Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 112 Part 5.djvu/984

 112 STAT. 3742 PROCLAMATION 7085—APR. 21, 1998 states that guarantee such fundamental rights as protection from further harm, which includes keeping victims and accused criminals in separate rooms during court proceedings; the right of victims to call upon law enforcement if they feel they are being harassed or intimidated in connection with a pending case; and the right to be notified of a convicted criminal's release from incarceration. And after decades of advocacy, a proposed Federal constitutional amendment for victims now lies before the Congress. We have the opportunity—and the responsibility—to amend the United States Constitution to ensure that the rights of victims are honored in every court throughout our Nation. This year, our observance of National Crime Victims' Rights Week coincides with the anniversary of the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. That tragedy brought home to an entire Nation the extraordinary suffering and grief that can be rendered by a single, senseless, criminal act. In remembering the many victims of this brutal crime, let us pledge to sustain oiur efforts to reduce violent crime, to provide comfort and support to its victims as they strive to rebuild their lives, and to keep victims' rights a primary concern in America's criminal justice system. 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 April 19 through April 25, 1998, as National Crime Victims' Rights Week. I luge all Americans to remember crime victims and their families by working to reduce violence, to assist those harmed by crime, and to make our homes and communities safer places in which to live and raise our families. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety- eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-second. WILLIAM J. CLINTON Proclamation 7085 of April 21, 1998 National Volunteer Week, 1998 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Volunteers enrich our lives every day with their generosity and compassion. In recent months, we have witnessed the extraordinary response of America's volunteers to the plight of those who have suf- fered from the severe weather plaguing much of our country. In communities devastated by mud slides, ice storms, flash floods, or tornadoes, volimteers have opened their hearts and homes to offer shelter, hot meals, building materials, and—most important—the hope and support that people desperately need to begin putting their lives back together. This spirit of citizen service has deep and strong roots in America's past, and by nurturing this spirit we can help to ensure a better future for our Nation.

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