Loyalty Day, 2014

Proclamation 9116 of April 30, 2014

Loyalty Day, 2014

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Over 150 years ago, as a civil war threatened to
dissolve our Union, President Abraham Lincoln delivered
the Gettysburg Address. Defining the American
experiment as ``conceived in liberty, and dedicated to
the proposition that `all men are created equal,' '' he
resolved that our Nation ``shall not perish from the
earth.'' He understood that what makes America most
worth preserving are our founding ideals. These ideals
compelled colonists to rise up against an empire, and
they have sustained generations of service members
through the darkest days of war.

In the United States of America, we do not define
loyalty as adherence to any single leader, party, or
political platform. When we make big decisions as a
country, we necessarily stir up passions and
controversy. These debates are a hallmark of democracy;
they allow us to trade ideas, question antiquated
notions, and ensure our Nation's course reflects the
will of the American people. Yet even as we disagree,
we remain true to our shared values and our common
hopes for America's future.

On Loyalty Day, we renew our conviction to the
principles of liberty, equality, and justice under the
law. We accept our responsibilities to one another. And
we remember that our differences pale in comparison to
the strength of the bonds that hold together the most
diverse Nation on earth.

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 and pay tribute to the
heritage of American freedom.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 1,
2014, 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
thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord two
thousand fourteen, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
eighth.