[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 117, 108th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

Proclamation 7639 of 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

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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