[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 32, Number 19 (Monday, May 13, 1996)]
[Page 804]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 6893--Mother's Day, 1996

May 7, 1996

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

    America's mothers hold a special place in our hearts, providing the 
lessons and care that have enabled generations of children to embrace 
the opportunities of this great land. They embody the compassion, 
devotion, and energy that have always defined our national character, 
and their daily efforts anchor our country's commitment to the 
fundamental values of respect and tolerance. Mothers impart both the 
strength that enables us to face our challenges and the love that 
comforts and sustains us.
    As we honor our Nation's mothers for past and present 
accomplishments, we recognize that mothers' roles have changed 
significantly in recent years. Today, mothers are CEOs and teachers, 
physicians and nurses, elected officials and PTA presidents, police 
officers and volunteers, homemakers and heads of households. Many serve 
on the front lines of the struggle against violence and poverty. These 
women--problem-solvers, caregivers, and teachers--are using their 
talents in every sector of our society, helping all Americans to look 
forward with hope and faith in the future.
    Mother's Day has long been a welcome opportunity to celebrate 
motherhood and to remember our mothers--whether biological, foster, or 
adoptive. To reflect on all we have gained from our mothers' guidance 
and to remember their sacrifices, the Congress, by a joint resolution 
approved May 8, 1914 (38 Stat. 770), has designated the second Sunday in 
May each year as ``Mother's Day'' and requested the President to call 
for its appropriate observance.
    Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United 
States of America, do hereby proclaim May 12, 1996, as Mother's Day. I 
urge all Americans to express their gratitude for the many contributions 
made by our mothers and to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies, 
activities, and programs.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this seventh day of 
May, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-six, and of the 
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and 
twentieth.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., May 8, 1996]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on May 9.