[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 125, 112th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 8737 of October 14, 2011

National Character Counts Week, 2011
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
In times of adversity and triumph alike, the American people have been
guided by the strength of our character. With resilience and compassion,
we have provided for our neighbors, lifted their spirits, and embraced
our shared humanity. During National Character Counts Week, we celebrate
our country's core values and commit to passing them on to the next
generation.
By setting a positive example for our children, we can inspire in them
the virtues that define our Nation: personal integrity, bold ingenuity,
and a drive to serve others. America's role models--from parents and
teachers to community leaders and coaches--play an integral role in
shaping character. They foster patriotism, promote civic pride, and
teach young people to live by the Golden Rule by treating others the way
they want to be treated. Together, all Americans must cultivate moral
fortitude, preach tolerance, and demonstrate the value of respect for
those different from ourselves.
Tragic events in our Nation remind us why it is imperative that we
create a climate of acceptance and compassion in our schools and
communities. Our country has mourned as we have heard heartbreaking
stories of promising young men and women subjected to harassment and
bullying, driving some out of school, and others to ultimately take
their own lives. No family should have to endure such a loss, and no
child should feel that alone. Let us honor their memories by striving to
make our neighborhoods and schools safe and affirming places for every
child to learn, grow, and dream.
Our Nation's character is engrained in our past, central to our present,
and key to our future. All of us share a responsibility to preserve and
uphold the values that have kept our country strong, prosperous, and
free. This week, we resolve to stay true to the American spirit and live
according to our highest ideals.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 16 through
October 22, 2011, as National Character Counts Week. I call upon public
officials, educators, parents, students, and all Americans to observe
this week with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourteenth day of
October, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
sixth.
BARACK OBAMA