[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 125, 112th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 8766 of December 8, 2011

Bill of Rights Day, 2011
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
On December 15, 1791, the United States adopted the Bill of Rights,
enshrining in our Constitution the protection of our inalienable
freedoms, from the right to speak our minds and worship as we please to
the guarantee of equal justice under the law. For 220 years, these
fundamental liberties have shaped our national character and stirred the
souls of all who dream of a freer, more just world. As we mark this
milestone, we renew our commitment to preserving our universal rights
and perfecting our Union.
Introduced in the First Congress in 1789, the Bill of Rights was born
out of compromise. The promise of enumerated rights enabled the
ratification of the Constitution without fear that a more centralized
government would encroach on American freedoms. In adopting the first
ten Amendments, our Founders put forth an ideal that continues to define
our Nation--that we can have both liberty and security, that we need not
sacrifice the rights of man for the rule of law.
Throughout our country's history, generations have risen to uphold the
principles outlined in our Bill of Rights and advance equality for all
Americans. The liberties we enjoy today are possible only because of
these brave patriots, from the service members who have defended our
freedom to the citizens who have braved billy clubs and fire hoses in
the hope of extending America's promise across lines of color and creed.
On Bill of Rights Day, we celebrate this proud legacy and resolve to
pass to our children an America worthy of our Founders' vision.
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 Decem

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ber 15, 2011, as Bill of Rights Day. I call upon the people of the
United States to mark this observance with appropriate ceremonies and
activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of
December, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
sixth.
BARACK OBAMA