.
The proposed proclamation was drafted by Dale Dirks, Vice
President for Government Relations, Health and Medicine
Counsel of Washington, 347-7878. The draft was not
changed in my office in the interests of time, but I will try
to tighten it up as it is rather long.
and, if it is easier, just phone your responses to my office,
x2941. We have been asked to get this turned around in
time for the President to sign it prior to his departure
tomorrow morning. My office is 480 EOB.
As always, many thanks.
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
CENTER
OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
STATES
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20503
GENERAL COUNSEL
November 7, 1983
MEMORANDUM FOR:
THE PRESIDENT
FROM:
MICHAEL J. HOROWITZ
COUNSEL TO THE DIRECTOR
MU
SUBJECT:
NATIONAL CHRISTMAS SEAL MONTH
Pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 188, which passed both
Houses of the Congress, the President is authorized and
requested to issue a proclamation designating the month of
November, 1983 as "National Christmas Seal Month."
The proposed proclamation was prepared by the American Lung
Association and has been reviewed in this office for form
and legality. It has been retyped to reflect minor edi-
torial changes and as to format.
The proposed proclamation has the approval of the Director
of the Office of Management and Budget.
Enclosure
NATIONAL CHRISTMAS SEAL MONTH
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
Chronic diseases of the lung afflict well over 17
million Americans, cause more than 200,000 deaths annually,
and cost the Nation more than $48 billion in lost wages,
production and medical expenses.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases have been among
the fastest rising causes of death. Almost. seven million
Americans, including over two million children, suffer from
asthma. Two and one-half million Americans have emphysema,
while almost eight million suffer from chronic bronchitis.
Furthermore, it is expected that lung cancer will surpass
breast cancer as the leading cause of cancer deaths among
American women during this decade.
Leading the fight in the voluntary sector to prevent
illness, disability, and death from lung disease is the
American Lung Association--the Christmas Seal people--a
nonprofit public health organization supported by individual
contributions to Christmas Seals and other donations.
The American Lung Association was the Nation's first
national voluntary public health organization. It was
founded in 1904 as the National Tuberculosis Association, to
combat tuberculosis when this lung disease was known to
nearly every American family and caused one in seven deaths.
Since 1907, Christmas Seals have been used to raise funds
through private contributions to help educate Americans
about this disease. In its early years, the National
Tuberculosis Association pioneered school programs aimed at
motivating young people to establish neaithIul living patterns.
That tradition remains strong, as the American Lung Association
continues to give high priority to its health education
activities in the schools.
In addition, the American Lung Association, through its
community lung Associations, helps educate the public,
patients and their families about lung diseases; sponsors
community action programs for good lung health; underwrites
medical research; supports education for physicians and
other health care workers; and wages vigorous campaigns
against cigarette smoking and air pollution. The primary
source of funding for more than 70 years has been Christmas
Seals. This year, Christmas Seals will be in 60 million
homes.
The American Lung Association cooperates with a variety
of Federal agencies to bring about a decrease in the serious
problem of lung disease, a mission to which its volunteers
and staff are committed. The American Lung Association
works with the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, a
major component of the National Institutes of Health, to
support research, training and demonstration programs relevant
to the lung. It also works with the National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences, the Tuberculosis Program of
the Centers for Disease Control, the Office of Smoking and
Health, and the Office of Health Promotion.
In recognition of the American Lung Association's
continuing efforts to eliminate all chronic diseases of the
lung, the Congress has, by Senate Joint Resolution 188,
authorized and requested the President to designate the
month of November, 1983, as "National Christmas Seal Month."
3
NOW, THEREFORE, I, RONALD REAGAN, President of the
United States of America, do hereby designate November, 1983
as National Christmas Seal Month, and call upon all Govern-
ment agencies and the people of the United States to observe
this month with appropriate activities and by supporting the
Christmas Seal program.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
day of November, in the year of our Lord
nineteen hundred and eighty-three, and of the Independence
of the United States of America the two hundred and eighth.
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
November 8, 1983
NATIONAL CHRISTMAS SEAL MONTH, 1983
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
Chronic diseases of the lung afflict well over 17 million
Americans, cause more than 200,000 deaths annually, and cost
the Nation more than $29.4 billion in lost wages and medical
expenses plus untold dollars in lost productivity.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases have been among
the fastest rising causes of death. Almost seven million
Americans, including over two million children, suffer from
asthma. Two and one-half million Americans have emphysema,
while almost eight million suffer from chronic bronchitis.
Furthermore, it is expected that deaths from lung cancer will
surpass breast cancer as the leading cause of cancer deaths
among American women during this decade.
Leading the fight in the voluntary sector to prevent
illness, disability, and death from lung disease is the
American Lung Association -- the Christmas Seal people -- a
nonprofit public health organization supported by individual
contributions to Christmas Seals and other donations.
The Nation's first national voluntary public health
organization, the Association was founded in 1904 to combat
tuberculosis. Since 1907, Christmas Seals have been used to
raise funds through private contributions to help educate
Americans about this disease. In its early years, the
National Tuberculosis Association pioneered school programs
aimed at motivating young people to establish healthful living
patterns. That tradition remains strong, as the American Lung
Association continues to give high priority to its health
education activities in the schools.
In addition, the American Lung Association, through its
community lung Associations, helps educate the public,
patients and their families about lung diseases; sponsors
community action programs for good lung health; underwrites
medical research; supports education for physicians and other
health care workers; and wages vigorous campaigns against
cigarette smoking and air pollution. The primary source of
funding for more than 70 years has been Christmas Seals. This
year, Christmas Seals will be in 60 million homes.
In recognition of the American Lung Association's
continuing efforts to eliminate all chronic diseases of the
lung, the Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 188, has
designated the month of November 1983 as "National Christmas
Seal Month" and has requested the President to issue a
proclamation in observance of that month.
more
(OVER)
2
NOW, THEREFORE, I, RONALD REAGAN, President of the United
States of America, do hereby proclaim November 1983 as
National Christmas Seal Month, and I call upon all Government
agencies and the people of the United States to observe this
month with appropriate activities and by supporting the
Christmas Seal program.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
eighth day of November, in the year of our Lord nineteen
hundred and eighty-three, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and eighth.
RONALD REAGAN
#
#
#
#
#
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
November 28, 1983
MEMORANDUM FOR FRED F. FIELDING
FROM:
JOHN G. ROBERTS ask
SUBJECT:
Draft Proclamation: Bill of Rights
Day/Human Rights Day and Week, 1983
Dodie Livingston asked for comments on the above-referenced
draft proclamation by close of business December 2. This
proclamation kills three birds with one stone, commemorating
Bill of Rights Day (December 15), Human Rights Day
(December 10), and Human Rights Week (December 10-16). The
proclamation, a traditional one without statutory basis, was
drafted by the State Department and approved by OMB. It
reviews the hopes that underlay the adoption by the United
Nations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in
1948, and notes how those hopes have been frustrated in the
Soviet Union, Poland, and Afghanistan. Specific mention is
made of the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Lech Walesa.
I have reviewed the draft proclamation and have no objection
to it.
Attachment
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
November 28, 1983
MEMORANDUM FOR DODIE LIVINGSTON
SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT
DIRECTOR, SPECIAL PRESIDENTIAL MESSAGES
FROM:
FRED F. FIELDING Orig. signed by FFF
COUNSEL TO THE PRESIDENT
SUBJECT:
Draft Proclamation: Bill of Rights
Day/Human Rights Day and Week, 1983
Counsel's Office has reviewed the above-referenced draft
proclamation, and finds no objection to it from a legal
perspective.
FFF:JGR:aea 11/28/83
CC: FFFielding/JGRoberts/Subj/Chron
ID #
CU
WHITE HOUSE
CORRESPONDENCE TRACKING WORKSHEET
NO
OUTGOING
H INTERNAL
I INCOMING
Date Correspondence
Received (YY/MM/DD)
/
/
Name of Correspondent: Dodie Livingston
MI Mall Report
User.Codes: (A)
(B)
(C)
Subject: Draft Proclamation Bill of Rights
Day / Human Rights week, 1983
ROUTE TO:
ACTION
DISPOSITION
Tracking
Type
Completion
Action
Date
of
Date
Office/Agency
(Staff Name)
Code
YY/MM/DD
Besponse
Code
YY/MM/DD
CUSSOLL
ORIGINATOR 83,11,23
/
Referral Note:
WAT 18
>>
83,11,23
S 8312102
Referral Note:
/
1
/
Referral Note:
/ /
/ /
Referral Note:
AL
/ /
Referral Note:
ACTION CODES;
DISPOSITION CODES
A
Appropriate Action
1, Info Dapy Only/No Action Necessary
A, Answered
D Completed
Comment/Recommendation
R Direct Heply w/Gopy
B: Non Special Referral
S Suspended
Draft Response
S - For Signature
Furnish Fact Sheet
x Interim Reply
to be used as Enclosure
FOR OUTGOING CORRESPONDENCE:
Type of Response Initials of Signer
Code
<
Completion Date Date of Onlgoing
Comments:
Keep this worksheet attached to the original incoming letter.
Send all routing updates to Central Reference (Room 75, DEOB).
Always return completed correspondence record to Central Files.
Refer questions about the correspondence tracking system to Central Reference, ext. 2590.
5/81
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
Document No. 167872
November 23, 1983
MEMORANDUM FOR:
KEN DUBERSTEIN
CRAIG FULLER
JACK SVAHN
LEE VERSTANDIG
FAITH WHITTLESEY
FROM:
DODIE LIVINGSTON
SUBJECT:
DRAFT PROCLAMATION: Bill of Rights
Day/Human Rights Week, 1983
Attached for your review is the proposed proclamation
which would proclaim December 10, 1983, as Human Rights
Day and December 15, 1983, as Bill of Rights Day. The
proclamation would call for the observance of the week
beginning December 10, 1983, as Human Rights Week.
The proposed proclamation was drafted by the Department of
State and was edited in my office to reflect style and
readability.
As Always, many thanks.
STECUTIVE UNITED OFFICE ALIMA
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
STATES
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20503
GENERAL COUNSEL
October 17, 1983
MEMORANDUM FOR:
THE PRESIDENT
FROM:
MICHAEL J. HOROWITZ
COUNSEL TO THE DIRECTOR
M4
SUBJECT:
BILL OF RIGHTS DAY - HUMAN RIGHTS
DAY AND WEEK, 1983
Enclosed is a proposed proclamation which would proclaim
December 10, 1983 (the anniversary of the adoption by the
United Nations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
as Human Rights Day and December 15, 1983 (the anniversary
of the adoption of our Bill of Rights), as Bill of Rights
Day; and would call for the observance of the week beginning
December 10, 1983, as Human Rights Week.
There is no statutory basis for issuance of the proposed
proclamation; however, it is a traditional observance
supported by a resolution of the United Nations.
The proposed proclamation was submitted by the Department
of State and has been retyped in this office to reflect
minor editorial changes and as to format.
The proposed proclamation has the approval of the Director
of the Office of Management and Budget.
Enclosure
BILL OF RIGHTS DAY
HUMAN RIGHTS DAY AND WEEK, 1983
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
On December 15, 1791, our Founding Fathers rejoiced in the
ratification of the first 10 amendments bi the Constitution of the United
States - a Bill of Rights which has helped guarantee all Americans the
liberty we so cherish.
One hundred and fifty seven years later, on December 10, 1948,
the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
an effort aimed at securing basic human rights for the peoples of all
nations.
So
Americans have long honored the gift of liberty. For it is with
glad hearts and thankful minds that on Bill of Rights Day we recognize
the special benefits of freedom bequeathed to posterity by the Found-
ing Fathers. They had a high regard for the liberty of all humanity
as reflected by Thomas Jefferson when he wrote in 1787, "A bill of
rights is what the people are entitled to against every government on
earth." In this century alone thousands of Americans have laid down
their lives on distant battlefields in Europe, Asia, and Africa in
defense of the basic human rights.
When the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by
the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, Americans hoped that the
Jeffersonian vision was about to be realized at last. The Universal
Declaration, it was believed, would embody the consensus of the
international community in favor of human rights and individual
liberty. And the United Nations, it was further thought, would serve
as the instrument through which the observance of human rights by
governments would be enforced by the international community.
2
Thirty-five years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration,
it is clear that these hopes have been fulfilled only in part. Never-
theless, the Universal Declaration remains an international standard
against which the human rights practices of all governments can be
measured. Its principles have become the basis of a number of
binding international covenants and conventions. At the United
Nations, it has served to strengthen the arguments of those govern-
ments which are genuinely interested in promoting human rights.
Still, the fact remains that even as we celebrate Bill of Rights
Day and Human Rights Day, human rights are frequently violated in
many nations. In the Soviet Union, for example, brave men and
women seeking to promote respect for human rights are often declared
mentally ill by their government and incarcerated in psychiatric
institutions. In Poland, the free trade-union movement Solidarity has
been brutally suppressed by the regime. And in Afghanistan, toxic
weapons, the use of which is outlawed by international conventions, are
being utilized by Soviet occupation forces against a people fighting for
their freedom and independence.
As Americans recall these and other human rights violations, we
should reflect on both the similarities and the differences between the
Bill of Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Both
great human rights documents were adopted in the aftermath of a
bitter war. Both envision a society where rulers and ruled are bound
by the laws of the land and where government rests on the consent
of the governed, is limited in its powers, and had as its principal
purpose the protection of individual liberty.
Yet while the Bill of Rights was adopted by a Nation in which
free institutions already flourished, many of the countries which
adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights lacked free
3
institutions. Since human rights are the product of such institutions
as a free press, free elections, free trade unions, and an independent
judiciary, it is not surprising that formal adherence to the Universal
Declaration by governments which suppress these institutions has
resulted in no real human rights gains.
By posing as champions of human rights, many governments hope
to disguise their own human rights abuse. It was with special
pleasure that I noted the recognition offered by the Nobel Peace Prize
to Lech Walesa for his real efforts on behalf of human rights in a
country where the government speaks only of the illusion of human
rights.
Human rights can only be secured when government empowers its
people, rather than itself, through the operation of free institutions.
Because our Founding Fathers understood this, we are blessed with a
system of government which protects our human rights. Today, let us
rededicate ourselves to respect these rights at home and to strive to
make the words of the Universal Declaration a living reality for all
mankind.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, RONALD REAGAN, President of the United
States of America, do hereby proclaim December 10, 1983 as Human
Rights Day and December 15, 1983, as Bill of Rights Day, and call
upon all Americans to observe the week beginning December 10, 1983
as Human Rights Week. During this period, let each of us give
special thought to the blessings we enjoy as a free people and renew
our efforts to making the promise of our Bill Rights a living reality for
all Americans and, whenever possible, for all mankind.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
day of
,
in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred
and eighty-three, and of the Independence of the United States of
America the two hundred and eighth.
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
November 28, 1983
MEMORANDUM FOR FRED F. FIELDING
FROM:
JOHN G. ROBERTS
are
SUBJECT:
Draft Proclamation -- Carrier Alert Week
Dodie Livingston requested comments by close of business
November 30 on the above-referenced draft proclamation. The
proclamation, authorized and requested by S.J. Res. 141, was
drafted by the Postal Service and has been approved by OMB.
It describes the Carrier Alert Program, under which postal
carriers who observe accumulations of mail for elderly or
disabled participants alert a designated social service
agency, and the agency checks to ensure the well-being of
the participant.
I have reviewed the draft proclamation, and have no
objection to it.
Attachment
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
November 28, 1983
MEMORANDUM FOR DODIE LIVINGSTON
SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT
DIRECTOR, SPECIAL PRESIDENTIAL MESSAGES
FROM:
FRED F. FIELDING Orig. signed by FFF
COUNSEL TO THE PRESIDENT
SUBJECT:
Draft Proclamation -- Carrier Alert Week
Counsel's Office has reviewed the above-referenced draft
proclamation, and finds no objection to it from a legal
perspective.
FFF: JGR:aea 11/28/83
cc: FFFielding/JGRoberts/Subj/Chron
ID #.
CU
WHITE HOUSE
CORRESPONDENCE TRACKING WORKSHEET
PD OUTGOING
TERNAL
1 INCOMING
Date Correspondence
Received (YY/MM/DD)
/
Name ibf Correspondent: Dodie Livingston
MI Mail Report
User Codes: (A)
(B)
(C)
Subject:
Draft Proclamatic on- Carrier alert week
ROUTE TO:
ACTION
DISPOSITION
Tracking
Type
Completion
Action
Date
of
Date
Office/Agency (Staff Name)
Code
YY/MM/DD
Response
Code
YY/MM/DD
WHOLL
ORIGINATOR 83,11,23
/
/
Referral Note:
WAT18
to
83111 23
5/8/11/80
Referral Note:
/
/
7
/
Referral Note:
/
/
/
Referral Note:
/ /
Referral Note:
ACTION CODES:
DISPOSITION CODES
A Appropriate Action
1 . Info Copy Only/No Action Necessary
A-A newered
C Completed
C Comment/Recommendation
R - Direct Replyav/Copy
B Non-Special Referral
S Suspended
D Draft Response
S For Signature
F Furnish Fact Sheet
K Interim Reply
to be used as Enclosure
FOR OUTGOING CORRESPONDENCE:
Type of Response Initials of Signer
Code
"A"
Completion Date Date of Disgoing
Comments:
Keep this worksheet attached to the original incoming letter.
Send all routing updates to Central Reference (Room 75, OEOB).
Always return completed correspondence record to Central Files.
Refer questions about the correspondence tracking system to Central Reference, ext. 2590.
5/81
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
#167884
November 23, 1983
MEMORANDUM FOR:
KEN DUBERSTEIN
CRAIG FULLER
JACK SVAHN
LEE VERSTANDIG
FAITH WHITTLESEY
A
FROM:
DODIE LIVINGSTON
SUBJECT:
DRAFT PROCLAMATION/
Carrier Alert Week
Attached for your review is the draft proclamation
designating the the week of December 4, 1983, as Carrier
Alert Week.
The proposed proclamation was drafted by W. Allen
Sanders, Associate General Counsel, U.S.P.S., 245-4636.
Very minor changes were made in my office.
As always, many thanks.
SENTO
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
OFFICE OF management AND BUDGET
STECUTIVE
STATE
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20503
GENERAL COUNSEL
November 22, 1983
MEMORANDUM FOR:
THE PRESIDENT
FROM:
MICHAEL J. HOROWITZ
COUNSEL TO THE DIRECTOR
MY
SUBJECT:
CARRIER ALERT WEEK
Pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 141, the President is
authorized and requested to issue a proclamation designating
the week beginning December 4, 1983, as "Carrier Alert
Week."
The proposed proclamation, which was submitted by the United
States Postal Service, has been retyped in this office to
reflect minor editorial changes and as to format.
The proposed proclamation has the approval of the Director
of the Office of Management and Budget.
Enclosure
CARRIER ALERT WEEK
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
A major problem faced by our Nation's elderly and
homebound is isolation. For many, friends and spouses have
died, and families have moved away. When no one is left to
check in on these individuals on a regular basis, illness or
injury may go undetected until more more serious consequences --
even death --- may result.
The United States Postal Service and the National
Association of Letter Carriers are doing something to allevi-
ate this problem. In growing numbers of towns and cities
all across America, they are involved in a program called
"Carrier Alert" in which mail carriers monitor the mailboxes
of participating residents for unusual accumulations of mail
which may signal distress. When such an accumulation occurs,
the Postal Service notifies a local sponsoring social service
agency which investigates and provides any necessary assistance.
Because mail carriers are in a unique position to be
this kind
able to spot these hinds of trouble quickly, the "Carrier
Alert" program provides an effective and valuable service to
the community. Participation in the program is entirely
voluntary and costs nothing to postal customers. Since the
inception of the "Carrier Alert" program in 1982, numerous
press accounts around the country have documented instances
in which the program has. saved the lives or eased the suffer-
disabled people
ings of the elderly or who would have been left
to languish alone in their pain but for a carrier's concern.
2
To encourage the American people to become more aware
of the "Carrier Alert" program and to participate more
broadly in it, and to recognize the efforts of the United
States Postal Service and the National Association of Letter
Carriers in providing this public-spirited assistance, the
Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 141, has authorized and
requested the President to issue a proclamation designating
the week beginning December 4, 1983, as "Carrier Alert
Week."
NOW, THEREFORE, I, RONALD REAGAN, President of the
United States of America, do hereby designate the week
beginning December 4, 1983 as "Carrier Alert Week. I call
upon the American people to observe that week with appro-
priate ceremonies and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
day of
, in the year of our Lord
nineteen hundred and eighty-three, and of the Independence
of the United States of America the two hundred and eighth.
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
November 28, 1983
REMARKS OF THE PRESIDENT
AT SIGNING CEREMONY
FOR B
The East Room
11:55 A.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: The Vice President and I are very happy
to welcome all of you here to the White House. Just a few minutes
ago, I had the pleasure of meeting the men and women who are sharing
the platform with us this morning. And this fine group has recently
been named the Oustanding Handicapped Federal Employees of the Year.
And we're proud that they're part of the federal government's team.
I also want to thank those members of Congress who are
here today, some of whom returned from their districts because of
the importance of this ceremony.
All of you in this room know that courage, patience and
hard work go a long way, and no one knows it better than my Press
Secretary, Jim Brady. Jim has inspired people everywhere and continues
to do so. And, Jim, we're delighted that you could take part in
today's ceremony. (Applause.)
In a few minutes, I'll sign a proclamation designating
1983 through 1982* the National Decade of Disabled Persons. Proclamations
can summon good people to action and light the path of hope. And
this proclamation, we think, will do both.
The 1981 International Year of Disabled Persons and the
1982 National Year of Disabled Persons stimulated new activity to
improve the lives of our disabled Americans. Consciousness was
raised, new partnerships formed, barriers reduced and opportunities
increased. Our own efforts in the White House, for example, have
helped generate a number of private projects involving transportation,
elementary school tutoring, eye diagnosis and surgery.
MORE
*1992
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But we can't rest on past success. The task before us is to main-
tain our momentum and to do more.
Today I'm establishing a clear national goal. Let us
increase the economic independence of every disabled American and
let us begin today. (Applause.)
The disabled want what all of us want. The opportunity
to contribute to our communities, to use our creativity, and to go
as far as our God-given talents will take us. We see remarkable
achievements in medicine, technology, education, rehabilitation,
and in preventive medicine. Voluntary efforts by the private
sector help in a thousand ways. America is a caring society. But
too often, federal programs discourage full participation by society.
Outmoded attitudes and practices that foster dependence are still
with us. They are unjust, unwanted, and non-productive. Paternalism
is the wrong answer.
The maze of federal programs complicates matters even
more. Thirty-two federal agencies fund handicapped research. There
are at least forty-two separate federal programs specifically tar-
geted toward the handicapped population with an annual budget in
excess of 36 billion dollars. More than a hundred other programs
provide handicapped services and support. Now, many good things
are being done and federal programs help in countless ways. But
the patchwork quilt of existing policies and programs can be as much
of a hindrance as a help.
Programs overlap, they work at cross purposes, and
worst of all, they don't always point toward independence and jobs.
So we have a lot of work to do and this work will be done.
Since last April, a White House working group on
handicapped policy has been looking at ways to better translate our
goals of economic independence into an agenda for action. And that
agenda is now underway. The Administration's review of the regula-
tions implementing Public Law 94142, The Education Of All Handicapped
children's Act, has been completed. The regulations are fine the
way they are. No changes will be made and the program will be pro-
tected in its present form. (Applause.)
Now, today, I'm also announcing three new initiatives.
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We believe that each will result in far better coordination and
consistency among federal programs.
The Department of Health and Human Services will direct
a program to strengthen private sector job opportunities. This
initiative will feature a new job cataloging service and a national
campaign to coordinate and stimulate employment possibilities for
the severely disabled.
Help is also needed to assist in the transition from
special education to community integration and job placement. The
Departments of Education and Health and Human Services have established
a program to assist special education students during this transition.
Finally we are putting together a national information
and referral system. The handicapped, their families and physicians
need to be able to cut through the maze of public and private services
and gain timely access to information and programs. This new network,
managed by the private sector, will provide this badly needed service.
Now I know these programs are only a beginning, but we
believe equal opportunity, equal access and greater economic independence
must be more than slogans. Whenever government puts welfare and
charity before the opportunity for jobs it misses the mark. By
returning to our traditional values of self-reliance, human dignity
and independence, we can find the solution together. We can help
replace chaos with order in federal programs, and we can promote
opportunity and offer the promise of sharing the joys and responsi-
bilities of community life.
I believe we can make this dream come true. You may
face limitations, but not one of you here today lacks the courage,
the will or the heart to do what others say cannot be done.
There is a young lady with us today who has demonstrated
that so well. Jennifer Boatman has spinal bifida, a serious malfor-
mation of the spine. Well, Jennifer's handicap didn't stop her
from saving the life of a five year old boy. When Jennifer saw
young Joshua Mikesell tumbling through a white water stretch of
the North Umpqwa River in southwestern Oregon she didn't hesitate
one second. She jumped into the swift mountain stream, swam to
the boy and pulled him to the river bank. Joshua's father called
it a miracle.
It is also the story of the courage and the capability
of America's disabled. And for all of us it is the ultimate expression
of love.
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"Greater love hath no man than to lay down his life for a friend."
You know, someone has said that a hero is no braver
than any other person. He or she is just braver five minutes
longer. (Laughter.) Well, Jennifer, that's you and it makes us
all proud and thankful. Your courage, your compassion and your
commitment to America's disabled opened the way to a life of qual-
ity for all people.
Let us rededicate ourselves to the tasks ahead. Let
the spirit of the National Decade of Disabled Persons capture our
imagination. In partnership between the public and private sector,
among national, state and local organizations and between the dis-
abled and the abled we can win the battle for dignity, equality
and increased economic opportunity for all Americans.
And now I shall go sign the Proclamation and God bless
all of you. Thank all of you. (Applause.)
END
12:05 P.M. EST
x
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE AT THE
CONCLUSION OF THE SIGNING CEREMONY
November 28, 1983
NATIONAL DECADE OF DISABLED PERSONS
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
During the 1981 International Year and the 1982 National
Year of Disabled Persons, we learned about the many
accomplishments of disabled persons, both young and old. We
also gained vast new insights into the significant impact that
access to education, rehabilitation, and employment have on
their lives.
The progress we have made is a tribute to the courage and
determination of our disabled people, to innovative research
and development both in technology and training techniques to
assist the disabled, and to those -- whether in the private or
public sectors -- who have given so generously of their time
and energies to help enrich the lives of disabled persons.
We must encourage the provision of rehabilitation and
other comprehensive services oriented toward independence
within the context of family and community. For only through
opportunities to use the full range of their potential will
our disabled citizens attain the independence and dignity that
are their due.
In furtherance of the initiatives encouraged by
observance of the International Year of Disabled Persons, the
United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed the years 1983
through 1992 as the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons.
The Congress of the United States, by House Concurrent
Resolution 39, has requested the President to take all steps
within his authority to implement, within the United States,
the objectives of the United Nations Decade of Disabled
Persons as proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly
on December 3, 1982.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, RONALD REAGAN, President of the
United States of America, do hereby proclaim the years 1983
through 1992 as the National Decade of Disabled Persons. I
call upon all Americans in both the private and public sectors
to join our continuing efforts to assist disabled people and
to continue the progress made over the past two years.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-eighth day of November, in the year of our Lord
nineteen hundred and eighty-three, and of the Independence of
the United States of America the two hundred and eighth.
RONALD REAGAN
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