Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 108 Part 6.djvu/1001

 PROCLAMATION 6679—APR. 30, 1994 108 STAT. 5569 The problem of violence is a problem for all Americans. It is not a partisan issue. Strong pro-victim measures must be enacted in order to give our children a brighter future. NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim the week of April 24 through April 30, 1994, as National Crime Victims' Rights Week. I urge all Americans to join in remembering the innocent victims of crime and in honoring those who labor selflessly in behalf of these victims and their families. We must recommit ourselves to working with our neighbors to stop the violence and to ensure safer streets, schools, and playgrounds for our Nation's children and for all of our citizens. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and eighteenth. WILLIAM J. CLINTON Proclamation 6679 of April 30, 1994 Law Day, U.S.A., 1994 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation In 1961, when President John F. Kennedy first proclaimed Law Day, U.S.A., he urged "Americans to rededicate themselves to the ideals of equality and justice under law in their relations with each other and with other nations...." President Kennedy's challenge is no less urgent today. We live in a time when nations around the globe are struggling to break free from the darkness of oppression into the light of law and justice. To many of the people of these countries, the American rule of law stands as a bright beacon guiding the way to a hopeful future. Law Day, U.S.A., offers every American the opportunity to reflect upon our Nation's proud example of respect for the rights of individuals. More than that, this day demands that we reaffirm our commitment to maintaining a just and civil society in a rapidly changing world. With the triumph of democratic governments and judiciaries around the world, it seems particularly disturbing that our own legal system is tested daily by the epidemic of crime and violence here at home. In America today, too many children must pass through metal detectors to go to school. Too many are approached by drug dealers in public parks, or worry that they will be victims of drive-by shootings. The primary responsibility of government is to protect the freedom of its citizens and to keep them safe from harm. Our tradition of jurisprudence is the powerful embodiment of this ideal. But it is up to each of us to help ensure that this system remains true to its essential mis-

�