    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 128, 113th Congress, 2nd Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    PROCLAMATION 9168--SEPT. 16, 2014

    Proclamation 9168 of September 16, 2014

    Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, Constitution Week, 2014

    By the President of the United States of America

    A Proclamation

    Eleven years after a small band of patriots declared the independence of
    our new Nation, our Framers set out to refine the promise of liberty and
    codify the principles of our Republic. Though the topics were
    contentious and the debate fierce, the delegates' shared ideals and
    commitment to a more perfect Union yielded compromise. Signed on
    September 17, 1787, our Constitution enshrined--in parchment and in the
    heart of our young country--the foundation of justice, equality,
    dignity, and fairness, and became the cornerstone of the world's oldest
    constitutional democracy.
    For more than two centuries, our founding charter has guided our
    progress and defined us as a people. It has endured as a society of
    farmers and merchants advanced to form the most dynamic economy on
    earth; as a small army of militias grew to the finest military the world
    has ever known; and as a Nation of 13 original States expanded to 50,
    from sea to shining sea. Our Founders could not have foreseen the
    challenges our country has faced, but they crafted an extraordinary
    document. It allowed for protest and new ideas that would broaden
    democracy's reach. And it stood the test of a civil war, after which it
    provided the framework to usher in a new birth of freedom through the
    13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments.
    America's revolutionary experiment in democracy has, from its first
    moments, been a beacon of hope and opportunity for people around the
    world, inspiring some to call for freedom in their own land and others
    to seek the blessings of liberty in ours. The United States has always
    been a nation of immigrants. We are strengthened by our diver

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    sity and united by our fidelity to a set of tenets. We know it is not
    only our bloodlines or an accident of birth that make us Americans. It
    is our firm belief that out of many we are one; that we are united by
    our convictions and our unalienable rights. Each year on Citizenship
    Day, we recognize our newest citizens whose journeys have been made
    possible by our founding documents and whose contributions have given
    meaning to our charter's simple words.
    Our Constitution reflects the values we cherish as a people and the
    ideals we strive for as a society. It secures the privileges we enjoy as
    citizens, but also demands participation, responsibility, and service to
    our country and to one another. As we celebrate our Nation's strong and
    durable framework, we are reminded that our work is never truly done.
    Let us renew our commitment to these sacred principles and resolve to
    advance their spirit in our time.
    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, 2014, as Constitution Day and
    Citizenship Day, and September 17 through September 23, 2014, 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 bring together community members to
    reflect on the importance of active citizenship, recognize the enduring
    strength of our Constitution, and reaffirm our commitment to the rights
    and obligations of citizenship in 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 fourteen, and of the
    Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
    ninth.
    BARACK OBAMA