Proc. 7863 Title 3--The President and courage continue to inspire America and the world. We honor his life and his work. Growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. King witnessed firsthand the iniustice of a segregated society. He realized that change was necessary to ensure the full promise of our Constitution for all Americans, and his charismatic leadership awakened the conscience of America. Dr. King's dream inspired our Nation with what he called "a certain kind of fire that no water could put out." Since Dr. King's involvement in the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s, Americans have witnessed the power of the law to prevent iniustice and encourage the finest qualities of our Nation. Last year, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of \177964. Once this landmark legislation was signed into law, Americans could no longer be denied a room in a hotel or a table at a res- taurant because of their race. Our Nation has accomplished much over the past 40 years. Our iourney to- ward iustice and equality has not always been an easy one, and it is not over. However long the iourney, our destination is set: liberty and iustice for all. Dr. Martin Luther King, }r., believed in the good that exists in all men and women. We will remember the work of Dr. King as we continue striving to meet the founding ideals of our great Nation. 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 Monday, }anuary \1777, 2005, as the Martin Luther King, }r., Federal Holiday. I encourage all Americans to observe this day with appropriate activities and programs that honor the memory and legacy of Dr. King. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourteenth day of }anuary, in the year of our Lord two thousand five, and of the Independ- ence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-ninth. GEORGE W. BUSH Proclamation 7863 of January 14, 2005 National Sanctity of Human Life Day, 2005 By the President of the United States of Arnerica A Proclamation The Declaration of Independence proclaimed that all Americans are en- dowed by the Creator with the unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. On National Sanctity of Human Life Day, we cele- brate the sacred gift of life. We have a responsibility in America to defend the life of the innocent and the powerless. Our Nation has made significant progress in recent years to- ward building a culture of life. Last year, I signed into law the Unborn Vic- tims of Violence Act of 2004, which provides that any person who causes death or injury to a pregnant woman commits two separate offenses. I worked with members of both parties to ban the brutal practice of partial- 4
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