For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
January 14, 2003
National Sanctity of Human Life Day, 2003
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Our nation was built on a promise of life and liberty for all
citizens. Guided by a deep respect for human dignity, our Founding
Fathers worked to secure these rights for future generations, and today
we continue to seek to fulfill their promise in our laws and our
society. On National Sanctity of Human Life Day, we reaffirm the value
of human life and renew our dedication to ensuring that every American
has access to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
As we seek to improve quality of life, overcome illness, and
promote vital medical research, my Administration will continue to
honor our country's founding ideals of equal dignity and equal rights
for every American. Every child is a priority and a blessing, and I
believe that all should be welcomed in life and protected by law. My
Administration has championed compassionate alternatives to abortion,
such as helping women in crisis through maternity group homes,
encouraging adoption, promoting abstinence education, and passing laws
requiring parental notification and waiting periods for minors.
The Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, which I signed into law in
August 2002, is an important contribution to our efforts to care for
human life. This important legislation helps protect the most
vulnerable members of our society by ensuring that every infant born
alive, including one who survives abortion, is considered a person and
receives protection under Federal law. It helps achieve the promises
of the Declaration of Independence for all, including those without the
voice and power to defend their own rights.
Through ethical policies and the compassion of Americans, we will
continue to build a culture that respects life. Faith-based and
community organizations and individual citizens play a critical role in
strengthening our neighborhoods and bringing care and comfort to those
in need. By helping fellow citizens, these groups recognize the
dignity of every human being and the possibilities of every life; and
their important efforts are helping to build a more just and generous
Nation. By working together to protect the weak, the imperfect, and
the unwanted, we affirm a culture of hope and help ensure a brighter
future for all.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, 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 Sunday, January 19,
2003, as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. As we reflect upon the
sanctity of human life, I call upon all Americans to recognize this day
with appropriate ceremonies in our homes and places of worship, to
rededicate
ourselves to compassionate service, and to reaffirm our commitment
to respecting the life and dignity of every human being.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourteenth day
of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand three, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
twenty-seventh.
GEORGE W. BUSH
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