Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 102 Part 5.djvu/1074

 102 STAT. 5080

PROCLAMATION 5879—OCT. 7, 1988

In tribute to Christopher Columbus, the Congress of the United States, by joint resolution approved April 30, 1934 (48 Stat. 657), as modified by the Act of June 28, 1968 (82 Stat, 250), has requested the President to proclaim the second Monday in October of each year as "Columbus Day." NOW, THEREFORE, I, RONALD REAGAN, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim Monday, October 10, 1988, as Columbus Day. I invite the people of this Nation to observe that day with appropriate ceremonies in honor of this great explorer. I also direct that the flag of the United States be displayed on all public buildings on the appointed day in honor of Christopher Columbus. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 3rd day of Oct., in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirteenth. RONALD REAGAN Editorial note. For the President's remarks of Oct. 3, 1988, on signing Proclamation 5878, see the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents (vol. 24, p. 1255).

Proclamation 5879 of October 7, 1988

National Paralysis Awareness Week, 1988 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation We should all be aware that spinal cord injuries paralyze some 12,000 Americans each year, adding to the total of nearly half a million citizens whose lives have undergone this sudden and tragic change. Motor vehicle accidents are the chief cause of these injuries, and young men are the most at risk; but spinal cord injuries happen in many ways, and to anyone at any age. War wounds have taken a large toll. Recreational and sports accidents injure many, and so do mishaps in the home. Paralyzed people meet challenges such as physical limitations, rehabilitation, and drains on financial resources with determination, ingenuity, and a positive outlook. We do well to hold a week in recognition of the needs, capabilities, accomplishments, and courage of paralyzed Americans and of efforts in their behalf. Understanding of paralysis continues to grow, thanks to biomedical research led by scientists supported by the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke. One major advance, with promising applicability to humans, is the realization that injured nerve cells in animals' spinal cords can regrow and may reassume function. Other developments are continuing. Regeneration of nerve cells appears to hold the best biological hope for paralyzed limbs. Scientifically developed neural prostheses that use electrodes to connect nerve cells to muscle fibers are permitting some restoration of fxmction. Investigators are seeking ways to limit postinjury tissue destruction by controlling substances within the body that ironically damage spinal cord tissue as they relieve trauma-induced

�