Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, Constitution Week, 2010

Proclamation 8562 of September 16, 2010

Constitution Day and Citizenship Day,
Constitution Week, 2010

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

The summer of 1787 was a watershed moment in our
Nation's history. In the span of four short months,
delegates to the Constitutional Convention in
Philadelphia established a Constitution for the United
States of America, signing the finished charter on
September 17, 1787. With their signatures, and
subsequent ratification of the Constitution by the
States, the Framers advanced our national journey.

On Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, and during
Constitution Week, we commemorate the legacy passed
down to us from our Nation's Founders. Our
Constitution, with the Bill of Rights and amendments,
has stood the test of time, steering our country
through times of prosperity and peace, and guiding us
through the depths of internal conflict and war.
Because of the wisdom of those who have shaped our
Nation's founding documents, and the sacrifices of
those who have defended America for over two centuries,
we enjoy unprecedented freedoms and opportunities. As
beneficiaries, we have a solemn duty to participate in
our vibrant democracy so that it remains strong and
responsive to the needs of our people.

Each year, thousands of candidates for citizenship
commemorate Constitution Day and Citizenship Day by
becoming new American citizens. These individuals
breathe life into our Constitution by learning about
its significance and the rights it enshrines, and then
by taking a solemn oath to ``support and defend the
Constitution and laws of the United States of
America.'' In so doing, they voluntarily accept that
citizenship is not merely a collection of rights, but
also a set of responsibilities. Just as our Founders
sought to secure the ``Blessings of Liberty'' for
themselves and their posterity, these new Americans
have come to our shores to embrace and impart the
fundamental beliefs that define us as a Nation.

In the United States, our Constitution is not simply
words written on aging parchment, but a foundation of
government, a protector of liberties, and a guarantee
that we are all free to shape our own destiny. As we
celebrate this document's profound impact on our
everyday lives, may all Americans strive to uphold its
vision of freedom and justice for all.

In remembrance of the signing of the Constitution and
in recognition of the Americans who strive to uphold
the duties and responsibilities of citizenship, the
Congress, by joint resolution of February 29, 1952 (36
U.S.C. 106), designated September 17 as ``Constitution
Day and Citizenship Day,'' and by joint resolution of
August 2, 1956 (36 U.S.C. 108), requested that the
President proclaim the week beginning September 17 and
ending September 23 of each year as ``Constitution
Week.''

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, do hereby proclaim September
17, 2010, as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, and
September 17 through September 23, 2010, as
Constitution Week. I encourage Federal, State, and
local officials, as well

as leaders of civic, social, and educational
organizations, to conduct ceremonies and programs that
recognize our Constitution and reaffirm our rights and
obligations as citizens of this great Nation.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
sixteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord two
thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.