[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 123, 111th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 8418--SEPT. 16, 2009

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 Sep-

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tember 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.

BARACK OBAMA