Constitution Day And Citizenship Day, Constitution Week, 2009

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Part II

The President

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Proclamation 8418--Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, Constitution
Week, 2009

___________________________________________________________________

Title 3--
The President

Proclamation 8418 of September 16, 2009

Constitution Day And Citizenship Day,
Constitution Week, 2009

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

The United States Constitution has withstood the test
of time for more than two centuries as our Nation's
charter of government and the guarantor of our
liberties. Signed in Philadelphia on September 17,
1787, this founding document reflects our core values
and enshrines the truths set forth in the Declaration
of Independence, that we are each endowed with certain
unalienable rights. As the beneficiaries of these
rights, all Americans have a solemn obligation to
participate in our democracy so that it remains
vibrant, strong, and responsive to the needs of our
citizens.

To succeed, the democracy established in our
Constitution requires the active participation of its
citizenry. Each of us has a responsibility to learn
about our Constitution and teach younger generations
about its contents and history. By fulfilling civic
duties, engaging government at the local, State, and
Federal level, and volunteering in our communities,
individual citizens can better our country and breathe
life into the freedoms established in the Constitution.

The right to participate in self-government, and the
many other freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution,
inspire the dreams and ambitions of many inside and
outside our borders. These principles serve as a beacon
of hope for Americans and those who seek new lives in
the United States. Every day, we welcome new and
diverse stories and heritages into the great patchwork
of our Nation. United by our devotion to the
Constitution and to the civic engagement it inspires,
Americans remain committed to the fundamental
principles established over two hundred years ago.

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, 2009, as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, and
September 17 through September 23, 2009, 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 celebrate our Constitution and
reaffirm our rights and obligations as citizens of our
great Nation.

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