[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 16158]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                  STATEMENTS ON SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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  SENATE RESOLUTION 150--DESIGNATING THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 23 THROUGH 
            SEPTEMBER 29, 2001, AS ``NATIONAL PARENTS WEEK''

  Mr. VOINOVICH (for himself and Mr. DeWine) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 150

       Whereas parents play an indispensable role in the rearing 
     of their children;
       Whereas good-parenting is a time-consuming, emotionally 
     demanding task that is essential not only to the health of a 
     household but to the well-being of our Nation;
       Whereas without question, the future of our Nation depends 
     largely upon the willingness of mothers and fathers, however 
     busy or distracted, to embrace their parental 
     responsibilities and to vigilantly watch over and guide the 
     lives of their children;
       Whereas mothers and fathers must strive tirelessly to raise 
     children in an atmosphere of decency, discipline, and 
     devotion, where encouragement abounds and where kindness, 
     affection, and cooperation are in plentiful supply;
       Whereas the journey into adulthood can be perilous and 
     lonely for a child without stability, direction, and 
     emotional support;
       Whereas children benefit enormously from parents with whom 
     they feel safe, secure, and valued, and in an environment 
     where adult and child alike can help one another aspire to 
     joy and fulfillment on a variety of levels; and
       Whereas such a domestic climate contributes significantly 
     to the development of healthy, well-adjusted adults, and it 
     is imperative that the general population not underestimate 
     the favorable impact that positive parenting can have on 
     society as a whole: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the week of September 23 through September 
     29, 2001, as ``National Parents Week''; and
       (2) requests that the President issue a proclamation 
     calling upon the people of the United States to observe such 
     week with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I rise today to join my friend and 
colleague from Ohio, Senator Voinovich, to offer a resolution 
designating September 23 through September 29, 2001, as ``National 
parents Week.'' During this week, advocates would wear purple ribbons 
and communities all over would take time to reflect on how important 
parents are in our children's lives.
  As proud parents of eight children and now six grandchildren, my 
wife, Fran, and I know that our Nation's future is in the hands of our 
children. They are the next doctors, firefighters, teachers, and 
parents, themselves. To quote Abraham Lincoln, ``a child is a person 
who is going to carry-on what you have started . . . the fate of 
humanity is in his hands.'' President Lincoln's worlds hold as true 
today as they did well over one hundred years ago.
  To safeguard this future, parents must fulfill many demanding 
responsibilities. They must guide their children, teach them right from 
wrong, share in their joy and comfort, and support them in times of 
need. As any parent knows, this is not always easy. It takes a parent's 
constant dedication, constant attention, and constant love. This 
resolution will serve as a giant ``thank you'' to all the parents who 
work so hard every day to provide for their children.
  With this resolution, we congratulate and adulate parents in order to 
assure them that we are behind them--100 percent. They must know how 
important it is to stay the course and continue to provide the values 
and lessons that will secure a bright and promising future for our 
children.
  Mr. VOINOVICH. Mr. President, I rise today to join my friend and 
colleague, Senator Mike DeWine, to introduce legislation that will 
highlight the week of September 23, 2001 as National Parent's Week.
  Positive parenting is a task that is crucial to the future of our 
Nation, yet the responsibilities and burdens that fall upon parents are 
too often undervalued. I believe it is essential that we highlight the 
importance of parents in developing healthy and productive children in 
our society.
  Children thrive in homes where parents take an active role in 
providing stability, safety and discipline. This, combined with 
unconditional affection and encouragement, provide children with the 
solid foundation to move ahead in life.
  I was fortunate to have grown up in a household with such loving and 
dedicated parents. My mother and father strongly believed in the duty 
and responsibility they had to their six children, and worked 
tirelessly to ensure that my brothers and sisters and I would become 
healthy, productive adults.
  As a matter of fact, it is from my parents that I learned the 
importance of using my God-given talents to serve others. My life in 
public service has been a reflection of what they not only preached, 
but on how they lived their lives. My siblings and I were taught early 
on that part of earning and deserving our citizenship was giving back, 
not only to our immediate family, but also to our community and our 
country.
  Even as my mother entered her eighties, she still served as a model 
for our family. Although, she was moving on in years, she would still 
volunteer her time in the library of a Cleveland city school. I would 
ask her, ``Mom--why are you still doing this? You've done enough! Why 
don't you just rest and take it easy?''
  Her answer was always the same: ``Because I'm needed.''
  I was truly blessed to have two wonderful parents who were such 
loving and supportive role models. Too often, today's youth look 
elsewhere for guidance and comfort, not realizing that all the support 
and guidance they need is already there under their own roof. It is 
imperative that we bring the role of parents back to prominence, for 
they are the front-line for instilling the values we cherish in all our 
nation's youth.
  I encourage parents all over the nation to recognize and cherish the 
blessing and responsibility the have in raising God's gifts to them. It 
is my hope that through the establishment of ``National Parents Week,'' 
we will raise awareness of just how important our parents are in 
molding the next generation of Americans citizens.

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