[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 120, 109th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

120 STAT. 3884
 
PROCLAMATION 8053--SEPT. 15, 2006



Proclamation 8053 of September 15, 2006
Literacy Day, 2006
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
The ability to read is the gateway to educational excellence and a key
to success in any democratic society. On Literacy Day, we recognize the
vital importance of literacy to our Nation and affirm our commitment to
helping improve the lives of the men, women, and children in America and
around the world who cannot read.
Our society has a responsibility to ensure individuals have the
educational opportunities to learn to read. Literacy is a basic
requirement for healthy societies and enables people to better care for
themselves and their families. Reading also encourages participation in
the democratic process and helps people reach their full potential
through self-reliance and independence.
My Administration is committed to helping children and adults gain the
reading skills they need to succeed in life. Through No Child Left
Behind programs such as Reading First, Early Reading First, and Striving
Readers, we are challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations and
helping to provide students with the foundation to achieve their dreams.
Reading also helps adults to be better consumers, and wider literacy
increases economic participation, which helps to create more stable and
vibrant economies. The White House Conference on Global Literacy, led by
First Lady Laura Bush, is working to promote literacy for individuals of
all ages and help give people around the world the skills necessary for
success. By increasing literacy, we can help change lives and equip all
people with the knowledge and tools to excel in the 21st century.
On Literacy Day, we recognize the great value of reading and encourage
individuals around the world to take an active role in promoting
literacy. Together, we can build a stronger society and a bright future
for people everywhere.
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 September 18, 2006, as
Literacy Day. I call upon the people of the United States to observe
this day with programs and activities that advance literacy for
Americans and all the people of the world. By donating books to local
libraries, volunteering to tutor, supporting international literacy
programs, and fostering a learning environment in the home, citizens
across this great Nation can make a difference and help their fellow
Americans and people throughout the world enjoy the benefits of
literacy.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of
September, in the year of our Lord two thousand six, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
first.
GEORGE W. BUSH