“Ronald Reagan’s Proclamation =
5147”
National =
Sanctity of Human Life Day, January 22nd, =
1984
“The values and freedoms =
we cherish as Americans rest on our fundamental commitment to the =
sanctity of human life. The first of the “unalienable =
rights” affirmed by our Declaration of Independence is the right =
to life itself, a right the Declaration states has been endowed by our =
Creator on all humans, whether young or old, weak or strong, healthy or =
handicapped.
Since 1973, however, more than =
15 million unborn children have died in legalized abortions — a tragedy =
of stunning dimensions that stands in sad contrast to our belief that =
each life is sacred. These children, over tenfold the number of =
Americans lost in all our Nation’s wars, will never laugh, never sing, =
never experience the joy of human love; nor will they strive to heal the =
sick, or feed the poor, or make peace among nations. Abortion has denied =
them the first and most basic of human rights, and we are infinitely =
poorer for their loss.
We are poorer not simply for =
lives not led and for contributions not made, but also for the erosion =
of our sense of the worth and dignity of every individual. To diminish =
the value of one category of human life is to diminish us all. Slavery, =
which treated Blacks as something less than human, to be bought and sold =
if convenient, cheapened human life and mocked our dedication to the =
freedom and equality of all men and women. Can we say that abortion – =
which treats the unborn as something less than human, to be destroyed if =
convenient – will be less corrosive to the values we hold =
dear?
We have been given the precious =
gift of human life, made more precious still by our births in or =
pilgrimages to a land of freedom. It is fitting, then, on the =
anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade that struck =
down State anti-abortion laws, that we reflect anew on these blessings, =
and on our corresponding responsibility to guard with care the lives and =
freedoms of even the weakest of our fellow human =
beings.
Now, therefore, I, Ronald =
Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim =
Sunday, January 22, 1984, as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. I call =
upon the citizens of this blessed land to gather on that day in homes =
and places of worship to give thanks for the gift of life, and to =
reaffirm our commitment to the dignity of every human being and the =
sanctity of each human life.
~~
Dr Bob Griffin
[email protected] www.grif.net
"Jesus Knows Me, This I =
Love!"