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

 
PROCLAMATION 8485--MAR. 24, 2010

Proclamation 8485 of March 24, 2010
Greek Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration of Greek and
American Democracy, 2010
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation

Today, as we commemorate the 189th anniversary of Greece's independence,
we reaffirm the ties that link our nations together as allies and warm
friends. We also honor the accomplishments of Greek Americans and their
immeasurable contributions to the United States.
It was the genius of America's forebears to enshrine the pre-eminent
idea of democracy in our Nation's founding documents. Inspired by the
governing values of ancient Greece, they launched the great American
experiment. Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of our Declaration of
Independence, later expressed his admiration for the Greeks and their
heritage as they fought their War of Independence. Writing in 1823, he
acknowledged Greece as ``the first of civilized nations, [which]
presented examples of what man should be.''
The Hellenic influence on America's scholarly traditions reflects our
Nation's high regard for Greece's lasting heritage. Our physicians
uphold the timeless ethics of Hippocrates, and our students learn the
mathematics of Euclid and Pythagoras. Our law schools use the Socratic
Method, and the structures of ancient Greece have inspired many of our
most cherished buildings and monuments. Greek Americans have also shaped
our Nation as leaders in every sector of American life, and their
community has strengthened the fabric of our country with its vibrant
culture and unique traditions.
Above all, we were blessed to inherit the Hellenic ideal of democracy,
which lives on today in Greece and America, and reinforces the enduring
bonds between our two nations.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, 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 March 25, 2010, as
``Greek Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration of Greek and
American Democracy.'' I call upon all 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 twenty-fourth day
of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
fourth.
BARACK OBAMA