National Character Counts Week, 1999

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Part VII

The President

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Proclamation 7242--National Character Counts Week, 1999

Notice of October 19, 1999--Continuation of Emergency With Respect to
Significant Narcotics Traffickers Centered in Colombia

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Title 3--
The President

Proclamation 7242 of October 16, 1999

National Character Counts Week, 1999

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

The character of our citizens has enriched every aspect
of our national life and has set an example of civic
responsibility for people around the world. The
diligence and determination that are part of our
Nation's work ethic have strengthened our economy, and
the firm convictions of our spiritual leaders have
helped guide our communities, fostering unity,
compassion, and humility.

In this dynamic time of unparalleled opportunity and
possibility, our children will encounter a variety of
new challenges that will test the strength of their
character and convictions. As the dawn of the new
millennium fast approaches, we must work together--
parents, public officials, educators, entertainers, and
business and religious leaders--to impart to our youth
the core values they need to be good citizens.

We know that parents play a critical role in imparting
moral values to their children. But in today's complex
and fast-paced society, when parents must spend longer
hours at work and more families are headed by a single
parent, parents have less time to spend with their
children--an average decrease of 22 hours a week over
the past 30 years, according to a report released this
spring by my Council of Economic Advisers. We must seek
innovative ways to address this problem and to promote
stronger families, including greater flexibility in
paid work hours, more affordable child care, and
increased support for low-income families.

My Administration is committed to providing families
with the tools they need to fulfill their
responsibilities at home and at work. Our agenda
includes tripling our investment in after-school
programs through the 21st Century Community Learning
Center program and a historic initiative to make child
care better, safer, and more affordable for working
families. We are also working to expand the Family and
Medical Leave Act to cover more workers and to allow
leave for more parental activities, such as parent-
teacher conferences and routine doctor visits.

While Americans are striving to seize the opportunities
presented by this exciting new era, we must continue to
preserve the fundamental ideals and ethics that have
sustained our country for more than two centuries. By
sustaining these shared values and passing them on to
our children, we can realize our common hope for a more
just and honorable society and a brighter future for
the generations to come.

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 17 through October
23, 1999, as National Character Counts Week. I call
upon the people of the United States, government
officials, educators, religious, community, and
business leaders, and the States to commemorate this
week with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and
programs.

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