Proclamation 6619

By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation

Home should be a place of warmth, unconditional love, tranquility, and security. And for most of us, home and family can, indeed, be counted among our greatest blessings. Tragically, for many Americans, these are blessings that are tarnished by violence and fear.

Domestic violence is more than the occasional family dispute. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, it is the single largest cause of injury to American women, affecting six million of all racial, cultural, and economic backgrounds.

In our country, a woman is battered every 15 seconds, and 40 percent of female homicide victims in 1991 were killed by their husbands or boyfriends. Yet unbelievably, more than half of women in need of shelter may be turned away due to a lack of space.

Women are not the only targets. Young children and the elderly are also counted among the victims, and sadly, emotional scars are often permanent.

A coalition of organizations has emerged to directly confront this crisis. Law enforcement officials, those involved with shelters and hotline services, health care providers, the clergy, and other concerned citizens are helping in the effort to end domestic violence. We must recognize the compassion and dedication of these volunteers and professionals, applaud their efforts, and increase public understanding of this important problem.

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 October 1993 and October 1994 as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. I urge all Americans to observe these months by becoming more aware of the tragedy of domestic violence, supporting those who are working toward its end, and participating in other appropriate efforts.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and eighteenth.

WILLIAM J. CLINTON