Strong families make a strong nation
Published 7:00 pm Wednesday, November 22, 2017
This week, Nov. 19-25, is National Family Week, is a time to reflect on the importance of family life for each individual person, and its importance to our nation.
The first National Family Week was proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan in 1987, to be celebrated during Thanksgiving week.
Our current president, President Donald Trump, said in his proclamation of the holiday, “The family is our foundation, a pillar of our past, and a key to our future prosperity. Strong families teach integrity and patriotism, encourage and foster teamwork, and demonstrate unconditional love and acceptance.
“When these foundational principles overflow from our homes into neighborhoods and communities, they strengthen and fortify the Nation.”
The week is meant to encourage American families to create healthy, nurturing homes and communities for children, who are the basis for the future.
Many organizations promote this week to their membership. For example, the American Legion, the world’s largest veterans’ service organization, encourages members to celebrate healthy families and communities.
In its National Family Week brochure, the group notes, “The American Legion has long recognized the family as the foundation of this nation.
“A guiding principle of The American Legion’s Children & Youth programs continues to be maintaining the integrity of the family.”
The group strongly advocates the National Family Week observance.
It encourages it local posts to get involved with activities that promote family strength and integrity. Of particular interest for this veterans organization is to support military families.
There are organizations, both religious and secular, in nearly every American city and town that offer all kinds for support for families.
The latest available statistics available from the U.S. Census Bureau show that there are over 77 million American families.
We can all echo Trump’s words in his National Family Week proclamation, “I hope all Americans will join me in gratitude to our Creator for the many ways families bless and enrich our lives and our Nation.”
