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National Clown Week
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Whoever has heard the laughter of a child
or seen sudden delight on the face of a lonely old man has understood in
those brief moments mysteries deeper than love.
All men are indebted to those who bring such moments of quiet
splendor-who redeem sickness and pain with joy. All across America good
men in putty noses and baggy trousers following a tradition as old as
man's need to touch gently the lives of his fellowman, go into
orphanages and children's hospitals, homes for the elderly and for the
retarded, and give a part of themselves. Today, as always, clowns and
the spirit they represent are as vital to the maintenance of our
humanity as the builders and the growers and the governors.
In the folklore of the world is the persistent claim that the heart of a
clown is sad, and that all the gladness he provokes is simply a facade
for the pain he cannot reveal to the world. In the myth is the kernel of
reason: the clown leaves happiness where he goes, and takes misery away
with him.
Yet we cannot suppose there is real truth in the myth. For surely the
laugh-makers are blessed: they heal the heart of the world.
To call public attention to the charitable activities of clowns and the
wholesome entertainment they provide for all our citizens, the Congress
by a joint resolution approved October 8, 1970 (Public Law 91-433), has
requested the President to designate the week of August 1 through August
7, 1971, as International Clown Week.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, RICHARD NIXON, President of the United States of
America, do hereby proclaim the week of August 1 through August 7, 1971,
as International Clown Week. I invite the Governors of the States and the
appropriate officials of other areas under the United States flag to
issue similar proclamations.
I urge the people of the United States recognize the contributions made
by clowns in their entertainment at children's hospitals, charitable
institutions, for the mentally retarded, and generally helping to lift
the spirits and boost the morale of our people.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this second day of
August, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred seventy-one, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the one hundred
ninety-sixth.
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