[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 240 (Friday, December 17, 2021)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 71787-71788]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-27540]



[[Page 71785]]

Vol. 86

Friday,

No. 240

December 17, 2021

Part III





The President





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Proclamation 10323--Bill of Rights Day, 2021
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  Federal Register / Vol. 86 , No. 240 / Friday, December 17, 2021 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 71787]]

                Proclamation 10323 of December 14, 2021

                
Bill of Rights Day, 2021

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                More than two centuries ago, our Founders drafted the 
                Constitution in order to create an American Government 
                that could act with urgency on national issues without 
                compromising individual rights and freedoms. They had 
                the genius not only to craft such a Government but to 
                foresee their own fallibility as well. In their 
                foresight, they made the charter at the heart of our 
                Nation a living document--including within it a process 
                by which it could be amended to evolve and keep pace 
                with the wisdom of passing time.

                Opportunities to improve our Constitution have been 
                contemplated since its inception. On December 15, 1791, 
                three-fourths of the existing State legislatures 
                ratified the first 10 Amendments of the Constitution--
                the Bill of Rights. These Amendments protect some of 
                the most indispensable rights and liberties that define 
                us as Americans. Though we have often struggled to live 
                up to the promises they contain, 230 years after the 
                ratification of the Bill of Rights, respect for human 
                rights and fundamental freedoms remains at the center 
                of our democracy.

                The Bill of Rights is important not only in the 
                freedoms it protects but in its demonstration of 
                America's enduring commitment to self-improvement and 
                striving to continuously form a ``more perfect union.'' 
                Since 1791, 17 additional Amendments have been ratified 
                for a total of 27 Amendments to the Constitution. From 
                the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery; to the 
                14th Amendment, which guaranteed birthright 
                citizenship, promised ``equal protection under the 
                laws,'' and safeguarded fundamental rights and fair 
                process; to the several Amendments devoted to 
                prohibiting electoral discrimination based on race, 
                sex, age, and the inability to afford a tax; to the 
                most recent amendment ratified in 1992 to keep members 
                of Congress more responsive to their voters--our 
                history of amending the Constitution illustrates that 
                improving our democracy is the shared and constant duty 
                of all Americans. Democracy's greatest strength is the 
                ability it provides its citizens to improve their 
                system of governance, which is why democracy is 
                uniquely suited to face the challenges of a changing 
                world.

                Just as our Founders overcame their differences to form 
                the democracy we know today, our country continues to 
                confront its problems head-on and work together to fix 
                them, even in the face of disagreements. Respectful 
                disagreement is healthy and American--indeed, it is 
                protected by the Bill of Rights itself--but there is no 
                place in a democracy for threats or violence.

                Earlier this month, the United States hosted the first 
                ever Summit for Democracy, where Governmental and non-
                governmental leaders from around the world came 
                together to set forth an affirmative agenda for 
                democratic renewal and to tackle the greatest threats 
                faced by democracies today through collective action. 
                By working with our democratic partners, we can meet 
                the challenges of today and tomorrow.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, by virtue of the 
                authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws 
                of the United States, do hereby proclaim December 15, 
                2021,

[[Page 71788]]

                as Bill of Rights Day. I call upon the people of the 
                United States to observe this day with appropriate 
                ceremonies and activities.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                fourteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                sixth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2021-27540
Filed 12-16-21; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3395-F2-P