    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 124, 111th Congress, 2nd Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    PROCLAMATION 8562--SEPT. 16, 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 Sep-

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    tember 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.
    BARACK OBAMA