Columbus Day, 2000

Proclamation 7357 of October 6, 2000

Columbus Day, 2000

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

During this first year of the new century, the American
people have devoted time and thought to the people and
events of our Nation's past so that we might better
prepare for the challenges of the future. While
Christopher Columbus' epic voyage took place almost
three centuries before the founding of our democracy,
his journey helped shape our national experience and
offers important lessons as we chart our own course for
the 21st century.

One of the most valuable of those lessons is the
importance of sustaining our spirit of adventure, our
willingness to explore new concepts and new horizons.
Columbus, after careful study and planning, rejected
the conventional thinking of his time, sailed for the
open seas, and succeeded in opening up a New World for
the people of Europe. Like Columbus, our founders
rejected the familiar paths of the past and ventured
boldly to create a new form of government that has
profoundly shaped world history. Explorers, pioneers,
inventors, artists, entrepreneurs--all have found a
refuge in America and a chance to achieve their dreams.

Today we have other worlds to explore--from the deepest
oceans to the outermost reaches of space to the genetic
code of human life. The same adventurous spirit that
propelled Columbus' explorations will enable us to
challenge old assumptions, acquire new knowledge, and
broaden the horizons of humankind.

Columbus' story illustrates the importance of
diversity. Columbus was born and raised in Italy; he
learned much of his seafaring knowledge and experience
from Portuguese sailors and navigators; and he put
those skills in service to the King and Queen of Spain,
who funded his explorations. By establishing a safe,
reliable route between Europe and the New World,
Columbus opened the door for subsequent explorers from
Spain, France, and England and for the millions of
immigrants who would be welcomed by America in later
centuries. But the encounters between Columbus and
other European explorers and the native peoples of the
Western Hemisphere also underscore what can happen when
cultures clash and when we are unable to understand and
respect people who are different from us.

While more than 500 years have passed since Christopher
Columbus first sailed to these shores, the lessons of
his voyage are still with us. Brave, determined, open
to new ideas and new experiences, in many ways he
foreshadowed the character of the American people who
honor him today.

In tribute to Columbus' many achievements, the
Congress, by joint resolution of April 30, 1934 (48
Stat. 657), and an Act of June 28, 1968 (82 Stat. 250),
has requested the President to proclaim the second
Monday in October of each year as ``Columbus Day.''

NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the
United States of America, do hereby proclaim October 9,
2000, as Columbus Day. I call upon the people of the
United States to observe this day with appropriate
ceremonies and activities. I also direct that the flag
of the United States be displayed on all public
buildings on the appointed day in honor of Christopher
Columbus.

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