[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 91 (Thursday, July 14, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 14, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
   DESIGNATING THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 17 AS ``NATIONAL CHARACTER COUNTS 
                                 WEEK''

 Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, I am pleased to join my 
colleagues in bringing attention to the importance of character by 
designating the week of October 17 as ``National Character Counts 
Week.'' It is not surprising that there is growing sentiment in the 
United States that our Nation is losing sight of the basic values upon 
which it was founded. You only need to read the front page of your 
local newspaper or listen to the news report of your favorite radio or 
TV station to have a growing sense of frustration about the moral 
health of our communities. The danger we face is letting that 
frustration turn into a sense of apathy and despair.
  Our communities are not abstract entities, for they consist of 
ourselves, our families, neighbors, and fellow workers. Our community 
of friends and acquaintances we interact with on a day-to-day basis 
flourishes when we base those interactions on such principles as 
trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and civic 
responsibility. We must find ways of encouraging and honoring the use 
of these principles of character in our everyday lives. Designating the 
week of October 17 as ``Character Counts Week'' gives us an opportunity 
to heighten all of our awareness of the importance of a strong set of 
values for our community and that each of us has a direct 
responsibility in nurturing those values.
  The causes of violence, drug abuse, alcoholism, abusive behavior, and 
teenage pregnancy are not unrelated to the strength of our collective 
set of values. Nor should we assume that strong character is an innate 
and self-nurturing trait available in equal measure in each of us. We 
struggle with value choices each day: having courage of one's 
convictions while practicing respect for the views of others; 
supporting individual rights while at the same time understanding one's 
societal responsibilities; doing what is right for the long run instead 
of going against one's moral precepts for short-term gain. These 
choices many times are difficult and all of us from time to time need 
reinforcement of their underlying precepts.
  For our youth we must assure that we have built an appropriate 
foundation before any reinforcement of values can have an impact. 
Through the involvement of family, schools, community, and religious 
organizations we can both build and reinforce that foundation. I am 
committed to working with my colleagues to find ways to build character 
education into public and private programs through leadership and 
legislation.

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