the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fourteenth. GEORGE BUSH Editorial note: For the President's remarks of Jan. 3, 1990, on signing Proclamation 6085, see the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents (vol. 26, p. 6). For the President's remarks to participants in the Columbia River Gorge Earth Day 20 Rally, see the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, (vol. 26, p. 619). Proclamation 6086 of January 3, 1990 National Law Enforcement Training Week, 1990 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Our Nation's law enforcement officers are entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining law and order in our communities and protecting the lives and property of their fellow Americans. It is a tremendous responsibility, one that often entails great personal risk and sacrifice. Tragically, during the past 10 years alone, more than 1,500 law enforcement officers have been killed in the line of duty. The selfless men and women who serve our Nation as law enforcement officers are on the front lines in the war against crime. As they work to fight illicit drug trafficking and other crimes, law enforcement officers are obligated to conduct their activities within the rule of law, ensuring the public safety while, at the same time, respecting the constitutional rights of private citizens. Their success is made possible, in large part, by the knowledge and professionalism officers gain as a result of extensive training. Law enforcement training focuses on how officers can identify criminals and bring them to justice through improvements in administrative procedures, investigative methods, and technical capabilities. Scientific training in the use of computers, in ballistics, toxicology, auditing procedures, psychological profiling, and other disciplines has helped increase the accuracy and effectiveness of efforts to identify persons engaged in criminal conduct. Recent advances in technology and the study of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) have the potential to yield still more reliable means of identifying-beyond a doubt-the perpetrators of criminal acts. These exciting advances can also help law enforcement officers exonerate the innocent. Such sophisticated methods and technology are vital in the fight against today's sophisticated, complex crime. By equipping officers with the knowledge and skills they need, law enforcement training helps them to protect our homes, businesses, and communities. This week, we recognize the dedicated men and women who provide this training, as well as the hardworking individuals who participate in it. The Congress, by Public Law 101-59, has designated the week of January 7, 1990, through January 13, 1990, as "National Law Enforcement Training Week" and has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this week. NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the week of January 7, 1990, through January 13, 1990, as National Law Enforcement Training Week. I urge the people of the United States to observe this week with appropriate exhibits, ceremonies, and activities, including programs designed to heighten the awareness of young people of career opportunities in law enforcement and related disciplines. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of January, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fourteenth. GEORGE BUSH Proclamation 6087 of January 5, 1990 To Amend the Generalized System of Preferences By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation 1. Pursuant to section 502 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (the 1974 Act) (19 U.S.C. 2462), and having due regard for the eligibility criteria set forth therein, I have determined that it is appropriate to designate Poland as a beneficiary developing country for purposes of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). 2. Section 604 of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2483) authorizes the President to embody in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (the HTS) the substance of the provisions of that Act, and of other Acts affecting import treatment, and actions thereunder. NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE BUSH, President of the United States of America, acting under the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the statutes of the United States, including but not limited to sections 502 and 604 of the 1974 Act, do proclaim that: (1) General note 3(c)(ii)(A) to the HTS, listing those countries whose products are eligible for benefits of the GSP, is modified by inserting in alphabetical order in the list of independent countries "Poland". (2) Any provisions of previous proclamations and executive orders inconsistent with the provisions of this proclamation are hereby superseded to the extent of such inconsistency. (3) The amendments made by this proclamation shall be effective with respect to articles both: (i) imported on or after January 1, 1976, and (ii) entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after the date of publication of this proclamation in the Federal Register. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifth day of January, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fourteenth. GEORGE BUSH Editorial note: For the President's remarks of Jan. 5, 1990, on signing Proclamation 6087, see the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents (vol. 26, p. 19). For the text of the President's letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate, dated Jan. 5, 1990, on the granting of a special trade status within the GSP to Poland, see the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, (vol. 26, p. 21). Proclamation 6088 of January 9, 1990 Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday, 1990 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation As we observe a national holiday in honor of the birthday of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we celebrate a life dedicated to the struggle for racial equality and justice. With determination, courage, and a firm commitment to nonviolence, Dr. King worked to free men and women throughout the United States from "the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination." Martin Luther King, Jr., loved this country and firmly believed in the timeless ideal expressed in its Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Knowing that "a house divided against itself cannot stand," Dr. King devoted his life to striving for racial unity and equality in the United States. He believed our Nation had strayed from the noble course set in our Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, and he was determined to see that America remain faithful to the principles they enshrine. In his words and deeds, Martin Luther King, Jr., reminded all Americans of the stern admonition issued by Abraham Lincoln in 1858, when he warned the people of Edwardsville, Illinois, of the tragic consequences that continued tolerance of slavery could hold for the United States. President Lincoln, like great Americans of all generations, knew that our Nation's strength lies in the conviction that every human being is of inestimable worth and that the only legitimate end of government is to protect the God-given rights of each individual. "Destroy this spirit," Lincoln warned, "and you have planted the seeds of despotism at your own doors. Familiarize yourselves with the chains of bondage and you prepare your own limbs to wear them. Accustomed to trample on the rights of others, you have lost the genius of your own independence and become the fit subjects of the first cunning tyrant who rises among you." Like President Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., knew that the United States could not remain a free and great nation so long as the rights of any individual are denied. He knew that America's promise of freedom and justice for all is rooted in the magnificent design of our Creator, and he knew that this promise must not be distorted or destroyed by bigotry and discrimination. Dr. King told us that he had a dream. We see now that it was not just a dream but a vision. Recalling the Proverb that states "where there is no vision, the people perish," Dr. King shared with us his hope and foresight. He had "seen the promised land," and he inspired each of us to view it with him. Today, even though many of the darkest "clouds of racial prejudice" have been dispersed, even though we are closer to that day when people "will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character," we must continue working to promote racial unity and equal opportunity in the United States. This is our solemn dutyand it is the greatest honor we can give to the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. By Public Law 98-144, the third Monday in January of each year has been designated as a legal public holiday in honor of the "Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr." NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE 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, January 15, 1990, as the Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fourteenth. GEORGE BUSH Editorial note: For the President's remarks of Jan. 9, 1990, on signing Proclamation 6088, see the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents (vol. 26, p. 31). Proclamation 6089 of January 16, 1990 National Poison Prevention Week, 1990 By the President of the United States of America Since its inception 29 years ago, "National Poison Prevention Week" has encouraged the American people to take measures to prevent childhood poisonings. Today we know that this important public awareness campaign has helped save lives. According to data gathered by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, approximately 450 children under 5 years of age died in 1961 after accidentally ingesting medicines or household chemicals. During 1987, the most recent year for which complete statistics are available, 31 deaths from accidental poisoning occurred among children—a 93 percent decrease. Efforts to promote public awareness, coupled with educational programs for parents and the use of child-resistant packaging, have played a major role in the reduction of poisoning deaths. Offering lifesaving advice and information over the telephone, the Nation's Poison Control Centers have also helped prevent many serious injuries and deaths among children. While many tragic deaths have been prevented in recent years, we still have much work to do. Each year, more than half a million children are exposed to potentially poisonous medicines or household chemicals, as documented through calls to Poison Control Centers. More parents and grandparents must recognize their primary role in poison prevention. Accidental poisonings can be prevented if parents, grandparents, and other guardians keep medicines and household chemicals out of the reach of children. Adults should also be sure to store all potentially harmful substances in packages with child-resistant closures. These important messages are carried across the country by the Poison Prevention Week Council, a coalition of 36 national health, safety, and governmental organizations and agencies concerned with preventing childhood poisonings. The annual observance of "National Poison Prevention Week" provides a special opportunity for Poison Control Centers personnel, educators, pharmacists, and other health professionals to remind every American adult of the need to protect our little ones from accidental poisoning. To encourage the American people to learn more about the dangers of accidental poisonings and to take more preventative measures against them, the Congress, by joint resolution approved September 26, 1961 (75 Stat. 681), has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation designating the third week of March of each year as "National Poison Prevention Week." NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the week beginning March 18, 1990, as National Poison Prevention Week. I call upon all Americans to observe this week by participating in appropriate programs and activities and by learning how to prevent accidental poisonings among children. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fourteenth. GEORGE BUSH Proclamation 6090 of January 19, 1990 National Sanctity of Human Life Day, 1990 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation On National Sanctity of Human Life Day, we affirm the sanctity of human life in all its stages. We recall that at the very beginning of our Nation, Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" are among the "unalienable Rights" with which all people are endowed by God. Similarly, our Constitution recognizes the sanctity of life by providing that no person shall be deprived of life without the due process of law. On this day, we thank God for the millions of Americans who work every day to affirm the sanctity of life: scientists who devote their lives to researching cures for disabling and deadly diseases; doctors and |