115 STAT. 2832 PROCLAMATION 7476—OCT. 1, 2001 These efforts include specialized units in police departments, and prosecutors offices that work with local victims' advocates to make the criminal justice system more responsive to victims and more retributive to their abusers. Jurisdictions throughout the country now provide legal assistance to ensure that when victims try to escape abuse, they can obtain legal help from attorneys who understand the dynamics of domestic violence. Law enforcement officers, prosecutors, court personnel, and service providers are working to improve their responses to the often hidden victims of elder abuse and violence against women with disabilities. Moreover, thousands of communities now have shelters and emergency services for abused women and their children. As a Nation, we must prioritize addressing the problem of domestic violence in our communities every day of the year. National Domestic Violence Awareness Month provides us with a special opportunity to emphasize that domestic violence is a crime, to warn abusers that they will be prosecuted, and to offer victims more aid and support. We can and must radically reduce and work to eliminate this scourge from our land. To succeed, this effort must be echoed by officials from every segment of the criminal justice system, Federal, State, and local. Community leaders, health care professionals, teachers, employers, friends, and neighbors all will play an important role in eradicating domestic violence. As we observe National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I call on all Americans to commit to preventing domestic violence and to assist those who suffer from it. These collective efforts will contribute to peace in our homes, schools, places of work, and communities and will help ensure the future safety of countless children and adults. 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 October 2001, as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. I urge all Americans to learn more about this terrible problem and to take positive action in protecting communities and families from its devastating effects. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-sixth. GEORGE W. BUSH Proclamation 7476 of October 1, 2001 Child Health Day, 2001 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Many of us fondly remember the joys and challenges of childhood and appreciate the endless sacrifices that our families made to love, protect, and encourage us as we grew into adulthood. On Child Health Day, we take time as parents and concerned citizens to assess the health and
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