Loyalty Day, 2012

Proclamation 8811 of May 1, 2012

Loyalty Day, 2012

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

More than two centuries ago, our Founders laid out a
charter that assured the rule of law and the rights of
man. Through times of tranquility and the throes of
change, the Constitution has always guided our course
toward fulfilling that most noble promise that all are
equal, all are free, and all deserve the chance to
pursue their full measure of happiness. America has
carried on not only for the skill or vision of
history's celebrated figures, but also for the
generations who have remained faithful to the ideals of
our forebears and true to our founding documents. On
Loyalty Day, we reflect on that proud heritage and
press on in the long journey toward prosperity for all.

In the years since our Constitution was penned and
ratified, Americans have moved our Nation forward by
embracing a commitment to each other, to the
fundamental principles that unite us, and to the future
we share. We weathered the storms of civil war and
segregation, of conflicts that spanned continents. We
overcame threats from within and without--from the
specter of fascism abroad to the bitter injustice of
disenfranchisement at home. We upheld the spirit of
service at the core of our democracy, and we widened
the circle of opportunity not just for a privileged
few, but for the ambitious many. Time and again, men
and women achieved what seemed impossible by joining
imagination to common purpose and necessity to courage.
That legacy still burns brightly, and the ideals it
embodies remain a light to all the world.

Countless Americans demonstrate that same dedication to
country today. It endures in the hearts of all who put
their lives on the line to defend the land they love,
just as it moves millions to improve their communities
through volunteerism and civic participation. Their
actions help ensure prosperity for this generation and
those yet to come, and they honor the immutable truths
enshrined in our Nation's founding texts. On Loyalty
Day, we rededicate ourselves to the common good, to the
cornerstones of liberty, equality, and justice, and to
the unending pursuit of a more perfect Union.

In order to recognize the American spirit of loyalty
and the sacrifices that so many have made for our
Nation, the Congress, by Public Law 85-529 as amended,
has designated May 1 of each year as ``Loyalty Day.''
On this day, let us reaffirm our allegiance to the
United States of America, our Constitution, and our
founding values.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 1,
2012, as Loyalty Day. This Loyalty Day, I call upon all
the people of the United States to join in support of
this national observance, whether by displaying the
flag of the United States or pledging allegiance to the
Republic for which it stands.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
first day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand
twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of
America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.